ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

HEALTH AND IMMUNIZATIONS STATUS

Students must be physically and emotionally able to meet all program requirements including the rendering of safe nursing care in the clinical setting. These abilities involve lifting, moving, bathing and transferring patients in and out of bed, calculating medications, and being able to communicate clearly and effectively with patients and members of the health care team.

Nursing care involves exposure to patients with infectious and blood-borne diseases. After enrollment, students MUST submit a signed and completed Nursing Immunization Form and Physical Examination Form asrequired by the Texas Board of Health Rules. (This form can be downloaded using the Adobe Reader. If you do not have the reader on your computer, go to www.adobe.com for a free download.) The Hepatitis B vaccine is required for all Associate Degree Nursing students. Students must have a physical exam prior to the first day of clinical, which certifies that they are physically and emotionally capable of performing the duties of a nurse.

Students in the nursing program are strongly encouraged to carry a personal health policy. The College and clinical facilities are not responsible for any claims for expenses that result from an action of a student in the clinical setting. Although the clinical facilities provide access to acute emergency care in the event of an accident or injury to a student, the student is responsible for all expenses incurred.

PROFESSIONAL LIABILITY INSURANCE
All nursing students are required to carry professional liability insurance. Fees collected at the time of registration cover the cost of a college student blanket policy with a major insurance carrier.

PROGRESSION REQUIREMENTS
To remain in good standing and progress within the ADN curriculum, students must
(1) maintain a cumulative grade point of 2.0, and (2) attain a grade of "C" or better in each nursing and biology course. Students must successfully complete all concurrent courses to advance to the next level.

Standardized testing will be used throughout the nursing program to determine progression. Students who do not make acceptable scores will be required to remediate. Students will be required to make an acceptable score on a second exam following remediation.

A standardized exit exam will be given in the last semester of the program to determine readiness for the licensure examination. Students must achieve an acceptable exit exam score in RNSG 2121 in order to graduate from the nursing program. The student will receive and I "Incomplete" in RNSG 2121 until the exit exam is passed. All costs for the exam are the student's responsibility.

Students who do not successfully complete RNSG 1417, RNSG 1260 and RNSG 1140 may not be eligible for readmission to RNSG 1417, RNSG 1260 and RNSG 1140. They may be eligible for readmission to the entry level nursing courses. Eligibility for readmission and appropriate placement will be determined by interviewing with an ADN Faculty Readmission Committee.

GRADING POLICY
Students must complete all concurrent nursing courses with a C or better in order to progress to the next level. If a student earns a D or F in all concurrent nursing courses the grades earned will be recorded. If a student earns a D or F in one or two of the nursing courses, the grades for all three courses will be recorded as IP. The IP will remain on the transcript but will not jeopardize the GPA.

READMISSION POLICY
The student must meet with the Nursing Readmission Committee to request readmission to the nursing program. Readmission is not automatic; it is based on remediation of problem areas and space available in the class. Students will only be readmitted to the program one time. If readmitted, the student must enroll in all concurrent courses.

BOARD OF NURSE EXAMINERS REQUIREMENTS FOR LICENSURE
The Board of Nurse Examiners (BNE) may refuse to admit persons to its licensure examination, OR may refuse to issue a license or certificate of registration to any individual with lack of fitness to practice by reason of mental or physical health or intemperate use of alcohol or drugs that could result in injury to patients or the public. The Board may also refuse to grant licensure to any individual with a history of a conviction. An individual enrolled or planning to enroll in a basic nursing program who has reason to believe that he/she is ineligible may petition the Board of Nurse Examiners (BNE) for a declaratory order as to eligibility. Contact the Board of Nurse Examiners at 512-305-6818 for additional information.

TRANSFER OF NURSING CREDITS
Students wishing to transfer from another nursing program must meet all ADN admission requirements. In addition, the applicant must submit to the Health Occupation Division Office, North Harris College, the following documents:

1. Syllabi for nursing courses completed with a minimum grade of "C".
2. A letter from the director of the former nursing program indicating the reason for withdrawal and if the student is in good standing.

Transfer students must take Nursing III and IV courses in order to graduate from the ADN program. Nursing courses must be no more than 3 years old. Qualified students are admitted on a space available basis. However, NHMCCD readmission students have priority for these very limited spaces.