Polk State College ADN-RN Nursing Program Prerequisites & Reviews.

Nursing Program

The Polk State College Department of Nursing associate degree program was introduced in 1965 with the intention of contributing as an active associate in attending to the healthcare needs of the community by training and equipping entry-level professional nurses to practice in a range of settings.

The nursing school has always maintained a benchmark of excellence with graduates regularly exceeding the Florida and national averages on the licensing exam leading to Registered Nurse status.

It added an RN to BSN baccalaureate program in August 2011 with the intention of offering registered nurses that have an associate degree or diploma in nursing the chance to progress in their educational and vocational goals.

The Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) accredited the associate degree program and is approved by the Florida Board of Nursing.

About The School

Polk State College, formerly called Polk Community College started classes in 1964 and is located in Winter Haven, Florida, USA. This College is a member institution of the Florida College System.

The college changed its name in 2009 to reflect its first Bachelor’s degree program. It has a second campus in nearby Lakeland. The Collegiate High School was opened in 2004 on the Lakeland campus, and a second CHS, Chain of Lakes Collegiate High School, resumed in Winter Haven by the Fall of 2006.

The Board of Trustees approved a name change on March 23, 2009, meeting and the new name came into effect on July 1, 2009. The Polk State College Libraries serve students of Chain of Lakes Collegiate High School, community college and university students with a growing set of conventional and virtual resources including sculpture, art prints, and audio/video formats.

Polk State College is a multiple campus institution that serves over 20,000 students with Bachelor of Applied Science, Associate in Science degrees, Bachelor of Science, Associate in Arts as well as a variety of certificate and labor force training options.

This College also operates three charter high schools. Keys advantages of this college include hands-on learning; online options, excellent financial aid; day and night classes; a diverse community and vibrant student life, small class sizes; clubs, and intercollegiate athletics plus fine arts opportunities

Total program cost is approximately $12,000

Following are the minimum requirements for ADN-RN Nursing Program. Minimum admission standards include:

Polk State College Associate Degree in Nursing is a limited-admission 72 credit-hour program and the number of available positions in the program can vary depending upon the availability of clinical and academic resources.  There are usually more applicants for admission than can be accepted so admission is competitive. Each applicant must first be admitted to the College and meet pre-admission requirements. Students must then formally apply to the Nursing program, which is a separation application.

Checklist of things to do

1. Apply for and be accepted for admission to Polk State College.
2. Submit official transcripts from high school, technical schools, and all colleges attended to the Admissions Office.  (HS transcript is not usually required for transferring students.)
3. Take an approved college placement test if required.
4. Complete any recommended college preparatory courses.
5. Complete pre-requisite courses with a grade of “C” or better or be enrolled in final pre-requisite course(s) at the time of application:
   1. ENC 1101 English Composition I
   2. PSY 2012 General Psychology
   3. MGF 1106 Topics in Mathematics or MAC 1105 College Algebra (or higher MAC) or STA 2023 Statistics
   4. BSC 2085C Anatomy & Physiology I
   5. BSC 2086C Anatomy & Physiology II  The course  is required  pre-admission for Transition applicants only.  Applicants for the generic track are encouraged to consider completing the course pre-admission; otherwise, you will have to take A&P II concurrently with Nursing 1 and Pharmacology, a very heavy course load.
   6. Complete the separate application for admission to nursing and submit to an advisor by deadline.  Students must have completed the pre-requisite courses or be enrolled in the final course(s) at the time of the application.

Students are also encouraged to consider completing as many of the following additionally required courses as possible prior to admission or in the summers between terms just to lessen the academic load each term.  The term listed is the term the course must be taken if not previously completed.

• MCB 2010C Microbiology.  Concurrent with Nursing 2 or Transition I.
• DEP 2004 Human Development.  Concurrent with Nursing 2 or Transition 1.
• HUM 2020 Introduction to Humanities. Concurrent with Nursing 3 or Transition 2.
• ENC 1102 English Composition II. Concurrent with Nursing 4 or Transition 3.

In addition, applicants must have:

• Satisfactory GPA: Currently the minimum requirement is an overall GPA of 2.5 at time of application; however, the higher the GPA, the more points in the selection process. Most students admitted have GPA of 3.0 and above.  A grade of “C” or better is required for all program courses.
• Satisfactory score on the  ATITEAS admission test (Test of Essential Academic Skills) posted to the Polk State College records. Currently a minimum score of 70 is required; however, the higher the score, the more points in the selection process.  Most students admitted have scores of high-70s and above.

Letters of reference are not needed and students do not need any verification of experience in the health field.  Applicants for the Transition track must submit evidence of current license/certificate in their designated field with the application for admission.

Address/contact:

3425 Winter Lake Rd,

Lakeland, FL 33803, USA

Phone: +1 863-297-1000

www.polk.edu/