Associates of Applied Science – RN

The training is offered in the Anchorage area.

Registered Nurses (RNs) provide and coordinate patient care, educate patients and the public about various health conditions, and provide advice and emotional support to patients and their family members. Registered nurses work in hospitals, physicians’ offices, home healthcare services, and nursing care facilities. They also work in correctional facilities, schools, summer camps, and with the military.

Registered nurses typically do the following:

• Record patients' medical histories and symptoms
• Give patients medicines and treatments
• Set up plans for patients' care or contribute to existing plans
• Observe patients and record the observations
• Consult with doctors and other healthcare professionals
• Operate and monitor medical equipment
• Help perform diagnostic tests and analyze results
• Teach patients and their families how to manage their illnesses or injuries
• Explain what to do at home after treatment

Some registered nurses oversee licensed practical nurses, nursing aides, and home care aides. Registered nurses sometimes work to promote general health by educating the public on warning signs and symptoms of disease. They might also run general health screenings or immunization clinics, blood drives, or other outreach programs. Most registered nurses work as part of a team with physicians and other healthcare specialists. Most registered nurses work in well-lit, comfortable healthcare facilities. Home health and public health nurses travel to patients' homes, schools, community centers, and other sites. Some registered nurses work in correctional facilities, schools, summer camps, and nurses often work with the military. Some move frequently, traveling in the United States and throughout the world to help care for patients in places where there are not enough healthcare workers.

Employment of registered nurses is expected to grow 26 percent from 2010 to 2020, faster than the average for all occupations. Growth will occur primarily because of technological advancements; an increased emphasis on preventative care; and the large, aging baby-boomer population who will demand more healthcare services as they live longer and more active lives.

Overall, job opportunities for registered nurses are expected to be excellent. Employers in some parts of the country and in some employment settings report difficulty in attracting and keeping enough registered nurses.

Prerequisites

RN Application Checklist

Applicant must have 24 credits of general education courses, not offered at AVTEC, and accepted as transfer credits. The criteria for acceptance of credit are that courses are taken at a college or university that is regionally or nationally accredited and approved by the U.S. Department of Education. Courses must also be passed with a grade equivalent of C or better. Applicant must have 26 credits of Licensed Practical Nursing program requirements. Applicants must also possess a valid license as an LPN in the state of Alaska. Applicant must have and maintain current certification in Basic Life Support for Health Care Providers. Applicants must have high school diploma or GED transcripts. Applicants TABE testing on reading and math must be a minimum of 12th grade level. 

The associate of applied science in nursing program consists of 84 credit hours. The credits are distributed among general education prerequisites, practical nursing requirements, and specific nursing courses.

General Education Prerequisite Courses

The general education prerequisite courses total 24 credits. These are courses not offered by AVTEC. These courses are accepted as transfer credit. Criteria for acceptance of credit are that courses are taken at a college or university that is regionally or nationally accredited and approved by the U.S. Department of Education. Courses must be passed with a grade equivalent of C or better.

Applicant must have completed:

• Human Anatomy and Physiology I and II with lab Introduction to human structure and function, with all body systems covered in the 2 components of the course. [8 credits (or equivalent); 6 lecture and 2 laboratory]
• Microbiology with lab Introductory microbiology covering bacteriology, virology, host parasite interactions, host defense mechanisms, and epidemiology. [4 credits (or equivalent); 3 lecture and 1 laboratory]
• Nutrition (for Health Sciences) Study of human nutrition in the life cycle. Includes food sources, nutrient requirements, physiology and metabolism aspects of nutrition, and relationships to disease states and health science interventions. (3 credits or equivalent)
• Human Lifespan Development Physical, psychosocial, cognitive, emotional, and spiritual development across the lifespan with attention given to cultural influences on development. Both classical and contemporary theories are considered. (3 credits equivalent)
• English, Written Communication Instruction in the composition of written documents with attention to style, organization and the exposition of thoughts. (3 credits equivalent)
• College Algebra course to increase the mathematical abilities of students to make them more adept and competent in decision making. (3 credits equivalent)

Practical Nursing Prerequisite Courses

The practical nursing program requirements total 26 credits. These are courses offered in a practical nursing training program. The following course descriptions are of AVTEC's practical nursing program required courses. Applicant must also possess a valid license as a LPN in the state of Alaska.

Applicant must have completed:

• Foundations of Nursing & Nursing in Health Understand growth and development and identify factors that can facilitate or interfere with normal growth and development; explain the communication process, verbal vs. nonverbal communication; documentation; culture; care continuum; nursing process; health; caring; role development; basic nursing skills. [8 credits (or equivalent); 5 classroom and 3 skills lab and clinical]
• Nursing Care of Adults in Acute Care Understand inflammation and infection; nursing care of adult disorders to include: immune, surgery, skin, connective tissue, traumatic musculoskeletal, gastrointestinal, accessory organ, cardiovascular, hematological, urologic, respiratory, endocrine disorder, reproductive, special senses, neurological disorder, cancer, acute psychiatric disorder. [10 credits (or equivalent); 4 classroom and 6 skills lab and clinical]
• Parent-Child Nursing Understand reproductive physiology, fertilization, prenatal development; nursing care during the antepartal period, intrapartum, postpartum neonate. Introduction to the nursing of children with a cardiovascular, hematologic or immunologic respiratory, gastrointestinal, genitourinary, endocrine, musculoskeletal, integumentary, neurological disorders, developmental disabilities and cancer. [4 credits (or equivalent); 3 classroom and 1 skills lab and clinical]
• Treatments Mathematics of drug dosage; principles of pharmacology; drug classifications; wound care. (1 credit)
• Legal/Ethical Issues, Trends, Professional Issues Legal issues as they apply to nursing; negligence and malpractice; accountability, responsibility and ethics in nursing; mandatory continuing education for nursing; cultural diversity; membership in professional organizations; reasons a nursing license could be revoked by state board of nursing. (1 credit)
• Clinical Concentration 24 hours per week with a nurse preceptor who directly monitors and supervises the student's clinical practice. Develop a workplace support system while having a mentor to ask questions regarding transition issues and "reality shock." Develop collegial relationships with health care staff. Provide direct care to a group of clients that is more realistic than a student experience. (2 credits)

Program Content

To receive an associate degree, students must complete the following required courses. These courses total 34 credits. For a detailed description of each requirement, click on the link below.

Transition from LPN to RN

This course will present the role responsibilities of a registered nurse. The differences between LPN and RN roles will be discussed. Socialization into professional nursing will be discussed, including the history of nursing. Nursing theory as the foundation of practice will be discussed. The nursing process as a decision-making and a problem-solving process will be presented. The communication process and its necessity as a standard of practice will be discussed. Interpersonal relationships and the nurse-patient relationship as small group behavior will be presented. The importance of critical thinking in nursing will be discussed. The teaching role of a registered nurse will be presented. The concept of cultural competence in care delivery will be addressed. [Back to Course List]

Pathophysiology

This course presents an introduction to the nature of disease and its effects on body systems. The relationship between alterations in body structure and function and the appearance of signs and symptoms will be explored. The background for the nursing process and evidence-based practice will be discussed. [Back to Course List]

Pharmacology

This course will enhance the pharmacology the student has learned as part of a licensed practical nursing program. Previous body systems and basic pharmacologic principles will be reviewed. This course presents advanced treatments and pharmacologic agents used by nurses in health promotion, prevention, and treatment across the life span. Major body systems discussed will be the endocrine, cardiovascular, and immune systems. The use of IV drugs, blood products, chemotherapy agents, and biologic response modifiers will be presented. [Back to Course List]

Ethics of Health Care

This course examines the ethical aspect of nursing practice. The concepts of values and needs are discussed. Philosophies and theories of ethics will be presented. The concept of ethical decision making is discussed. (3 credits) [Back to Course List]

Legal Aspects of Nursing, Trends and Issues in Nursing, and Professionalism

This course examines current issues in associate degree nursing with emphasis on continuing education, application of computers for patient care, and practice issues applicable in the present health care environment. The legal aspects of nursing are presented. The nursing knowledge and skills necessary for entry into registered nursing practice are discussed. Information on preparation for NCLEX examination is introduced. Licensing, professionalism, and management are discussed. The concept of developing culturally competent care is discussed. (3 credits) [Back to Course List]

Parent/Child Nursing Concepts

This course will present nursing care concepts and principles beyond the scope of a practical nurse for childrearing and child bearing families from pre-fertilization through adolescence. The development of cultural competence will be addressed. Included will be nurse assessment of the woman in labor, special care situations including intensive care of the high risk infant, and nursing care of children and families with chronic health problems in acute and chronic situations. Health-related problems of children and adolescents will be presented using a developmental model. (3 credits) [Back to Course List]

Acute Care of Adults and Children

This course focuses on the nursing care of adults and children with acute physiologic problems. The concept of diverse populations and diversity in care delivery will be discussed. The students will have focused theory and guided clinical experiences emphasizing more complex physiologic and psychosocial needs of individuals across the lifespan as compared to an LPN experience. (4 credits) [Back to Course List]

Clinical experience for Acute Care of Adults and Children

Clinical experiences will include labor and delivery; and, adult, child and infant intensive care units. The student will also provide care in mother-baby units, pediatric units, and general medical-surgical units. (5 credits) [Back to Course List]

Mental Health Nursing

Students explore caring strategies for promoting mental health and preventing mental illness across the life span. The roles and functions of the psychiatric nurse are included. Students will have clinical experiences with patients with mental health needs in a variety of health care settings. (4 credits; 2 classroom and 2 clinical) [Back to Course List]

Clinical Practicum

This is the capstone course to ease the student’s transition from student role to practice role. The student works with a registered nurse preceptor to implement nursing practice in a real situation. (3 credits) [Back to Course List]

Additional Requirements

• Applicants must have proof of immunizations or titers for MMR 1 and 2, Varicella (Chicken Pox), and Hepatitis B immunization series and a current TB test. Meningitis immunization or signed form declining this immunization.
• Applicant must be currently licensed as a practical nurse (LPN) in Alaska.
• Applicant must have and maintain current certification in Basic Life Support for Health Care Providers.
• A physical requirement of the occupation is the ability to lift 50 lbs.

Apply

For an application or information, email Vivica Carr, the Admissions Coordinator at the Allied Health Department, at vivica.carr@avtec.edu, or call (907) 334-2230.

[Back to Course List] 

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