Associate Degree in Nursing

New Admission Process Update (revised 4.24.24)

Tacoma Community College’s Nursing program is committed to reducing barriers for students to earn a nursing degree and is still developing a more equitable and holistic admission process. We thank you for your patience as we navigate this complex process. All future updates will be placed on this website once they have been finalized and implemented.

We have are very pleased to announce that beginning with the next application cycle, starting on June 1, 2024:

• The Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS) exam will NO LONGER be required for admission to the traditional RN and the LPN to RN programs.
• The CNA (NAC) certified nursing assistant credential will NO LONGER be required for admission to the traditional RN program. LPNs will still be required to have an unencumbered LPN license for the LPN to RN program application.
• Please note that applicants with specific healthcare experience and/or credentials (such as CNA/NAC, MA, EMT, RT, etc.) may receive additional points in the new scoring system, however the CNA/NAC credential is no longer mandatory.
• Retakes or repeats for ANY pre-requisite course will NO LONGER carry a penalty such as deduction of points in the new scoring system. There continues to be no time limit on the age of prerequisite courses.
• The following prerequisites are required:

NOTE: The only changes to prerequisites are the added additional options for Communication courses.

Completion of the courses listed below with a 'B' or higher. There are no attempt or expiration date rules. 

• ENGL& 101 (English Composition I)
• CHEM& 121 (Introduction to Inorganic Chemistry or CHEM& 161 (General Chemistry w/lab I)
• BIOL& 241 (Human Anatomy and Physiology I)
• BIOL& 242 (Human Anatomy and Physiology II)
• BIOL& 260 (General Microbiology)
• PSYC& 200 (Lifespan Psychology)

Completion of the courses listed below with a 'C' or higher. There are no attempt or expiration date rules. 

• ENGL& 102 (English Composition II: Argument and Persuasion) or ENGL& 103 (English Composition III: Writing about Literature) or ENGL& 235 (Technical Writing)
• CMST& 210 (Interpersonal Communications) or CMST 320 (Professional and Organizational Communication) or CMST& 220 (Public Speaking) or CMST& 101 (Introduction to Communications) or CMST 110 (Multicultural Communications)
• Nutrition 250 (Nutrition in Health Care) or NUTR& 101
• PSYCH&100 (General Psychology)
• BIOL&160 (General Cell Biology). BIOL& 211 (Majors Cellular) or BIOL& 222 (Introduction to Cellular & Molecular Biology) may also be used to meet this requirement.  
  NOTE: If you are a Tacoma Community College student and have taken a higher-level Biology class, you can contact Ken Cushman to arrange taking a challenge exam for BIOL&160 credit.
• MATH&146 (Statistics)
• Humanities - 5 credits (Choose from the Approved Humanities Distribution List.

Revision of the new scoring system and our final admission process are still in process, so we ask your continual patience as we develop a more equitable admission process.

APPLICATION CYCLE DATE CHANGE UPDATE: 
All prerequisite coursework must be complete, and all official transcripts must be to our college before the application deadline. We ask that you please don't apply to the nursing program until you have completed all prerequisite courses. There will be no exceptions to this.  
 
To accommodate students that are finishing prerequisites in the summer quarter, we will be separating the Fall/Winter application cycle in to two cycles moving forward. We will now have three 2-year program application cycles and one LPN to RN application cycle per year as follows: 

2-Year Students 

• Fall (Starts in September)  

• • The application is open from June 1-July 1. 

• Winter (Starts in January):  

• • The application is open from August 1-September 1. 

• Spring (Starts in April):  

• • The application is open from Dec 1-Jan 1 

LPN to RN Students: 

• Winter (Starts in January):  

• • The application is open from July 1-Oct. 1 

Jillian T. Edwards, DNP, MN, BSN, ARNP, FNP-BC, RN 
Associate Dean of Nursing
Tacoma Community College

A Student-Centered Progression

A pre-licensure Associate Degree in Nursing gives you a great start on the path to career advancement in the high-demand, high-wage world of nursing . You can get your BSN in just one more year as a full-time student… and after that, how far you choose to take your education is up to you.

The new degree requires changes to the nursing pre-requisites, which increases the credits needed for graduation from 122 to 135. This change offers several advantages for the student, with the primary goal of a streamlined pathway to completing a bachelors in nursing.

Because you complete the first three years of a four-year degree at a community college, the DTA/MRP degree allows you to spend significantly less money on your BSN.

The DTA/MRP also makes it easy to transfer to several local colleges.

General Degree Option

The Associate in Nursing Degree (DTA/MRP) nursing program is designed for students who want to complete their prerequisites and nursing training at the community college level. After finishing prerequisites and our two year program, graduates are eligible to:

• test to earn the Registered Nurse credential, and
• transfer to a university to complete the last 45 credits towards a Bachelors in Science in Nursing (BSN). 

LPN to RN (Advanced Standing) Option

The Associate in Nursing Degree (DTA/MRP) LPN to RN Bridge nursing program is designed for students who are currently LPNs and want to complete their prerequisites and nursing training at the community college level.  After finishing prerequisites and our one year program, graduates are eligible to:

• test to earn the Registered Nurse credential, and
• transfer to a university to complete the last 45 credits towards a Bachelors in Science in Nursing (BSN).  

 

Accreditation

The Associates in Nursing Program at Tacoma Community College at the Tacoma campus in Tacoma, Washington is approved by the Washington State Nursing Care Quality Assurance Commission and accredited by the:

Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN)

3390 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 1400, Atlanta, GA 30326
(404) 975-5000

The most recent accreditation decision made by the ACEN Board of Commissioners for the Associates in Nursing program is Continuing Accreditation.

View the public information disclosed by ACEN regarding this program at their website Click Here.

Student Resources

• Nursing Student Handbook
• College Catalog
• Access Services - Access Services provides reasonable accommodations and support services for students with disabilities 
• Testing Accommodations - Students using testing accommodations must also schedule their tests with the Certification and Testing Center (not Access Services). This should be done with as much advance notice as possible. This process is explained in greater detail during the student’s intake appointment. The instructor will then receive an email from the Testing Center asking for the test to be sent to them. The instructor will complete the form “Instructions for Use of Access Services Accommodated Testing” and return it to the Testing Center with the test. When the test is complete it will be sent to the instructor for grading. 

Note: All students are responsible for all requirements of each specific course in the nursing program and accommodation for special needs does not guarantee that the same accommodation will be made for the student when taking the NCLEX exam for licensure.

A temporary disability will be handled in the same way as a permanent one. A written release from a primary care provider may be required to clear the student to perform all tasks.

Board of Nursing Professional Licensure Requirements (Updated December 2022)

In accordance with U.S. Department of Education Regulation 34 CFR 668.43 (a) (5) (v), the Nursing Program at TCC has verified that our graduates are eligible for RN licensure in Washington, Idaho, and Oregon. No determination has been made as to whether TCC nursing graduates are eligible for professional licensure in other states. Information regarding each state’s RN licensing requirements can be found on the National Council of State Boards of Nursing website.