Nursing
Nursing is one of the most diverse and exciting careers in today’s health care field. It provides unlimited opportunities and intangible benefits for those who enter the profession. Nursing is a career for those interested in a challenge, as well as those who seek the reward of caring for others.
The Mission of the Nursing Program
The Primary purpose of the Nursing Program at Big Bend Community College is to prepare the students to become safe and responsible beginning practitioners.
Big Bend Community College’s Nursing Program combines classroom work with skills laboratory and clinical experiences in a variety of settings to provide students with a solid foundation of knowledge and experience to prepare them for the healthcare work environment. Students are encouraged to develop a systematic approach to problem solving and acquire the knowledge and skill to meet the diverse health needs of the individual, the family and the community during health and/or illness.
Accreditations
The Nursing Assistant – Certified (NA-C) Program is approved by the Washington State Board of Nursing.
The Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) Program is approved by the Washington State Board of Nursing and the Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges, and accredited by the ACEN: Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing. Comments about this program may be directed to ACEN at 3343 Peachtree Road, Suite 850, Atlanta GA 30326. Phone: (404) 975-5000. Website: https://www.acenursing.org/
All programs at Big Bend Community College are approved by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU).
Nursing Assistant Program
Successful completion of the one-quarter program prepares students to take the Washington State Certification Examination. Successful completion of the examination is required to become licensed as Nursing Assistant – Certified (NA-C). This program is approved by the Washington State Nursing Care Quality Assurance Commission. Certified Nursing Assistants work in community, long-term, and acute care settings.
Associate in Nursing DTA/MRP Degree (selective admissions process)
Successful completion of this degree prepares the student to take the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN). Successful completion of the examination and subsequent licensure allows the student to enter the workforce as a Registered Nurse. This degree is also designed to transfer to most nursing bachelor’s degree programs at all four-year colleges and universities in Washington state.
BBCC’s nursing program admits a cohort of new nursing students once every year through a competitive application process. Application deadlines, requirements and the scoring process are subject to change each year. Be sure to check for the most current information when applying. All application requirements, deadlines and links to forms are in the “How to apply” section below.
Associate in Pre-Nursing DTA/MRP Degree
This pathway is applicable to students preparing for an upper division Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing BSN (Entry-to-practice/basic BSN pathway). Students will enter the transfer institution as a junior; however, admission to the nursing program at that college or university is not guaranteed. Programs requirements differ at each college. Students choosing this degree are advised to contact their potential transfer institution early in his/her course of study requesting information regarding specific course choices in each degree and the minimum GPA requirements.
Students may also choose to pursue the Associate in Arts & Science DTA degree with academic guidance to include prerequisites required to apply for a Nursing program at BBCC or another community or technical college, or to apply to a bachelors degree program.
2024 Nursing Cohort Applications are closed!
Please check back next year for information on applying for the 2025 Nursing Cohort.
1. Note important dates and deadlines
We are excited you are considering our Nursing Program here at Big Bend Community College. We prepared the following information to guide you in applying.
Big Bend Community College accepts applications to the Associate in Nursing DTA/MRP program from qualified applicants once a year in spring for a fall cohort of 24 -28 students, depending upon available faculty and clinical spaces.
Important Dates and Deadlines for Fall 2024 Applicants
- Applications will be accepted beginning 3/18/2024 and ending at 5:00 p.m. 4/19/2024. Our application deadline is firm – late and incomplete applications will not be considered.
- All applicants submitting complete applications will be notified of our program acceptance decision through their Student Homepage Message Center by 5/17/2024.
- TEAS test scores must be Version 7 and must be dated before 4/19/2024. See details under item #7.
- A mandatory 3-day orientation for all accepted students takes place the first week of September.
- Nursing classes begin Fall Quarter each year – note that some Nursing classes may not align with the published BBCC term dates.
2. Verify that you have met prerequisite coursework
Prerequisites: Must be completed before application
- ENGL& 101 – English Composition
- BIOL& 160 – General Biology with lab (or BIOL& 211)
- CHEM& 121 – Intro to Chemistry*
- BIOL& 241 – Anatomy & Physiology I
- BIOL& 242 – Anatomy & Physiology II*
* Applicants may be enrolled in either BIOL& 242 or CHEM& 121 at the time of application; however, acceptance to the program will be contingent on successful completion of that class (2.0 or better) by the end of Spring quarter 2024.
Co-requisites: May be taken before or during the nursing program, but must be completed no later than their scheduled place in the program:
| Year 1 | Year 2 |
| Fall – BIOL& 260 Microbiology | Fall – PSYC& 200 Life-Span Development |
| Winter – NUTR& 101 Nutrition | Winter – CMST& 220 Fundamentals of Speech |
| Spring – PSYC&100 Intro to Psych | Spring – MATH& 146 Intro to Statistics |
| ENGL& 102 and 1 additional Humanities class |
- All pre- and co-requisite courses must be completed with a minimum grade of 2.0 (C) or better
- Anatomy and Physiology and Microbiology courses must have been taken within the past seven years to be considered
- Course Equivalencies: For those transferring in credits to meet prerequisites, we have a table of course equivalencies to assist you.
3. COVID related requirements
Nursing Clinical sites require students to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Exemptions are dependent on individual site approval and are not guaranteed.
4.Applicant Scoring
In this competitive process, applications are scored on several attributes, focusing primarily on prior academic performance, completion of pre- and co-requisite coursework, and standardized test scores (TEAS). Experience in direct patient care is preferred but not required for admission. For more information on how we weigh these attributes, click here to view a copy of our scoring form.
Incomplete and otherwise non-qualified applications will not receive a score.
5. Apply for admission to Big Bend Community College
- Complete the BBCC Online Admissions Application. Your BBCC Online Application will be counted as “on time” if submitted by the Nursing Program Application deadline (even if not yet processed).
- Choose Professional Technical and Nursing DTA/MRP as your program and plan and choose Fall as your admission term. This, along with your Nursing Program Application submission, will identify you as a candidate for the fall nursing cohort.
- Remember: Acceptance to BBCC does not guarantee acceptance to the nursing program.
6. Apply for financial aid (optional)
- Apply for FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) if a US citizen or eligible non-citizen
OR - WASFA online (Washington Application for State Financial Aid) (undocumented or DACA).
- The Financial Aid Office is available if you need help. Be aware of dates & deadlines.
- Learn about other funding options here.
(509) 793-2088 | faidinfo@bigbend.edu | Financial Aid Office, 1400 bldg
7. Register for and complete the TEAS Exam
- TEAS exam date must fall within the requirement dates stated in the “Important Dates and Deadlines” section above.
- TEAS composite score must be 60% or greater and TEAS reading score must be 65% or greater to qualify.
- Scores from TEAS retakes will only be considered if exams are taken at least 3 months apart. Otherwise, we will use the earlier test scores.
- If the TEAS exam is taken somewhere other than the BBCC campus, please verify it is the TEAS Seventh edition before you test at another test site.
- TEAS exam results must be electronically sent from ATI testing directly to the Big Bend CC Nursing Program
8. Activate your student CTCLink account
Once a student has been admitted to BBCC, they will receive a welcome email that will include their new BBCC student ID (ctcLink ID) number and their next steps. Please follow the directions to activate your ctcLink Student Account, this is an important step for new students.
Students accepted to the Nursing Program Cohort have a separate onboarding process and are not expected to attend a New Student Enrollment session.
9. Submit official transcripts from all prior colleges/universities
If you are not a current or recent BBCC student
- Contact each college or university where you completed college-level coursework and order an official transcript sent directly to BBCC.
- We prefer transcripts sent electronically via Parchment or Clearinghouse, but we are happy to accept paper transcripts if received in their original sealed envelope from the sending institution. Please do NOT submit unofficial transcripts.Note that electronic transcripts sent to you and then forwarded to BBCC are not considered official.
- If you are enrolled in classes now that will be completed before the nursing application due date, make sure you have an updated official transcript sent to us as soon as your grades are posted.
- Include a copy of your Spring schedule if you are currently enrolled in co-requisite courses so we can award you the appropriate points for in-progress work.
If you are a current or recent BBCC student
- We will retrieve your BBCC transcript, previously submitted transfer transcripts, and your Spring schedule.
- Remember to submit new official transfer transcripts for any classes not yet evaluated.
10. Submit the online nursing application
Once we receive your online Nursing Application, you can check your Student Homepage in the coming days for messages acknowledging receipt of your transcripts and TEAS scores.
11. Submit healthcare employment verification (optional)
Applicants who have experience in healthcare providing direct patient care may qualify for bonus points.
- Examples of qualifying jobs include (but are not limited to), Nursing Assistant, Medical Assistant, EMT, Healthcare Tech.
- Must have worked or volunteered in a position with direct patient care for at least 100 hours (training hours not included)
- Verification may come from a Human Resources (HR) staff member, a supervisor, or a direct manager.
- We recommend you use the linked form (downloadable PDF), but we will accept a signed letter on letterhead, an email from a business email address, or a form developed by your employer that contains the same information.
- Send documentation to Admissions@bigbend.edu
- Communicate effectively to deliver relevant, accurate and complete information to patients, families, and the healthcare team.
- Deliver safe and effective physical, psycho-social, cultural, and spiritual care to the whole person in a variety of settings.
- Plan, initiate and evaluate patient teaching including assessment of current knowledge, use of appropriate materials and techniques.
- Demonstrate clinical decision-making from a theoretical knowledge base utilizing the nursing process to develop patient care plans that ensure safe, effective care in a variety of settings.
- Assume responsibility and accountability in the practice of registered nursing as defined by the professional standards and codes of nursing.
- Participate as a member of the healthcare team for educational and institutional growth.
- Students will be able to reason mathematically using methods appropriate to the profession.
For job shadows, tours, and internships, check out the Career Services.
Information coming soon
DTA/MRP Nursing Degree
Total Credits: 135
Learning Outcomes:
- Communicate effectively to deliver relevant, accurate and complete information to patients, families, and the healthcare team.
- Deliver safe and effective physical, psycho-social, cultural, and spiritual care to the whole person in a variety of settings.
- Plan, initiate and evaluate patient teaching including assessment of current knowledge, use of appropriate materials and techniques.
- Demonstrate clinical decision-making from a theoretical knowledge base utilizing the nursing process to develop patient care plans that ensure safe, effective care in a variety of settings.
- Assume responsibility and accountability in the practice of registered nursing as defined by the professional standards and codes of nursing.
- Participate as a member of the healthcare team for educational and institutional growth.
- Students will be able to reason mathematically using methods appropriate to the profession.
Year 1
| Course | Credits |
| BIOL& 160 | 5 |
| CHEM& 121 | 5 |
| PSYC& 100 | 5 |
| Course | Credits |
| BIOL& 241 | 5 |
| ENGL& 101 | 5 |
| NUTR& 101 or PSYC& 200 |
5 |
| Course | Credits |
| BIOL& 242 | 5 |
| BIOL& 260 | 5 |
| CMST& 220 or MATH& 146 or NUTR& 101 |
5 |
Year 2
| Course | Credits |
| NUR 110 | 4 |
| NUR 111 | 3 |
| NUR 114 | 2 |
| NUR 135 | 1 |
| PHIL 102 | 1 |
| PSYC 101 | 1 |
| *BIOL&260 | 5 |
| Course | Credits |
| NUR 120 | 5 |
| NUR 121 | 4 |
| NUR 136 | 1 |
| PHIL 103 | 1 |
| PSYC 102 | 1 |
| *NUTR&101 | 5 |
| Course | Credits |
| NUR 130 | 5 |
| NUR 131 | 5 |
| NUR 137 | 1 |
| PSYC 103 | 1 |
| *PSYC&100 | 5 |
Year 3
| Course | Credits |
| NUR 210 | 4 |
| NUR 211 | 5 |
| NUR 235 | 1 |
| PHIL 201 | 1 |
| PSYC 201 | 1 |
| *PSYC&200 | 5 |
| Course | Credits |
| NUR 220 | 4 |
| NUR 221 | 5 |
| NUR 236 | 1 |
| PHIL 202 | 1 |
| *CMST&220 | 5 |
| Course | Credits |
| NUR 230 | 4 |
| NUR 231 | 4 |
| PHIL 203 | 1 |
| PSYC 202 | 1 |
| *MATH&146 | 5 |
*Denotes courses which can be completed at any point prior to or during the quarter in which they are listed
- NursingProgram@bigbend.edu
- (509) 793-2137
- Building 1700
Kissler, Brandy
Goodrich, Debra
Higgs, Krys
Lamb, Brittney
Eidson, Emily
Johnson, Leah
Wiester, Heidi
Leaf, Hannah
Gonzalez-Aller, Mercedes
Christian, Katherine