Frequently Asked Questions
Practical Nursing Program

Application Process

1. How do I apply for admission to the College?
   Fill out the CCBC application, either on-line or in person at any of the campuses, pay the one-time $15.00 registration fee. Request copies of any transcripts you may have from other institutions. Participate in assessment testing if necessary. Assessment testing is free and available at all three campuses. See the admissions office or counseling for assessment testing procedures.
   

2. How do I apply for admission to the Practical Nursing Program?
   Complete the Selective Admissions Application for the Practical Nursing Program and mail or deliver, by April 15, 2007, to:
   
   Office of Selective Admissions
   CCBC Essex
   7201 Rossville Boulevard
   Baltimore, MD 21237
   The Selective Admissions Application for the Practical Nursing Program is available in the Office of Selective Admissions, in the counseling/admissions offices on all three main campuses, and at the Owings Mills Campus. You may call 410-780-6112 to request that the application form be mailed to your home address.
    
3. What else goes in the application folder?

• If you have taken no previous college courses, include a copy of your high school transcript or GED.  
• If you have completed college-level English, Math, Psychology, Sociology, or Biology courses, whether at CCBC or at another college, please submit a sealed copy of your transcript to the Office of Selective Admissions. No high
  school transcript is required. All official transcripts will be forwarded to the Records & Registration Office at the Dundalk Campus after they are received by the Office of Selective Admissions. Since you will be a student at Dundalk for this program, the Dundalk Campus will be the site where your records are stored.
• If you have completed Accuplacer Assessment at another institution and have completed the last developmental course in the series, you will not have to be re-assessed. You must provide proof that you have been assessed using the Accuplacer exams and that you have successfully completed the developmental sequence. If not, you must participate in assessment testing at CCBC.
• If you are an international student and intend to use credits from a foreign transcript, your transcript must be evaluated by an independent evaluation agency, such as American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO). AACRAO: www.aacrao.org, phone 202-296-3359.
  
  The above documents are also due to the Office of Selective Admissions by the April 15, 2006 application deadline

4. How do I register to take the Pre Admission Exam?
   Once your application has been received in the Selective Admissions Office, a letter will be sent to you scheduling you for this exam and providing information on the study guide that is available to help you prepare for it.
   
   
5. When will I know whether or not I have been accepted into the program?
   Acceptance letters will be mailed out during June 2006. Do not call the Office of Selective Admissions for an early report – we are not able to respond to your personal request for a status report.
    
6. If I am accepted, what happens next?
   The students who are accepted into the program will be invited to attend an Orientation Session in July 2006 at the Dundalk Campus.
    
7. After I am accepted into the program, what else will I have to do before classes begin?
   Submit the following documents to the Practical Nursing program secretary at the Dundalk Campus. If you have any questions, she can be reached at 410-285-9437.

• CPR certification at the Healthcare Provider level. CCBC Continuing Education and other agencies often offer this course. A website that lists CPR courses is www.marylandtraining.com.
• Proof of current health insurance
• Physical exam form with current immunizations and/or titers*
• Payment ($10) for OSHA training*
  *Information and forms will be distributed at the orientation session in July 2006 to students who are accepted into the PN program.

7. What if I am not accepted?
   You are encouraged to use the next year to improve your competitiveness for the program by completing any developmental education courses, and completing:  ENGL 101 – College Composition; PSYC 101 – Introduction to Psychology OR SOCL 101 – Introduction to Sociology; BIOL 110 – Biology I:  Molecular & Cells; BIOL 220 – Human Anatomy & Physiology I; and BIOL 221 – Human Anatomy & Physiology II.
    
8. How will students be selected for acceptance into this program?
   
   Three factors will be considered in the selection process:

• Total number of non-nursing credits completed: BIOL 110 – Biology I: Molecular & Cells, BIOL 220 – Human Anatomy & Physiology I, BIOL 221 – Human Anatomy & Physiology II, ENGL 101 - College Composition I, and PSYC 101 - Introduction to Psychology or SOCL 101 - Introduction to Sociology
• Non-nursing course grades
• NLN Pre-Admission Exam scores

Curriculum & Schedule

1. What are the non-nursing courses required for this program?
   ENGL 101 – College Composition I, PSYC 101 – Introduction to Psychology OR SOCL 101 – Introduction to Sociology, BIOL 110 – Biology I:  Molecular & Cells, BIOL 220 – Human Anatomy & Physiology I, and BIOL 221 – Human Anatomy & Physiology II

Due to the competitiveness of the application process and the academic rigor of this program, applicants are strongly urged to complete all non-nursing courses prior to applying for admission. In 2004, there were over 400 applications to this program. All of the students who were accepted into the program had completed ALL of the non-nursing courses prior to the applicantion deadline.

2. What is the daily schedule of classes?
   You can expect to be in class or at a clinical site daily, Monday to Friday, at least 3 to 6 hours a day during each of the three 15-week semesters. All nursing classes are offered only at the Dundalk campus.
    
3. Do students have any time off or breaks?
   There will be three 15-week semesters with a break (1 - 1 1/2 weeks) between semesters. Students will not have class during the usual college holidays, such as spring break, winter break, Martin Luther King birthday, Labor Day, Memorial Day, July 4, etc.
    
4. Please describe the curriculum pattern and number of credits for each course in this program.
   Semester I:
   
   BIOL 110, Biology I: Moleculer & Cells (4)
   ENGL 101, College Composition I (3)
   NURN 103, Foundation of Nursing Practice (6)
   NURN 110, Introduction to Pharmacology (2)
   Total Credits 15
   
   Semester II:
   
   BIOL 220, Human Anatomy & Physiology I (4)
   NURN 111, Adult & Older Adult Health Care I (5)
   NURN 113, Mental Health Issues & Client Care (3)
   PSYC 101, Introduction to Psychology (3)
   OR
   SOCL 101, Introduction to Sociology (3)
   Total Credits 15
   
   Semester III:
   
   BIOL 221, Human Anatomy & Physiology II (4)
   NURN 112, Adult & Older Adult Health Care II (5)
   NURN 114, Maternal & Child Health Care (5)
   NURN 115, Trends in Practical Nursing (2)
   Total Credits 16
   
   Total non-nursing credits = 18
   Total nursing credits = 28
   Total program credits = 46

Financial Aid

1. How do I find out about financial aid for this program?
   Call or stop by the Office of Financial Aid at any of the three main campuses. However, as a student enrolled in the Practical Nursing program at Dundalk, you will primarily have contact with the office on the Dundalk Campus, phone 410-285-9830. The director of Financial Aid at Dundalk is Mark Gay. If you currently receive financial aid, you are urged to speak with your financial aid advisor to see how your financial aid award might be affected by a transfer to this certificate program on the Dundalk campus.

Miscellaneous

1. Will I be able to work while I am enrolled in this program?
   This program is quite rigorous. It is strongly recommended that students not be employed during the entire course of the program because of the intense nature of the classroom and clinical workload. In addition to scheduled lectures, labs, and clinical experiences, students will be expected to spend practice time in the student labs and have 2-3 hours of study time for each hour of class time. If at all possible, you should arrange your family and other responsibilities so that you will have adequate time to devote to your studies.
   
2. What are the approximate costs for this program?

• Non-nursing Courses, 14-18 credits at $90 per credit = $1260-$1620
• Nursing Courses, 28 credits at $87 per credit = $2520
• OSHA Training – $10
• Nursing Textbooks – $600
• Uniforms – $110 - $145
• Stethoscope, hemostat, scissors, etc. - $50
• Lab Skills Packet - $45
• Lecture Packets - $35
• Capping and Pinning Ceremony - $50
• CPR training, Physical Exam with immunizations, Health Insurance – cost varies
• NCLEX Readiness Test - $27

3. When I finish this program, what sort of certification examination will I take?
   Students who successfully complete this program will be eligible to sit for the NCLEX-PN examination, and upon passing the test, will be Licensed Practical Nurses.

Note – All dates and prices are approximate only and are subject to change without notice. Contact the Office of Selective Admissions for current information at 410-780-6112.