Nursing Admissions Requirements and Program Information

Program Information and Disclosures

Pre-Licensure Nursing Requirements prior to clinical assignments (BSN & LVN/LPN to BSN and LVN 30 Unit Option):

1. Obtain a criminal background clearance (information on how to obtain this clearance will be provided to students during the enrollment process).  Failure to disclose a misdemeanor or felony may interfere with clinical placement and subsequent licensure as a Registered Nurse (applicants with felony convictions are not admissible);

2. Submit documentation of required immunizations;

3. Provide and maintain a current American Heart Association Basic Life Support (CPR) for Health Providers;

4. Provide a current Fire Card, where required;

5. Meet the requirements outlined in the “Essentials of RN Job Functions” as documented by a licensed Physician, Nurse Practitioner or Physician Assistant;

6. Undergo drug screening.

7. Provide acceptable proof of adequate health insurance coverage;

8. Comply with clinical site specific requirements.

Nursing Residency Requirements

A minimum of 68 credits must be taken at WCU for the BSN and LVN to BSN programs.  Exceptions may be considered.  

 

Registered Nurse Licensure Disclosure - California

The student satisfactorily completing the pre-licensure BSN or LVN to BSN program is eligible to apply for licensure by the California Board of Registered Nursing (BRN). The California Board of Registered Nursing requires that applicants for a nursing license must provide a United States issued social security number. This requirement will prevent anyone from applying for RN licensure in California and being employed as an RN without a United States issued social security number. Furthermore, prospective students who do not meet this requirement will be unable to sit for the Nursing Board Examination (NCLEX) in California, since the California Board of Registered Nursing will not issue an Authorization to Test (ATT) without a valid social security number.

Registered Nurse Licensure Disclosure - Florida 

The student satisfactorily completing the pre-licensure BSN program is eligible to apply for licensure by the Florida Board of Nursing.  The Florida Board of Nursing requires that applicants for a nursing license must provide a United States issued social security number.  A United States issued social security number is also required to be eligible to sit for the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) in the state of Florida.  This requirement will prevent anyone from applying for RN licensure in Florida and being employed as an RN without a United States issued social security number.

 

 

Examination Fees

 

 

Students Enrolled in the August 2013 Term and After

Starting in the August 2013 term, new/reentry students will be required to pay for Authorization to Test (ATT) fees and NCLEX-RN fees as part of the NCLEX Incentive Program.  This program is designed to provide a financial incentive for students to pass the examination on first attempt.  Upon enrollment in NURS 493 Integration of Nursing Concepts, the student account will accrue a one-time charge for examination and licensures fees.  The University will forward these funds to Pearson (NCLEX) and the State Board of Nursing.  On successfully completing the NCLEX examination on first attempt, the University will refund the testing fees noted above and provide the student with a financial incentive.  Please see the campus Testing Coordinator for the NCLEX Incentive Program eligibility criteria.  

 

Immunizations
Based on the CDC Recommended Immunizations for Health-Care Personnel (HCP), all HCPs must submit documentation of immunization to Hepatitis B (series of three doses with anti-HBs serologic testing 1-2 months after dose #3), proof of immunity to Hepatitis B, or a signed declination; Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR); Varicella (chickenpox); and Tetanus, include Influenza (yearly), Hepatitis A, and Pneumonia. For some individuals, a titer test will be indicated vs. vaccinations. Titer tests showing immunity to listed pathogens are acceptable. Titer tests showing a negative response require appropriate immunizations and follow-up titers must be completed and submitted. Diphtheria and Pertussis (booster every 10 years) are highly recommended immunizations for HCPs. If one or more of the listed immunizations are contraindicated, documentation must be submitted clearly identifying the reason(s). Clinical laboratory reports with the facility stamp and a medical doctor’s signature is required. See the Nursing Student Handbook for additional information.

For more information on immunizations and vaccines, visit the Center for Disease Control and Prevention website at http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/.

Public Health Nurse Certification

Graduates of the BSN program at West Coast University, and who have obtained an unobstructed RN license in the State of California, will be eligible to apply for Public Health Nurse Certification with the California Board of Registered Nursing (BRN).  For information the Public Health Nurse Certification application process, visit the California Board of Registered Nursing website at www.rn.ca.gov.

NURS 493 Comprehensive Predictor

Each  student  will  take  the  ATI  Comprehensive  Predictor  Assessment during  the last week of the NURS 493 course.  Each student must achieve an ATI predictive probability of passing NCLEX at or above 92%.  Each student will have ONE (1) attempt to meet the benchmark.

NURS 493 is graded on a Pass/No Pass scale. Only students who meet the benchmark will be given a “Pass” (P) for the course and be allowed to graduate from the program.  Students who do not achieve a score of 92%, will be given a “No Pass” (NP) grade and will need to repeat NURS 493 the following term.

 Students scoring at or above a 92% probability of NCLEX success on the ATI

Comprehensive Predictor given in week 9 of the course will:

1.  Complete a focused review of the Comprehensive Predictor

2.  Attend the full ATI Live Review

3.  Work through the ATI Live Review Study plan to prepare for NCLEX.

4.  Students will be enrolled into the Virtual ATI online NCLEX review for post-graduation support to prepare for NCLEX.

 

Students scoring below 92% probability of NCLEX success on the ATI Comprehensive Predictor will be required to complete the following:

1.  Repeat the NURS 493 course at no additional cost including:

a)      Completing alternative capstone assignments

b)      Completing ATI assessments

c)      Retaking the ATI   Comprehensive Predictor

d)     Attending the ATI Live Review if Comprehensive Predictor is passed

2.  Students who have repeated NURS 493 and passed the course will be identified as needing additional support and, after attending the Live Review and meeting all University requirements to graduate and test for NCLEX, will be enrolled in the Virtual- ATI online NCLEX review for continued post-graduation review and support to prepare for NCLEX.

 

Nursing Corequisite Course Drop

Pre-licensure Nursing students who are enrolled in courses with corequisites must maintain enrollment in both courses throughout the term.  If a student is seeking to drop, or is dropped/withdrawn from a course with a corequisite, the co-requisite course will also be dropped.  The drop of the corequisite will not count as an unsuccessful attempt.  When a student drops, or is dropped/withdrawn from a course with a corequisite after the Withdrawal (W) deadline, as published in the University Catalog, the student will be permitted to continue in the corequisite course.

Admission Requirements

BSN Entrance Examination Requirements      

BSN applicants will have a maximum of two attempts, a week apart, to successfully pass the admissions exam. If an applicant does not pass the admissions exam after two attempts, he or she must wait a period of 6 months to retest and must provide proof of remediation. WCU only collects Verbal and Quantitative scores for SAT and ACT.  HESI exam scores must be within 3 years of enrollment date.  TEAS exam scores must be within 1 year of enrollment date.  

BSN & LVN/LPN-BSN Transfer Credit Evaluation

BSN applicants requesting transfer credit evaluation must provide official transcripts to the registrar no later than the first day of the first semester in which the student commences their education at West Coast University. General education, prerequisites, and core nursing coursework taken from a national or regionally accredited institution will be considered and evaluated for transfer credit. All general education, prerequisite, and core nursing coursework must have been taken at an appropriately accredited institution. For nursing credits to be considered for transfer credit there can be only one year between the end of the last nursing course taken at a previous institution and the beginning of the first course at West Coast University. Exceptions may be considered.  The student must be listed in good standing with the prior institution. Science courses must be taken within the last five years to be accepted for transfer credit. Course syllabi for courses previously taken at another nursing program should be submitted for review to the campus dean for nursing.  The maximum allowable transfer credits applied to the BSN program shall not exceed 52 credits of general education. For additional information on receiving nursing credit for previously completed nursing courses, see the Challenge Credit policy.  Authority for all final transfer credit decisions is given to the Program Dean/Chair.

LVN/LPN-BSN Licensure Requirements

LVN to BSN Applicants who possess a current unobstructed LVN license may be admitted into the West Coast University LVN to BSN program without requiring transcripts if they meet all other specific program admission requirements which would include military trained LVN’s who were able to obtain their LVN license using their military training as the academic qualifier and those who have graduated from a school that has since closed and transcripts are no longer available.

LVN to RN 30 Unit Option

In addition to the 120 Unit LVN to BSN program, West Coast University offers a 30 unit option for Licensed Vocational Nurses (LVN) as required by the California Board of Registered Nursing (BRN).  Students considering taking the 30 unit option will take Physiology, Microbiology, and selected pre-licensure nursing courses.  Students who choose the 30 unit option will not receive a certificate or degree from West Coast University and are not considered a graduate of the University.  Students interested in the 30 unit option must declare this option prior to enrolling in the WCU LVN to BSN program.  Once students have enrolled and have started the WCU LVN to BSN program, the 30 unit option is not available.  Financial aid is not available for students choosing the 30 unit option since this is not a pathway leading to a degree.    

 

Students who successfully complete the LVN to RN 30 Unit Option will be eligible to take the NCLEX-RN examination.  More information can be found in the RN Student Handbook on the West Coast University website.  Please contact the campus Nursing department for further details. 

RN to BSN Transfer Credits

The RN to BSN program awards 42 transfer credits for an unobstructed current RN license issued in the United States and up to 42 credits of general education transfer credits (total of 84 transfer credits).  

Students enrolled in the RN to BSN program are exempt from specific general education requirements.  There is no science recency requirement for RN to BSN students.    

Students who request transfer credits for courses in the core curriculum must submit official transcripts by the first day of the first term in which the student commences his or her education at the University. 

Students requesting additional general education transfer credits must provide official transcripts no later than six monts after the start of the semester in which the student commences his or her education at the University.  Only college-level coursework will be considered for transfer credit.  All coursework must have been taken at an institution accredited by an agency recognized by the United States Department of Education. 

Note:  A student may have the option of taking a Prior Learning Assessment (PLA 100) course if he/she does not have sufficient college-level credits required to meet the 120 credits required for graduation with this degree program.  Prior Learning Assessment (PLA 100) is not subject to this policy as credit earned from Prior Learning Assessment is done in conjunction with enrollment in the appropriate West Coast University course.   

 

BSN and LVN-BSN Admissions Requirements-California

1. Submit a completed WCU application for admissions;

     2. Participate in an admissions interview arranged by a University admissions advisor;

3. Submit WCU approved documentation of high school graduation or equivalent; (Please Note: Foreign high school diplomas/credentials or their equivalent must have an official evaluation
performed by an approved organization)

4. Complete an enrollment agreement (must be signed by a parent or guardian if the applicant is under 18 years of age);

5. Meet program specific entrance requirements;

a. Submit all postsecondary transcripts:

i. Applicants with 18 or more postsecondary credits, from institution recognized by an accreditation body approved by the U.S. Department of Education, will be evaluated on their cumulative grade point average.

ii. Applicants with fewer than 18 postsecondary credits, from institution recognized by an accreditation body approved by the U.S. Department of Education will be evaluated based on their high school cumulative grade point average.

b. Applicants to the LVN-BSN program must provide proof of current unobstructed licensure as a Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN).

c. Must achieve an acceptable composite score based on entrance examination and cumulative GPA requirements defined as follows:

1. Applicants with a composite score of 8 or above will be admitted to the university

2. Applicants with a composite score of between 2 to 7 will be conditionally admitted to the university.

i. Students who are conditionally admitted must achieve a composite score of 58.7% on the TEAS examination to be allowed entrance into Nursing (NURS) core courses. Students who do not meet this requirement will not be allowed to register for NURS courses and will be dismissed from the university.

3. Applicants with a composite score of 1 or below will be denied admissions to the university.

4. Any applicant with an entrance examination score or Cumulative GPA requirement below the requirement noted in the tables below will be denied admissions.

 

Composite Score
8 +	Admitted
2 to 7	Admitted with Conditions
Less than 2	Denied Enrollment
A student scoring less than a 76 on the HESI or with a GPA of less than a 2.0 will be denied admissions to the University.

 

Entrance Exam Point Value:

ACT	SAT w/o Essay	SAT w/ Essay	TEAS	HESI	Point Value
35+	1500+	2300+	90.5+	96-100	20
35	1500+	2300+	90.5+	95	20
34	1465	2250	88	94	19
33	1430	2200	85.5	93	18
32	1395	2150	83	92	17
31	1360	2100	80.5	91	16
30	1325	2050	78	90	15
29	1290	2000	75.5	89	14
28	1255	1950	73	88	13
27	1220	1900	70.5	87	12
26	1185	1850	68	86	11
25	1150	1800	65.5	85	10
24	1115	1750	63	84	9
23	1080	1700	60.5	83	8
22	1045	1650	58	82	7
21	1010	1600	55.5	81	6
20	975	1550	53	80	5
19	940	1500	50.5	79	4
18	905	1450	48	78	3
17	870	1400	45.5	77	2
16	835	1350	43	76	1
Admissions Denied Below Point
15	800	1300	40.5	<76	0

 

Cumulative GPA Point Value:

3.9+	20
3.8-3.89	19
3.7-3.79	18
3.6-3.69	17
3.5-3.59	16
3.4-3.49	15
3.3-3.39	14
3.2-3.29	13
3.1-3.19	12
3.0-3.09	11
2.9-2.99	10
2.8-2.89	9
2.7-2.79	8
2.6-2.69	7
2.5-2.59	6
2.4-2.49	5
2.3-2.39	4
2.2-2.29	3
2.1-2.19	2
2.0-2.09	1
Admissions Denied Below 2.0

30 Unit Option Admissions Requirements - California

30 unit option applicants will have two attempts to successfully pass the HESI admissions exam at 80%.  If an applicant does not pass the HESI admissions exam after two attempts, he or she must wait a period of 6 months to retest for the 3^rd and final attempt.  HESI exam scores must be within 3 years of enrollment date.  

Postsecondary Transcripts

All applicants are required to submit all official postsecondary transcripts by the first day of the term in order to be admitted to the university. 

If a student is concurrently enrolled and attending course(s) applicable to his or her declared WCU major at another college or university on the first day of the student's first WCU term, these credits in progress at the other institution may be considered for transfer into WCU once completed with a passing grade and official transcripts are received by the university.  

Applicants who submit their unofficial transcripts prior to the first day of the term may be conditionally admitted and must submit all official transcripts by the end of the first term of instruction. 

If official transcripts are not received by this stated deadline or if the official transcripts are submitted and it is found that the student did not meet the academic performance requirements as was
demonstrated on the unofficial transcripts, the individual would be dismissed, all state and federal Title IV funds will be returned and the student would be financially responsible for all tuition charges incurred. 

An applicant whose transcripts are unavailable (including foreign applicants without a grade point average, or individuals with a high school equivalency) will receive a 3-point value toward program admission, similar to an individual with a 2.25 cumulative grade point average.

Transfer credit will not be awarded based on unofficial transcripts and all students will be scheduled for their first semester of courses based on unofficial transfer credit review. Financial packaging will be estimated without transfer credit unless/until official transcripts are received and evaluated during the payment period or period of enrollment.

 

 

 

BSN and LPN-BSN Admissions Requirements-Florida and Texas Effective August 18, 2016

Applicants to the Pre-licensure Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing program must: 

1. For regular admissions, a minimum summative score of 192.3 on the TEAS Examination or score a minimum of 80 on the HESI Examination is required.  
2. For conditional acceptance, a summative score of TEAS of 129 to 192.2, or a score on the HESI from 76 to 79.5 is required.  
3. The conditions for admissions are outlined below, any students who do not continue to meet these conditions may be referred to the Student Conduct Committee and/or dismissed from the university.  
   1. Meet regularly with the Student Success Coordinator and assigned Tutor.  
   2. Are required to retake the TEAS prior to moving into the core Nursing curriculum, and must achieve a minimum TEAS Examination composite score of at least a 58.7.  

Post Secondary Transcripts

Students submitting all postsecondary transcripts must do so by the first day of the first term of matriculation into the University.  Students may submit unofficial transcripts for meeting admissions criteria.  Any student requesting transfer credit may only submit official transcripts.  Please refer to the BSN and LVN/LPN-BSN Transfer Credit Evaluation policy in the University Catalog for further clarification.  

BSN and LVN-BSN Admissions Requirements-Texas

Applicants for the Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing (BSN) program must:

1. Pass the HESI admission test with a minimum score of 80% overall (scores 79.5% and higher will be rounded up to 80%); OR
2. Pass the HESI admission test with a score from* 75.5% to 79.4% with documented CGPA from all prior education at or above 2.5*; OR
3. Demonstrate passage of the Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS) with a minimum overall score of 58.7%; OR
4. Provide proof of a minimum composite SAT score of 1000 on the version without essay or 1500 on the version of the SAT with essay; OR
5. Provide proof of a minimum composite ACT score of 20.

*Students scoring from 75.5% to 79.4% on the HESI with less than a 2.5 CPGA may be admitted on a conditional basis. The conditions are outlined below, and students who do not continue to meet these conditions may be referred to student conduct and/or dismissed from the University.

1. All conditionally accepted students are required to meet regularly with the Student Success Coordinator and assigned Tutor.
2. All conditionally accepted students must take the HESI prior to progressing into the core Nursing curriculum and must achieve a minimum of 80.0%. A maximum of five (5) total attempts on the HESI will be allowed.

*Applicants must submit all postsecondary transcripts:

i. Applicants with 18 or more postsecondary credits, from institutions recognized by an accreditation body approved by the U.S. Department of Education, will be evaluated on their postsecondary cumulative grade point average.

ii. Applicants with fewer than 18 postsecondary credits, from institutions recognized by an accreditation body approved by the U.S. Department of Education, will be evaluated based on their high school cumulative grade point average.

Applicants for the Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing, (LVN to BSN) program must:

1. Provide proof of current unobstructed licensure as a Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN) in the United States;
2. Meet all admission requirements for the Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing (BSN) program as noted above.

RN to BSN (Online) Admissions Requirements

Applicants to the program must meet the following standards:

1. Submit a non-refundable application fee to cover administrative cost of processing application.
2. Provide proof of a current unobstructed Registered Nurse (RN) license from the United States.
   1. Students awaiting their licensure exam may be admitted if they meet all other admissions criteria but must show proof of licensure prior to entering the third trimester of the program.  
3. Submit official transcripts from a Board of Nursing licensed Associate Degree or Diploma in Nursing program; 
   1. Applicants can be conditionally admitted into the first week of the program by providing unofficial transcripts or a copy of the conferred nursing degree.  Official transcripts which meet the requirements set forth must be received by the end of the add/drop period in order to be admitted in to the program.  
   2. Applicants with a valid license may be admitted with approved documentation of earned high school degree or equivalent pending receipt of official transcripts of nursing degree.  Official transcripts must be submitted to document program completion.  

*All students must have a current and unobstructed license in the United States prior to entering the third trimester of the program; an unobstructed license is required for degree completion and will be verified again prior to entering the practicum course.  Failure to present a valid RN license will result in dismissal from the university until such time license is current and unobstructed.