Nursing

Big Bend Community College Nursing Program fosters the development of nurses prepared to provide compassionate, professional, and holistic health care in a variety of settings to serve a diverse community. 

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, Inc., Comments about this program may be directed to ACEN at 3390 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 1400, 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).

The learning outcomes for the Nursing program are based on the Core Concepts: Communicator (C); Provider of Care (POC); Manager of Care (MOC); and Professional (P). Progress is assessed throughout the 2-year program culminating in a professional portfolio. 

1. Communicate effectively to deliver relevant, accurate and complete information to patients, families, and the healthcare team. (C)  

2. Deliver safe, effective and individualized physical, psychosocial, cultural, and spiritual care to the whole person in a variety of settings. (POC.1)  

3. Plan, initiate, and evaluate patient teaching including assessment of current knowledge, use of appropriate materials and techniques. (POC.2)  

4. Demonstrate clinical decision-making based on best current evidence and clinical expertise, while utilizing the nursing process and information technology to develop safe plans of care in a variety of settings. (MOC)  

5. Assume responsibility and accountability in the practice of registered nursing as defined by the professional standards and codes of nursing. (P.1)  

6. Demonstrate effective collaboration within nursing and inter-professional teams, fostering open communication, mutual respect, and shared decision-making to achieve educational and institutional growth (P.2) 

Nursing Program Outcomes

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.

Important Dates and Deadlines for Fall 2025 Applicants

• Applications will be accepted beginning 3/17/2025 and ending at 5:00 p.m. 4/11/2025. 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 5/9/2025.
• TEAS test scores must be Version 7 and must be dated on or before 4/11/2025.  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.

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:

• 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.

Nursing Clinical sites require students to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Exemptions are dependent on individual site approval and are not guaranteed.

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.

• If you are not a current BBCC student, 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.

• 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

• 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.
• BBCC requires a minimum of 90 days between tests for a retake to be considered. This policy aligns with ATI’s best practice recommendation for no more than 3 attempts in a 6-month period. For TEAS retakes less than 90 days apart, 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.

Students accepted to the Nursing Program Cohort have a separate onboarding process and are not expected to attend a New Student Enrollment session.

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.

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.

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 supervisor, a direct manager, or a Human Resources staff member.

• 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