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Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) who apply to »Æ¹ÏÊÓƵ's Associate in Science degree in Nursing program may challenge the first two nursing courses (NUR-101 and NUR-102) through a standardized theoretical test.

Applicants who pass the challenge examinations will receive 17 credits for NUR-101 and NUR-102 upon admission (Mobility students will need to pay for 17 challenge exam credits unless their practical nursing certificate qualifies for a waiver. Current cost is $30 per credit ($30 x 17 credits = $510 total), but cost is subject to change). In addition to meeting all other nursing admission standards, applicants must have licensure as a practical nurse through successful completion of the National Certification Licensing Exam (NCLEX) as a condition for provisional admission by the time of the application deadline.

Students must be accepted and then enrolled in NUR-201 within one year of taking the challenge exam. Enrollment in NUR-201 requires the completion of a "bridge" course (NUR-106) during the summer or winter intercession prior to admission.

For specific course details, see a list of relevant course catalog links.

Education Mobility students are accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis once all admission criteria are met. Admission specific criteria are as follows:

1. Submit official transcript(s) from high school or high school equivalency, previous colleges or post-secondary schools attended.
   • International transcripts will only be accepted for consideration if they have been translated and evaluated by a foreign credential evaluation service provider. or .
2. Minimum GPA of 2.0
3. Completion of prerequisite courses, including;
   • BIO-201 w/ lab, BIO-202 w/ lab (Anatomy and Physiology 1&2 - 4 credits each w/ labs); each with a grade of C+ (77) or better within seven years of application deadline.
     
     • A student may take a free refresher science course and if they pass the challenge exam with a C+ or better will not have to repeat the expired course. The passing score will allow an extension of the science course(s) for three additional years. This refresher/challenge exam is allowed once. Permission to take the refresher/challenge exam must be cleared by Tammy Westlake (twestlake@berkshirecc.edu).
   • Math: ACCUPLACER Next Generation QAS score of 262 or greater or successful completion of MAT-029, MAT-029C, or MAT-136 or higher (with a minimum grade of C) (MAT-123 Statistics recommended for transfer).
   • ENG-101, PSY-107 and PSY-204 with a grade of C (73) or better
   • Students not matriculating within one year of graduation must have proof of employment as an LPN for a minimum of six months of clinical experience within two years of admission into the ADN program.
4. Watch a Mandatory Education Mobility - Bridge (LPN to ADN) Matriculation video
   • Note: Students must watch a mandatory PN matriculation video prior to applying for matriculation, otherwise, the application will be considered incomplete and will not be reviewed.
5. Students not matriculating within one year of graduation must have proof of employment as an LPN for a minimum of six months of clinical experience within two years of admission into the ADN program.

1. Meet with Tammy Westlake (email twestlake@berkshirecc.edu or call 413-499-4660 to make an appointment) to review eligibility to apply and to determine if a challenge exam is required. This appointment is time sensitive based on challenge exam and application deadlines.
   
   • October Challenge Exam - must be approved between May 30th and October 1st
     • Bridge application deadline for spring entrance is November 1st
   • May Challenge Exam - must be approved between January 1st and May 1st
     • Bridge application deadline for fall entrance is June 1st
2. Apply to the college as a pre-nursing student if you have not already done so.
   • Send all official transcripts to onestop@berkshirecc.edu. International transcripts will only be accepted for consideration if they have been translated and evaluated by a foreign credential evaluation service provider. »Æ¹ÏÊÓƵ recommends World Education Services or SpanTran.
3. Complete all course eligibility and admission requirements as noted above.
5. Complete challenge exam requirements
   • If LPN NCLEX and initial license is within a year of application deadline, you can use it as your challenge exam
   • If LPN license was issued over one year from the application deadline, you must pass a standardized exam as a challenge exam. See Challenge Exam – Standardized Theoretical Test tab below for more information.
6. Once challenge requirements are met, watch an Education Mobility - Bridge (LPN to ADN) Mandatory Matriculation video.
7. Complete the LPN-ADN matriculation form once you have completed steps 1 – 5 above:
   • Fall Entry (PDF)
   • Spring Entry (PDF)
8. Once the Matriculation Form has been completed in its entirety and signed by the applicant (no typewritten cursive fonts, etc. allowed), submit matriculation form and the following to nursingadmissions@berkshirecc.edu
   • A copy of your PN license
   • For students who completed the PN program over a year ago, submit a letter from employer, on letterhead, evidence of work experience as a LPN for six months in the past two years.
   • All official transcripts, including high school/GED/HiSET, PN school and colleges attended, must be received by »Æ¹ÏÊÓƵ's Admissions office by the time a matriculation application is submitted (NOTE: all international transcripts, including U.S. territories, must be evaluated by a NACES organization such as WES or SpanTran/TEC, etc.)
9. Be aware that you may need to pay for the 17 credits ($30 per credit) that you are challenging as an education mobility student.

Sign up to attend a Mandatory Education Mobility - Bridge (LPN to ADN) Meeting.

Students who have had a license in Practical Nursing (LPN) for more than a year from application date, will need to take a standardized challenge exam in order to receive challenge credits for NUR-101 and NUR-102.

• Students will be approved by Tammy Westlake (twestlake@berkshirecc.edu) if they are eligible to sit for the challenge exam and will receive further information from the nursing division about the cost and how to register. Students must contact Tammy to initiate the approval process.
  • To take the October exam - must be approved prior to October 1st
  • To take the May exam - must be approved prior to April 1st
    
• Students will be directed to schedule their exam with the testing center for the October or May exam.
• Do not contact the testing center until you are given permission to take the exam by the nursing division. You will be denied the exam if you try to register without approval.

The standardized exam will be offered the third week of May and the third full week of October.

The LPN who immediately enters the Associate Degree program within one year of graduation from an approved PN program may use their successful NCLEX-PN exam as the standardized theoretical test. The LPN who does not immediately enter the Associate Degree program within one year of graduating from an approved PN program will be required to pass the »Æ¹ÏÊÓƵ LPN-ADN Entrance Exam (75 questions). A passing score will be a minimum score of a level 2 (please see leveling system below).  The leveling system is based on the probability of passing through a conversion score recommended by ATI. 

·        Below level 1: 0%-49.5%

·        Level 1: 49.6%-65.4%

·        Level 2: 65.5%-78.8%

·        Level 3: 78.9%-100%

Student will only be allowed to take the exam one time/semester that the exam is offered.

What Will be on the Challenge Exam?

Topics that will be covered on your challenge exam:

• The LPN-ADN Entrance Exam is a 75-item comprehensive exam designed to be used as an exam for currently Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurses seeking entrance into an Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) program. The exam identifies their strengths and weaknesses in LPN/VN content areas, and the possible need for remediation prior to entrance into an ADN program.
• Test items are normed on LPN/VNs currently in clinical practice.
  • Measures competencies across LPN/VN content areas, including Fundamentals, Maternity, Medical-Surgical, Pediatric, Professional Issues and Psychiatric/Mental Health

A couple of great resources for studying include:

• Free review classes will be offered in September and April - these dates/times will be emailed to students who have completed the "Intent to Bridge" form
• Silvestri, Comp Review for NCLEX PN, more than 4,500 questions
  • Complete content review with detailed rationales and test-taking strategies
• HESI: HESI Comprehensive Review for the NCLEX-PN Examination, 7th Edition, 500 questions
  • Ideal for students preparing for the HESI Exit Exam and NCLEX-PN Exam

What if I fail My Challenge Exam?

If you fail your exam, you are encouraged to attend the free review classes offered every September and April.  Dates will be posted in advance of the review class. You must contact Tammy Westlake, Nursing Advising and Enrollment Coordinator, by calling (413) 236-1621 or email twestlake@berkshirecc.edu.

The number of seats for education mobility students depends on space availability in the nursing program.

• A minimum of five seats are reserved in the spring semester for the most recent graduates from »Æ¹ÏÊÓƵ's Practical Nursing (PN) program who have declared intention to transit to LPN/ADN education mobility pathway and have met all ADN admission requirements.
• Students who have met all admission requirements are considered for acceptance on a space availability basis.
• Watching a nursing LPN to ADN Bridge matriculation video is mandatory.
• There is no deferral for an Educational Mobility student. Students must reapply to the program for the semester they are seeking entry.
• LPNs who apply to »Æ¹ÏÊÓƵ's Associate in Science degree in Nursing may challenge the first two nursing courses (NUR-101 and NUR-102) through a standardized theoretical test (NCLEX-PN or LPN-ADN Entrance Exam).
• The LPN who immediately enters the associate degree program within one year of graduation from an approved PN program may use their successful NCLEX-PN exam as the standardized theoretical test. The LPN who does not immediately enter the associate degree program within one year of graduating from an approved PN program will be required to pass the LPN-ADN Entrance Exam with a score of 75% or higher unless NCLEX-PN exam was taken and passed within one year of the application date.
• Mobility students will need to pay for 17 challenge exam credits unless their practical nursing certificate qualifies for a waiver. Current cost is $30 per credit ($30 x 17 credits = $510 total), but cost is subject to change.
• Once accepted into the ADN program the successful completion of a "bridge" course (NUR-106) prior to registering for NUR-201 is required.

Submit the LPN-ADN matriculation form. The deadline for the fall admission is June 1. The deadline for spring admission is Nov. 1.

LPN-ADN Bridge Matriculation Forms:

• Matriculation Form for fall entry (download PDF)
• Matriculation Form for spring entry (download PDF)

»Æ¹ÏÊÓƵ Community College seeks to provide equal access to its programs, services and activities for people with disabilities. Therefore, to the extent practicable, the College will endeavor to make a reasonable academic adjustment for an applicant with a disability who is otherwise qualified.

The Essential Functions of a student enrolled in the Nursing program requires that the student, with or without reasonable accommodations, must be able to:

Body Mechanics/Endurance:

1. Demonstrate the ability to perform essential functions for a maximum of a 12-hour shift.
2. Demonstrate the ability to protect a patient when the patient is standing and ambulating on all surfaces with or without the use of assistive devices, including canes, crutches and walkers.
3. Demonstrate the ability to safely move a patient over 100 pounds from one surface to another using the appropriate level of help.
4. Demonstrate safe body mechanics in the process of all patient treatments, including lifting and carrying small equipment (under 50 pounds) and moving large equipment (over 50 pounds).
5. Sustain repetitive movements
6. Move at a pace that will allow the student to answer a patient’s emergency needs
7. Defend self against combative patient

Gross/Fine Motor Skills:

1. Sit and stand maintaining balance
2. Demonstrate the ability to perform occasional overhead extension.
3. Reach below waist
4. Demonstrate the ability to manipulate dials on equipment.
5. Demonstrate the ability to coordinate simultaneous motions.

Sensory Perception:

1. Demonstrate the ability to hear blood pressure, heart and lung sounds with or without corrective devices.
2. Demonstrate the ability to palpate soft tissue including pulse, muscle and bones.
3. Distinguish color changes.
4. Detect an unsafe environment and carry out appropriate emergency procedures including

• Detecting subtle environmental changes and odors including but not limited to the smell of burning electrical equipment, smoke and spills.
• Detect high and low frequency sounds, including but not limited to alarms, bells, and emergency signals.

Psychosocial Adaptation:

1. Displays mental and emotional flexibility to change.
2. Demonstrates ability to establish and maintain effective professional relationships with others.
3. Communicate effectively, safely and efficiently in English by:

• Explaining procedures
• Receiving information from others
• Receiving information from written documents
• Exhibiting appropriate interpersonal skill (refer to ANA Code for Nurses)
• Analyzing and documenting assessment findings and interventions

These are the Essential Functions of the Associate Degree and Practical Nursing Program. If there are any reasons why you may not be able to perform these functions with or without reasonable accommodations, you should notify the Program Director as soon as possible.

Immunization Requirements: Students entering the ADN program are required to follow the immunization policy for »Æ¹ÏÊÓƵ health students. Students must submit proof of compliance with immunizations by June 1 for the fall semester and by Dec. 1 for the spring semester.

Please note: The Hep B series may take up to six months to complete. Students should plan accordingly. Immunization information may be shared with the Dean of Nursing, Program Administrative Assistant, Nursing Data Analyst, and contracted agencies to allow for clinical experiences.

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The end of program student learning outcomes (EPSLOs) for the »Æ¹ÏÊÓƵ ADN program are tied to the Nurse of the Future Nursing Core Competencies (NOFNCC). The course student learning outcomes are designed to determine student achievement of specific NOFNCC competencies at each course level by the end of the program.

By the end of the ADN program, graduates are able to:

• Provide holistic care that recognizes an individual's preferences, values and needs and respects the patient or designee as a full partner in providing compassionate, coordinated, age and culturally appropriate, safe and effective care (Patient-Centered Care)
• Demonstrate accountability for the delivery of standard-based nursing care that is consistent with moral, altruistic, legal, ethical, regulatory, and humanistic principles (Professionalism);
• Interact with individuals or groups of individuals within their environment in a way that will facilitate the establishment and acquisition/achievement of shared goals (Leadership);
• Demonstrate an awareness of and responsiveness to the larger context of the health care system, and will demonstrate the ability to effectively call on work unit resources to provide care that is of optimal quality and value (Systems-Based Practice);
• Use advanced technology and to analyze as well as synthesize information and collaborate in order to make critical decisions that optimize patient outcomes (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, Medicine, 2015) (Informatics and Technology);
• Interact effectively with patients, families, and colleagues, fostering mutual respect and shared decision making, to enhance patient satisfaction and health outcomes (Communication);
• Function effectively within nursing and interdisciplinary teams, fostering open communication, mutual respect, shared decision-making, team learning and development (QSEN, 2007) (Teamwork and Collaboration);
• Minimize risk of harm to patients and providers through both system effectiveness and individual performance (QSEN, 2007) (Safety);
• Use data to monitor the outcomes of care processes, and uses improvement methods to design and test changes to continuously improve the quality and safety of health care systems (Quality Improvement); and
• Evaluate the best current evidence coupled with clinical expertise and consideration of patients’ preferences, experience and values to make practice decisions (QSEN, 2007) (Evidence-Based Practice).

To earn a degree in this program, a student must complete all program and general education credits, plus the following Additional Requirements.

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Program Courses

Course Number	Course Name	Credits
BIO-201/BIO-201L	Anatomy and Physiology I with lab	4
BIO-202/BIO-202L	Anatomy and Physiology II with lab	4
NUR-101	Challenged with HESI or NCLEX-PN	9
NUR-102	Challenged with HESI or NCLEX-PN	8
NUR-106	LPN to RN Bridge	2
NUR-201	Physical and Mental Health III	9
NUR-202	Physical and Mental Health IV	9
NUR-206	Nursing in Transition	1
PSY-107	Introductory Psychology	3
PSY-204	Human Growth and Development	3
Total Credit Hours:		52

General Education Courses

Course Number	Course Name	Credits
BIO-207/BIO-207L	Microbiology with lab	4
COM-	Communication	3
ENG-	English Composition/Writing	6
MAT-	Mathematics	3
SOC-105	Introductory Sociology	3
General Education Elective		3
Total Credit Hours:		19

Communication: See footnote 2
English Composition/Writing: See footnote 3
Mathematics: See footnote 4
General Education Elective: See footnote 5
Health/Fitness: See footnote 6

Additional Requirements

Requirement	Items/Units
FORUM	4 units
Health/Fitness	30 hours
Minimum Cumulative Average	2.0

Minimum Percentage Grade
Each NUR Course 75%
Health/Fitness: See footnote 6

Summer/Winter Session

Course Number	Course Name	Credits
NUR-106	LPN to RN Bridge	2

First Semester

Course Number	Course Name	Credits
BIO-207/BIO-207L	Microbiology with lab	4
NUR-201	Physical and Mental Health III	9
SOC-105	Introductory Sociology	3
COM-	Communication	3

Second Semester

Course Number	Course Name	Credits
NUR-202	Physical and Mental Health IV	9
NUR-206	Nursing in Transition	1
ENG-	English Composition/Writing	3
General Education Elective		3

Communication: See footnote 2
English Composition/Writing: See footnote 3
General Education Elective: See footnote

Please .

Graduates from »Æ¹ÏÊÓƵ's ADN or PN programs are qualified to work in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts upon the successful completion of program and the attainment of the appropriate licensure.

Not all states have the same state-level requirements for licensure. If you intend to practice outside of Massachusetts and obtain a license in another state you are encouraged to .  As an applicant to the »Æ¹ÏÊÓƵ Nursing Programs, you are encouraged to discuss your ability for licensure and work in another state other than Massachusetts with the Dean of Nursing.

Any prior criminal offense could hinder placement in clinical agencies. . In the event that an applicant has ever been convicted by a court of law, or is convicted during his or her tenure in the Nursing program, she/he should be aware that she/he may be denied the right by the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing to sit for the National Council Licensing Examination (NCLEX-RN) which leads to RN licensure upon graduation.

»Æ¹ÏÊÓƵ seeks to provide equal access to its programs, services and activities for people with disabilities. Therefore, to the extent practicable, the College will endeavor to make a reasonable academic adjustment for an applicant with a disability who is otherwise qualified.

1. Students must have proof of current certification in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Students are responsible for ensuring that their CPR certification is always current throughout the years in the program. The following CPR courses are acceptable for meeting this requirement:
   • American Heart Association: Basic Life Support (BLS) for Healthcare Providers (two-year certification)
   • American Red Cross: Basic Life Support for Healthcare Providers (two-year certification)
   • CPR must be for health care providers
2. COM chosen from COM-104, COM-105, COM-106, or COM-107, COM-108
3. English Composition/Writing chosen from ENG-101, ENG-102, ENG-103, ENG-104
4. Mathematics: Students must demonstrate competency at a level of ACCUPLACER Next Generation QAS score of 262 or greater or successful completion of MAT-029, MAT-029C, or MAT-136 (with a minimum grade of C) or higher level prior to matriculation in the Nursing program. (MAT-123 Statistics recommended for transfer.)
5. General Education Elective chosen from History or Humanities and Fine Arts. If a student wishes to take a course that is not listed, she/he must first consult with the nursing program advisor.
6. Fulfilled by successful completion of NUR-101.

Read about CPR training at »Æ¹ÏÊÓƵ