Nursing DTA/MRP Curriculum 

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

About

The Associate in Nursing Degree (DTA/MRP) is a three-year program designed for students who complete their prerequisites and nursing training at the community college level. If they choose, they may then transfer to a University to complete the last 45 credits to earn a Bachelors in Science in Nursing (BSN). Upon completion of the DTA/MRP, students are eligible to take the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) for Registered Nursing.

Note: TCC offers a Pre-Nursing transfer degree, which is different from the DTA/MRP degree. Learn more about the Associate of Pre-Nursing transfer degree option.

 

Program Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of the Associate in Nursing Degree (DTA/MRP), students will:

1. Provide patient-centered care for diverse groups in the community across the lifespan in a manner that is holistic, caring, and demonstrates advocacy.
2. Demonstrate professionalism in the following ways:
   1. Demonstrate skill in organization, prioritization, collaboration, delegation, and supervision
   2. Function ethically and legally within the standards and competencies of local, state, and national regulatory agencies and professional organizations
   3. Demonstrate commitment to lifelong learning
   4. Demonstrate humility by participation in evaluation, self care, and self reflection
   5. Utilize quality improvement processes including responsible use of resources.
3. Demonstrate competency in core nursing principles by being able to:
   1. Be prepared to pass NCLEX and be employable as an entry level generalist RN
   2. Apply strong critical thinking and clinical judgment skills, using evidence-based practice to make clinical decisions
   3. Efficiently use nursing process for care delivery
   4. Demonstrate basic competency in nursing skills
   5. Apply safety principles and national safety standards
   6. Effectively use healthcare related information and technology.
4. Communicate effectively with individuals and groups in a respectful, professional manner, using both verbal and written formats.