Why Study Nursing?
RCC Nursing Program graduates receive excellent preparation for NCLEX-RN with close to 100% pass rate. The Nursing Program may be completed in two years or students can attend part time and complete the program at their convenience. Nursing applications are accepted twice annually. Graduates can transfer almost anywhere to obtain their BSN degree. Additional advantages of RCC’s Nursing program include: more affordable tuition as compared to four-year institutions, availability of scholarships, financial aid, full-time or part-time enrollment, day and/or evening courses and on-campus child care.
RCC’s Nursing Program has been ranked by NursingProcess.org as #1 “Best ADN Nursing Program in New York State.” In addition, RCC Nursing has been ranked #6 by RegisteredNursing.org as “2020 Best ADN programs in New York State.”
Program Mission
The Nursing Program at Rockland Community College aims to meet the needs of the community for individuals who are both informed citizens and registered professional nurses. The Nursing Program provides access into practice as a registered professional nurse and is the basis for higher education and lifelong learning.
| 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % passed | 100% 1st Q | 98.36% | 96.30% | 98.68% |
Students must pass a national licensing exam in order to obtain employment.
Licensure
The Nursing Program is licensed by the New York State Education Department, 89 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12234, www.nysed.gov.
Accreditation
The Nursing Program is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN), 3390 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 1400, Atlanta, GA 30326, www.acenursing.org.
RCC’s Nursing Program is registered by the New York State Education Department, Office of the Professions, as a registered nursing education program that qualifies students for licensure as a Registered Professional Nurse (RN). The registration of a program means that it has met the Department’s standards for accreditation as provided in the Rules of the Board of Regents and the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education.
Competitive Skills
- Provide patient-centered care utilizing a collaborative approach which includes the patient, family, significant others, and members of the nursing and healthcare team.
- Practice with competence and humanism and provide a safe and cost-effective healthcare environment.
- Coordinate care for groups of patients utilizing organizational skills and the concepts of delegation, accountability and advocacy.
- Practice within the ethical, legal and regulatory framework of nursing in accordance with professional standards.
School of Nursing, Health and Wellness
Degree Tracks
Real World Ready
Listening to workforce needs
Graduates of Rockland Community College are provided with a clear path to meaningful careers that meet the needs of businesses and industry in the communities we serve. Our students are trained in specific skills that are needed by employers, and guided through a career path that leads directly to workforce opportunities. With affordable tuition, students who begin their college careers at RCC are ready to meet the demands of the real world.
Free Career Exploration Assessment [ACCESS CODE: pathways]
Student Success
At Rockland Community College, you are provided with a Student Success Team that will help you with your academic journey, career exploration, transfer planning, support service referrals, and more! Your Team includes your Dean, Program Director, Faculty Advisor, Student Success Advisor, Connection Center Counselor, Financial Aid Advisor, Peer Mentors, and if you’re involved in any of these special programs, your Athletics, Honors, TRiO, and Veterans Advisors. During your first semester, you will take an ‘Introduction to the School’ course that will outline the various College offices and departments that can help you on your path.
Get Advised
Career Outlook
Job Roles
Registered Nurse, Nurse Practitioner, Licensed Practical Nurse
Industries
Healthcare, Education, Legal, Publishing
Careers
Registered Nurse
Nurse Practitioners
Licensed Practical Nurse
Employment and wage data by occupation are based on the Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) survey, which collects information from approximately 51,000 businesses. labor.ny.gov
Faculty Spotlight
Get Started Today
1. Apply to the College
- To complete the online application, visit sunyrockland.edu/admission. If you are interested in applying to the Nursing Program, you must check off Nursing as your “Program of Interest”.
- You will be considered an “Undecided” student until you have completed the Nursing Application and are accepted into Nursing. For students who have not been accepted into Nursing, you will continue as an “Undecided” student and seek advisement from your advisor on the Student Success Team.
- For further instructions on how to apply, take your placement tests, apply for Financial Aid, and register for classes at RCC, visit sunyrockland.edu/enrollment/.
- Students must reapply to RCC if they already enrolled but have not taken classes for two consecutive semesters.
- We encourage you to attend a Nursing Information Session, which are scheduled prior to the application deadline.
2. College Level Placement in English and Mathematics
- Transfer credits: Students who wish to have credits evaluated should have all official college transcripts, from all previous colleges and universities attended, sent to: Rockland Community College, Records, 145 College Road, Suffern, NY, 10901. RCC accepts eTranscripts directly from participating colleges and universities. All college eTranscripts should be emailed to [email protected]. Please do not send them to Nursing.
- Placement Exemptions: For information on placement exemption criteria, please go to sunyrockland.edu/admission/enrollment/placement-testing/
- Assessment Examinations (ACCUPLACER Tests): Students who do not receive placement exemption or transfer credit for English and/or Math must take an assessment test(s). A schedule of test dates and study information is available at sunyrockland.edu/admission/enrollment/placement-testing/accuplacer-schedule.
3. Nursing Pre-Admission Exam (ATI TEAS®)
All applicants must take the ATI Test of Essential Academic Skills (ATI TEAS®), which measures basic essential skills in the academic content areas of reading, mathematics, science, and English and language usage. In order to apply to Nursing, students must score a minimum of 58.7% (proficient) on the TEAS exam. Nursing admission is competitive and based on TEAS scores within the cohort for which you are applying.
Please go to www.atitesting.com/teas/register for more information and to register for the ATI TEAS exam. Students may choose to take the exam at any location where the TEAS is offered, as long as it includes the academic content areas listed above. Information on available study materials is available at www.atitesting.com/teas-prep. TEAS exam results must be dated within one year of the application deadline.
Upcoming ATI TEAS Dates and Registration Information
The ATI Test of Essential Academic Skills (ATI TEAS®) exam measures general knowledge in various content areas.
TEAS exams for RCC students applying to the Nursing Program will be held remotely (off campus) on the following dates:
- September 16th at 9:00 am
- September 22nd at 9:00 am
- September 28th at 9:00 am
- October 4th at 9:00 am
ATI is partnering with Proctorio to virtually proctor TEAS exams. Proctorio is a remote proctoring platform.
It is pertinent that your computer meets all technical requirements. Determine this prior to registering for the TEAS. The cost of the TEAS through RCC is $108. The fee is nonrefundable.
Go to https://www.atitesting.com/teas/register to register.
See the section that says TEAS online proctored by an institution.
Click on visit this page for more details.
Use this link https://www.atitesting.com/teas/register/teas-online-at-institution to access the following: HOW TO TAKE THE ATI TEAS EXAM ONLINE (remotely) through AN INSTITUTION-Rockland Community College.
TEAS “dry run” assessments will be held prior to the scheduled exam for students to ensure they will be able to log in on their scheduled test day. Registered students will receive emailed instructions for the “dry run” the week prior to their test.
Download the Quick Start Guide: How to Take the ATI TEAS Exam Online (remotely) through an Institution for complete instructions.
ATI may be reached at 1-800-667-7531 if you need additional information.
For information on testing accommodations, contact Accessibility Services at [email protected]. “Accommodation Letters” must be forwarded to [email protected] at least 7 days prior to the scheduled exam in order to receive accommodations.
4. Nursing Application
Nursing will only accept applications to the Nursing program:
- Fall Semester: February 1 – April 15
- Spring Semester: August 1 – October 15
Your complete Nursing Application*, and an official ATI TEAS score report** (Individual Performance Profile) must be submitted via email to [email protected] by the application deadline date.
Your College acceptance, Nursing Application*, official transcripts, ATI TEAS results** and English and Math placement results must be on file by the application deadline.
*Applications that are faxed or incomplete will not be processed.
**ATI TEAS report must be dated within one year of submitting the application
5. LPN Pathway to RN
Additional admission criteria specific to students with a current Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) license may be found at sunyrockland.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/LPN-Degree-Sheet-Fall-2021.pdf
Note: Please be advised that a prior felony conviction may impede the ability of a student to complete the requirements of certain academic programs and to meet licensure for certain professions. Once accepted to the Nursing Program, students will be required to undergo a criminal background check and drug screening.
*to be completed only after acceptance to the program
RCC Nursing students who participate in a clinical experience are required by clinical sites to undergo a criminal background check and drug screening.
Students who test positive on the drug screening will be dismissed from the RCC Nursing Program. Additionally, students who are not cleared for the criminal background check will be dismissed from the Program. Students who test positive on the drug screen and/or students who are not cleared for the criminal background check are eligible to reapply once they are able to successfully complete the drug screening and/or have cleared up the issues on their criminal record.
Students are solely responsible for the costs for the criminal background check and drug screening. Students must utilize the services of Castle Branch (www.castlebranch.com).
The drug screening follows the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) guidelines and screens for ten (10) substances as designated in the Substance Abuse Panel 10 (SAP 10). The substances are: Amphetamines, Opiates, Marijuana, Barbiturates, Metabolites, Methadone, Phencyclidine-Propoxyphene, Benzodiazepines, Cocaine metabolites, Methaqualone.
Please go to CastleBranch RCC Nursing Portal to register for the criminal background check and drug screen.
Note: Please be advised that a prior felony conviction may impede the ability of a student to complete the requirements of certain academic programs and to meet licensure for certain professions.
Applicants seeking information on how a felony or misdemeanor conviction may affect their ability to be licensed, should contact the New York State Education Department, Office of the Professions at 518-474-3817.
