All students must first be accepted to Monroe College based on the standard admissions criteria utilized by all undergraduate programs at the College. This criteria includes an interview with an admissions counselor, an admissions essay, documentation of high school graduation (must be documented through a transcript), and prior college transcripts, if any. In addition, all students pay a $35 Application Fee. Once accepted to Monroe based on the general criteria, students may then apply to the School of Nursing. The secondary acceptance into the School of Nursing is selective and will be based on a deeper evaluation of the standard admissions documentation already submitted to the college along with some additional testing/ documentation described below:

A.     Additional Guidelines/Requirements- Practical Nursing Certificate Program

• Analysis of high school transcript should show at least a C+ (2.5/4.0 or 78/100) average with specific coursework in Algebra, Biology, and Chemistry. If these courses were not successfully taken at the high school level, college-level coursework or CLEP examinations in these subject areas would also be acceptable.
• All applicants must take the ATI: Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS). Given the selectivity of the program, no score necessarily guarantees a place in the program, but consideration generally starts with scores in the area of 70% with no subset lower than 45%.
• Two professional letters of recommendation.

B.     Additional Guidelines/ Requirements for the Registered Nurse Associate Degree Program

• You must have graduated from Monroe College Practical Nursing Certificate program or another approved school of practical nursing and be licensed to practice in New York State.
• Must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 in the prior nursing program.
• All applicants must take the ATI: Comprehensive PN predictor. Given the selectivity of the program, no score necessarily guarantees a place in the program, but consideration generally starts with scores in the area of 85%. Students who did not complete the Monroe College Practical Nursing Program must also meet the TEAS testing requirement described above for PN certificate applicants as well as the subject area requirements in Algebra, Biology, and Chemistry.
• Must have completed college level Anatomy & Physiology I & II with lab components, and Microbiology with a lab component, with a minimum grade of B.
• Two professional letters of recommendation.

Applicants to the School of Nursing must adhere to the following general procedure when applying to the program of their choice.

• Become accepted to the college based on standard admission criteria.
• Sit for all necessary examinations and submit all necessary additional documentation as described above.
• Be interviewed by an administrator within the School of Nursing.
• Once the student is accepted into the program a background check must be conducted at the student’s expense.

Students who successfully complete the four steps identified above before June 15^th for a Fall start, or November 6 for a Winter start, will have the best chance of being accepted to the program. Students will be informed of the acceptance decision via a formal letter signed by the Dean of the School of Nursing.

Health clearance and CPR certification must be completed prior to first day of class in order to retain matriculation status in the program. After acceptance the student may defer attendance for one semester only. Matriculation begins at the first registered semester.

A.    Nursing Courses

Because of the wide diversity in the organization of nursing content in various programs, nursing courses are generally not transferable.

B.   Sciences and General Education Courses

• Transfer credits have no time limit however, an official transcript from a college or university must show a minimum grade of C+ for general education courses, or a minimum grade of B in science courses and an equivalent amount of credits to be accepted for transfer credit.
• Transfer credit for Anatomy & Physiology I & II, and Microbiology with labs, will only be accepted if they have been taken in the last five (5) years. Any of these courses older than five (5) years will only be transferred after successful completion of a proficiency exam. A minimum grade of B will demonstrate competence in the material. There is a fee for each proficiency exam.
• It is the responsibility of the person seeking transfer credit to provide transcripts of all courses taken and additional information as requested by the Admissions Office. Detailed information on course content, laboratories or the numeric equivalent of a letter grade may be requested in order to transfer credit.
• Final approval for transfer credit will be at the discretion of Monroe.

Exemptions from non-nursing courses may be obtained by achieving a comparable grade level of C on any of the following exams:

• College Level Examination Program (CLEP) exams in Psychology, Development Psychology, Sociology, Algebra, Biology and Chemistry.
• Persons who have taken CLEP examinations must arrange to have official transcripts of their scores sent to Monroe College.
• Final acceptance of credit by examination will be at the discretion of Monroe College.
• Graduates from an approved School of Practical Nursing who are licensed to practice in New York State and who meet the regular admission criteria will be exempt from NS 104, Dosage Calculations if they take and pass a dosage calculations proficiency exam with a minimum grade of 90%. The student will receive 2 credits for Dosage Calculations.

The applicant must obtain health clearance (information & forms to be provided). In addition, the applicant must meet the following physical requirements:

• Motor coordination must be sufficient to accomplish dexterous and precise clinical activities i.e., the eye hand coordination necessary for all types of medication administration.
• Finger dexterity must be such that small objects can be easily manipulated i.e., instruments, needles, and tubes.
• Manual dexterity must be sufficient to incorporate all of the above skills as well as those involved with patient care, i.e., calibration, suctioning, positioning, transferring and palpation.
• Visual acuity adequate to read and interpret charts, graphs and color changes.  Auditory acuity adequate to assess pulse, heart, chest, bowel sounds and blood pressure.
• Tactile ability must be sufficient to detect changes in skin temperature and texture, detect unsafe heat levels in heat producing devices used in client care, detect physical abnormalities.
• Ambulation on the clinical unit is essential.
• Must be able to lift fifty (50) pounds.
• Communication includes the ability to see, speak, hear, read, write and effectively utilize the English language. This is essential for shift reports, telephone conversations, read & understand English printed documents to include doctor’s orders, teach/instruct clients, write correctly and legibly in client records.