Nursing

Certified Nursing Assistant

The Certified Nursing Assistant class allows students considering a career in healthcare to enroll in this five-credit course and explore the many experiences of a caregiver. The course provides basic instruction in assisting patients in daily-living tasks. These tasks include: dressing, feeding, bathing, toileting, taking vital signs, providing catheter care and a host of assistive measures for patients and the healthcare team.

The skills acquired will enable students to successfully pass the state exam and become a Certified Nursing Assistant in Washington State.

I-BEST Foundations - Certified Nursing Assistant

Integrated Basic Skills program pairs up with ESL, Adult Basic Education, GED, and professional-technical instructors in the same classroom to concurrently provide adults with both literacy education and workforce skills.This integrated approach provides just the right level of education with the right amount of workforce training. This model allows students interested in healthcare to acquire a fundamental knowledge base in Allied Health and progress to the Certified Nursing Assistant class. The Basic Skills curriculum supports students as they develop the skills to pursue their career of choice.

Traditional 2-year ADN Program (RN)

The six-quarter ADN Program was created in 2003 to address the growing demand for registered nurses in the south Puget Sound area. Students interested in pursuing a career in nursing who have completed their pre-nursing coursework are encouraged to apply to the program. Our program is committed to actively recruiting non-traditional students:

• underrepresented populations
• males
• international/foreign born
• older students, etc.

Admission is open to all qualified applicants. Students applying to the program must complete all prerequisite courses with a grade of 3.0 or better, and complete required application elements: Functional Résumé, Personal and Professional Recommendations, Personal Statement and Interview.Applications for admission are available late-April for the program beginning the following January.

LPN to ADN Completion Program (Bridge RN)

The ADN Completion (Bridge) program is 3-quarters in length and is open to students who have an unemcombered Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) license or have completed the 1st year of an accredited comparable ADN program. Students applying to the program must complete all prerequisite courses with a grade of 3.0 or better, and submit required application elements: Functional Résumé, Personal and Professional Recommendations, Personal Statement and Interview. Admission to the program occurs each fall accepting approximately 10 students per admission cycle. Accepted LPNs enter in the fourth- quarter of the ADN Program. Students complete the remaining three-quarters building upon existing competencies and skills as they progress to become RNs.

University of Washington, Tacoma/Pierce College Bachelor of Science in Nursing Dual Admission Program

The Pierce College Nursing Program has an agreement with University of Washington, Tacoma (UWT) where nursing students enrolled in the ADN program are able to apply for dual entry into the Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program at UWT.A one-credit course is offered in the fourth-quarter to assist nursing students with their pursuit of a BSN Degree. This allows Pierce College ADN graduates to immediately begin work toward their Bachelors or Masters degrees.