Associate of Science Degree in Nursing Program

Program Overview

The Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN) Degree Program provides the student with the knowledge and skills essential for entry into nursing practice and success on the NCLEX-RN examination.  As an entry level nurse, the graduate is prepared to provide safe and effective care that promotes the health and well-being of patients and families, across the life span in contemporary health care environments.  This nursing care is given in collaboration with members of the healthcare team in a variety of settings according to established standards of practice.  Graduates of the ASN program have acquired the foundation for nursing education and continued professional development.

Accreditations and Approvals

The ASN Program is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, Inc. (ACEN). Contact information:

• Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, Inc. (ACEN)
  3343 Peachtree Road, Suite 850
  Atlanta, Georgia 30326
  1.404.975.5000

The ASN Program is approved by the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing (BORN).    Contact information:

• Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing (BORN)
  239 Causeway Street, 5th Floor, Suite 500
  Boston, MA 02114
  1.800.414.0168

ASN Admissions Requirements

The Pre-Licensure Associates of Science in nursing program is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) and approved Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing (BORN).

Academic Requirements:

• Applicants are required to provide satisfactory evidence of secondary school graduation (official high school transcript), or its equivalent (official GED or HiSET with scores included).
• G.P.A of 2.5 or better.
• It is required that science courses be completed within five years prior to admission with a grade of C or better.
• Complete a three-credit college course in College Algebra or Statistics within five years with a grade of C or better.
• Algebra I, II and Geometry are required for freshman applicants.
• The ATI Test of Academic Skills (TEAS) is required for all ASN applicants, earning a proficient score. Only two attempts to achieve the minimum benchmark score will be allowed within a calendar year. The School of Nursing accepts original TEAS documents only. **Please note due to the temporary disruption of COVID-19 and closure of testing sites, the Nursing Department will offer the TEAS exam one day per month. Please contact the Admissions Office or Nursing Department to obtain the dates.

All of the additional Nursing Requirements

FAQ’s for the Nursing Programs

ASN Program Curriculum

The ASN curriculum is built upon a foundation that incorporates the College’s mission and vision, professional nursing standards and guidelines, and the nursing faculty’s experiences and beliefs concerning person, health, environment, nursing, and nursing education. The primary goal of the ASN program is to educate nurses for safe practice in contemporary health care environments. This goal is met through fostering a student centered learning environment to promote the student learning and program outcomes. The student to faculty ratios for didactic, clinical, and lab are as follows:
Didactic: 35 students: 1 faculty
Clinical: 8 students: 1 faculty
Lab: 10 students: 1 faculty

ASN Student Learning Outcomes and Role Competencies at Graduation

• 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 professional nursing behaviors aligned with accountability for the delivery of standard-based nursing care that is consistent with moral, altruistic, legal, ethical, regulatory, and humanistic principles. (Professionalism)
• Use leadership principles to Influence the behavior of 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 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, analyze as well as synthesize information, and collaborate in order to make critical decisions that optimize patient outcomes. (Informatics and Technology)
• Employ effective communication strategies 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. (Teamwork and Collaboration)
• Demonstrate an ability to minimize risk of harm to patients and providers through both system effectiveness and individual performance. (Safety)
• Apply data to monitor the outcomes of care processes, and use improvement methods to design and test changes to continuously improve the quality and safety of health care systems. (Quality Improvement)
• Identify, evaluate, and use the best current evidence coupled with clinical expertise and consideration of patients’ preferences, experience and values to make practice decisions. (Evidence-Based Practice)