These admission standards and procedures are established in keeping with Series 23 of the WV Council for Community and Technical College Education, “Standards and Procedures for Undergraduate Admissions at Community and Technical Colleges,” Section 5.4.

Applicants requesting admission to the nursing program must first meet the requirements for general admission to the college, including foundation requirements in math, reading and English and be admitted to the college.  General Admission standards for West Virginia University at Parkersburg are stated in Answer Book #VI-9.

Applicants to the nursing program must be eligible to meet the requirements for licensure in the state of West Virginia as stated in West Virginia Code §30-7-6. These conditions include:

1. Be a high school graduate or equivalent

2. Be a graduate of an accredited school of nursing

The Board of Examiners for Registered Professional Nurses may deny testing to any applicant proven guilty of certain infraction such as, but not limited to fraud, felony, or moral misconduct. (West Virginia Code §30-7-11.)

Additionally, the applicant must be able to engage in educational and training activities in a manner that does not endanger themselves or others.

General Requirements

Applicants may qualify to be considered for admission in one of two ways:

1. Be a high school senior or graduate with a grade point average of 2.5 or higher, have a composite ACT score of 23 or higher, and complete college Chemistry 111 with a grade of “C” or better  or have completed or transferred in Biology 107 or Biology 108.

2. Have an earned ACT composite score of 19, an overall college cumulative grade point average of 2.5 or higher and a 2.5 or higher grade point average in these required college courses: English 101, Psychology 101 or Psychology 241, Sociology 101, and Chemistry 111 with a minimum grade of “C” in each of these courses. Students who have completed or transferred to WVUP with an equivalent Biology 107 or Biology 108 do not have to complete the Chemistry 111 requirement and the Biology grade will be used to calculate the prescriptive GPA.

Application to the Nursing Program

Applications will be accepted year round. Application forms are available in the Health Sciences Division office and online at www.wvup.edu/healthsciences.

For an application to be complete, each applicant must:

·         Submit completed application to nursing

·         Submit high school transcript or GED certificate

·         Submit ACT score of 19 or higher or SAT of 910 or higher

·         Submit transcripts of any college work from another college

·         Complete the Health Education Systems Inc. (HESI) Admission Assessment examination with a score of 70 or higher.  The cost of the exam will be assumed by the applicant.  Contact the Health Sciences Division for current cost of the exam.  The examination measures general aptitude for nursing.

The HESI Admission Assessment examination is scheduled monthly and the dates and times are listed online at www.wvup.edu/healthsciences.  Call the Health Sciences Division to register for the exam.

An interview with applicants may be requested at the discretion of the Nursing Admission, Progression, and Graduation Committee.

It is important to note that completion of the application process does not imply that the applicant will be admitted to the nursing program.

ADMISSION TO THE PROGRAM

Provisional Admission

All initial admissions to Nursing 111 will be provisional for one semester.

Full Admission

Upon successful completion of all course outcomes in Nursing 111 with a minimum grade of “C”, the student will be fully admitted into the Nursing Program and will progress to Nursing 112. Students who earn less than a “C” grade in nursing will be dismissed from the nursing program.

Students who withdraw or do not earn the minimum grade of “C” in Nursing 111 will be required to reapply for provisional admission. Students may only be readmitted once.  Students may meet with their assigned academic advisor to develop a plan.

Admission Limitations

Due to space limitations, qualified applicants are ranked according to composite ACT scores, by pre-nursing test scores, and both prescription and cumulative grade point averages.

The highest ranked students who meet the admission requirements by March 15^th for fall admission or September 15^th for spring admission are admitted first; other qualified applicants will be placed on a waiting list. The first day of class, the waiting list is dissolved. Because of the competition for space, it is possible qualified applicants may not be selected for admission due to competition for space.

Advanced Placement for Licensed Practical Nurses

Licensed Practical Nurses may apply for advanced standing in the nursing program, if they meet the following criteria:

·         meet the admission criteria for the associate in applied science in the nursing program,

·         hold a current unencumbered practical nurse license,

·         submit a Practical Nursing school transcript

·         have been employed as an LPN 1000 hours in the twelve months preceding admission to the nursing program. The work hour requirement may be waived for new LPN graduates who enter the nursing program within one calendar year of graduation from a state approved practical nursing program.

·         college transcript demonstrates completion of the following classes with a minimum grade of “C”:  Chemistry 111, English 101, Psychology 101, Biology 107, and Sociology 101.

To be granted advanced standing in the nursing program, licensed practical nurses are required to complete the following courses with a minimum grade of “C”:

• Nursing 116 to be taken concurrently with Nursing 131,
• Biology 108 and Psychology 241, which are pre-requisites or may be taken as a co-requisite to Nursing 116 and Nursing 131.

Other advanced placement options are available through credit transfer and challenge examination.

Updates to Applications

Students interested in pursuing admission in the next cycle should update their applications in the Health Sciences Division.  It is the responsibility of the student to provide appropriate documentation of changes in his/her personal and/or academic record.

CLINICAL PRACTICE REQUIREMENTS

Each student admitted into the Nursing Program must complete the following:

Physical Examination

After formal acceptance into the nursing program, all students must have a physical examination and file the results of the physical examination in the Health Sciences Division. The student must provide documentation of hearing and visual acuity, Hepatitis B vaccination series with titer (or waiver), annual TB tests, Varicella and MMR titers. Students born after 1957 will not need titers if an immunization record is provided that indicates the Varicella vaccine was given at 12-18 months of age, and that two (2) MMR vaccinations were given. Students may provide documentation by a physician indicating that he/she has had the chickenpox, the mumps, and/or measles.

CPR Certification

Each student admitted into the nursing program is required annually to maintain current CPR certification, the American Heart Association, Health Care Provider (with the use of a AED), as well as, in-service education as determined by the faculty and affiliate health care agencies.

Drug Screening

Applicants must test negative for drug/alcohol screening. West Virginia University Parkersburg is a drug free community. To that end, students enrolled in all Health Sciences programs will be required to submit to randomized mandatory drug screening without notice. Failure to cooperate will result in administrative dismissal from the program. Students who test positive for alcohol, illegal usage of a controlled substance or illicit drugs will be immediately dismissed from the program and will not be eligible for readmission to any health science program. Costs associated with the screenings will be the responsibility of the student.

Background Check

Criminal background checks are required for all students entering the Health Sciences programs. Cost associated with the state and federal criminal history checks will be the responsibility of the student.  A clinical facility has the right to refuse a student access to clinical experiences based on results of the criminal background check, which may prevent progression in the program. The Health Sciences Division reserves the right to nullify a student’s admission based on the results of his or her background check.

Providing false information and/or failure to disclose background information on the application to the program is grounds for immediate dismissal.

Confidentiality Statements and HIPAA Training

Students in the Health Sciences programs are subject to institutional, state, and federal regulations. Completion of required documentation is necessary for participation in clinical and community experiences.

Progression and Graduation

A student may repeat no more than one nursing core course. A student who earns less than a grade of “C” in a second nursing course will be dismissed from the nursing program. A student who is dismissed from the program has the right of appeal. A grade of “C” or better is required in each course in the nursing curriculum to qualify for graduation.

Students must demonstrate behavior consistent with the Department’s Professional Standards and Safe Clinical Practice Standards. Failure to adhere to the Standards may result in dismissal from the program.

Admission to and graduation from the nursing program does not guarantee that the West Virginia Board of Examiners for Registered Professional Nurses will endorse the graduate as a candidate to sit for the licensure examination.

The WVUP administration reserves the right to amend this documentation, upon recommendation of the Nursing Faculty Organization, without notice to insure the integrity of the program and safety of the students, college, and community at large.