Nursing

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.

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).

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.

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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.

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.

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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. 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.

Important Dates and Deadlines for Fall 2023 Applicants (updated, clarification only, 3/16/2023)

• Applications will be accepted beginning 3/15/2023 and ending at 5:00 p.m. 4/15/2023. Our application deadline is firm – late and incomplete applications will not be considered.
• All applicants will be notified of our program acceptance decision through their Student Homepage Message Center by 5/12/2023.
• TEAS test scores must be dated between 1/1/2021 and 3/31/2023.

  Clarification: TEAS test scores must be Version 7 and must be dated before 3/31/2023.  See details under item #4.

• 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.

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 2023.

Co-requisites: May be taken before or during the nursing program, but must be completed no later than their scheduled place in the program:

• 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.

• Complete the BBCC Online Admissions Application.
• 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.

Financial Aid

• Apply for FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid).
  OR
• WASFA online (Washington Application for State Financial Aid). DREAMers (non-citizens, WA state residents).
• 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

• 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

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.

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

Year 2

Year 3

*Denotes courses which can be completed at any point prior to or during the quarter in which they are listed