Nursing

Associate in Applied Science Degree: Nursing

• Academic Plan

Tuition and Fees: $11,584
Books, Supplies, and Other Expenses: $5,129
TOTAL ESTIMATE: $16,713*

*The tuition, fees, books, supplies and other expenses estimate includes all courses associated with the ADN program curriculum, from start to finish, as well as clinical placement.

Estimate may be lower if student has transferred courses from another institution.

Tuition is based on the in-state tuition rate. For more information about Gateway’s tuition and fees, please visit the Tuition and Fees webpage.

All program cost estimates are subject to change.

Credits earned at Gateway will transfer to most universities to allow you to continue your education. You are encouraged to take advantage of transfer pathways available to help you advance your education in nursing. As it relates to nursing specifically, Gateway currently has a RN to BSN pathway with Northern Kentucky University (NKU), Thomas More University (TMU), and University of Cincinnati (UC). For more information, review the transfer pathway below.

Prospective students with questions about the program should submit a request for more information to the left of the webpage and a program specialist will reach out via email. 

Nursing Director - Andrea Eden-Shingleton

Clinical/Lab Coordinator - Rachel Studer

Office Coordinator - Julie Schradin

Didactic Faculty - Stevie Barnes, Tori Cornine, Jeff Kopaniasz, Megan Migliozzi, and Melea Yaslovitz

Skills Lab Faculty - Tearra Cozart and Lindsey Fender

Administrative Support - Donnelly Simmins and Kathryn Strzelewicz

Academic Advisor (new students) - Lyndsey McNabb

Pre-Nursing Enrollment Advisor (current students) - Jennifer Wong

Case Manager - Anita D'Souza

Dean of Health Professions - Amber Carter

If you'd like to contact any of the nursing staff, please email gw-healthprofessions@kctcs.edu.

The Associate Degree Nursing Program prepares graduates to provide and manage client care and to become members within the discipline of nursing. Intrinsic to the three roles of the nurse-provider of care, manager of care and member of the discipline – are the eight core components of nursing practice. These include professional behaviors, communication, nursing process, clinical decision-making, caring interventions, teaching and learning, collaboration and managing care. 

Nursing at the technical level involves the provision of direct care for individuals and characterized by the application of verified knowledge in the skillful performance of nursing functions. The provision of safe patient care necessitates the student’s ability to respond to multiple sensory and environmental cues and the student must be able to tolerate stressful and physically taxing workloads. All students should possess:

1. Sufficient visual acuity, such as is needed in the accurate preparation and administration of medications, and for the observation necessary for patient assessment and nursing care.
2. Sufficient auditory perception to receive verbal communication from patients and members of the health care team and to assess health needs of people using monitoring devices such as cardiac monitors, stethoscopes, IV infusion pumps, fire alarms, etc.
3. Sufficient gross and fine motor coordination to respond promptly and to implement the skills, including the manipulation of equipment required in meeting health needs.
4. Sufficient communication skills (speech, writing, reading) to interact with individuals and to communicate their needs promptly and effectively, as may be necessary in the individual’s interest.
5. Sufficient intellectual and emotional functions to plan and implement care for the individuals. Care for individuals in a respectful, sensitive, and effective manner regardless of gender, age, race, sexual orientation, religion, disability, or any other status identified in Gateway’s Non‐Discrimination Policy.
6. Sufficient ability to manage stressful situations, allowing the student to perform at the required levels in all components of the program.
7. The capability to concentrate for long periods of time in selecting correct techniques, equipment, and safety measures to assure maximum care and safety of the patient. Therefore, the student must be able to exercise independent judgments under both routine and emergency conditions. A person under the influence of alcohol or consciousness-altering drugs may not meet the above criteria.
8. The ability to tolerate and function safely in environmental conditions, such as exposure to a variety of substances (such as latex products) and conditions within the classroom and clinical environment: temperature fluctuations; hazardous waste materials and blood, body tissue or fluids; loud noises or unpleasant odors. Must be ability to tolerate and function safely while navigating the clinical environment.

Students (or program applicants) should have reasonable expectations that they can complete the program of study and meet the educational objectives. A reasonable and appropriate accommodation is one that does not require a fundamental alternation in the nature of the program or lower academic and/or clinical standards or expectations. 

The philosophy of the Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) program is congruent with the Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS) mission statement and is supported by the works of the National League for Nursing (NLN) Education Competencies and Quality and Safety Education in Nursing (QSEN).

The nursing faculty believe nursing is holistically evolving, blended with science, and the art of caring. Nursing demonstrates the provision of patient-centered care based on quality standards and evidence based practice through the inclusion of theoretical concepts.

Learning in an educational setting is enhanced by a teacher-student relationship and clearly defined student learning outcomes. The nurse educator’s responsibility is to structure and facilitate optimal conditions for critical thinking from simple to complex. The student brings to this relationship the willingness to learn and is accountable for his/her education.

The ADN graduate, having achieved the graduate outcomes is prepared to practice in a variety of settings with the parameters of individual knowledge and experience according to the standards of practice.

Students accepted into the Nursing Program are encouraged to become members of the Student Nurse Organization (SNO). The purpose of this organization is to promote development of the skills a student will need as responsible and accountable members of the nursing profession. Members of the organization will act as liaisons for communications between students and faculty. In addition, coordinating activities and representing the organization in campus-wide and community activities.

Visit Gateway’s Student Organizations webpage for more student organization opportunities.

This is the most common form of admission for students.

1. Apply to Gateway if not currently enrolled and complete the admission process.
2. Review the Nursing Program Application FAQ
3. Meet with pre-nursing advisor
4. Complete all pre-requisites.
5. Take the HESI A2 Exam
6. Attend a Nursing Pre-Admission Conference
7. Apply to the Nursing program
   
   • Deadline to apply is Tuesday, May 21, 2024
   • See our Selective Admissions Points Scale and Procedures

Students that have been accepted into, and have taken, or are currently taking core nursing courses in another school’s nursing program may be eligible to transfer into the second or third semester of Gateway’s ADN Program. The application period opens every year on the 1st of April for the fall cohort, and the 1st of October for the spring cohort. Please contact gw-healthprofessions@kctcs.edu for more information.

Applicants who wish to transfer from another program of nursing must:

• Meet all admission requirements of Gateway and the Nursing program.
  • BIO 137 – Human Anatomy and Physiology I
  • BIO 139 - Human Anatomy and Physiology II
  • MAT - Higher Level Quantitative Reasoning Course
  • PSY 110 – General Psychology
  • CPR 100 – CPR for Healthcare Professionals
  • ENG 101 - Writing I
• Applicants must have a cumulative nursing GPA of 2.5 or greater,
• Completed the following pre-requisites with a grade of C or better,
• Email us stating the anticipated entry date and reason for transfer. Meet with Nursing Enrollment Advisor, Jennifer Wong.
• Provide a letter of recommendation from previous Director of Nursing.
• If more than three years have elapsed since initial enrollment in the first nursing course in any registered nursing program, an applicant must repeat all nursing courses.

Completed transfer requests will be reviewed based on the following criteria:

• First and foremost, space availability.
• Previously completed nursing courses for content applicability to the nursing program at Gateway. This may include, but is not limited to, course description and syllabi reviews. This is necessary to establish the most appropriate entry point into the Gateway nursing program.
• Nursing transfer students must demonstrate retained competency, as nursing courses are designed to build on previous courses.
  1. Successful completion (78% or greater) of challenge exam equivalent to the comprehensive final exam for each previously passed nursing course.
  2. Scoring a 90% or higher on dosage calculation exam(s) reflective of previously passed nursing course(s); and
  3. Demonstrating skills competency reflective of previously passed nursing course(s).
• Retrained competency is demonstrated by:

Apply as a Transfer Student

LPNs who meet the criteria listed in the credit for prior learning guidelines have the opportunity to test out of NSG 101 and reduce their program time to three semesters. Application period opens every year on April 1 for the fall semester. Please contact gw-healthprofessions@kctcs.edu for more information.

Applicants who wish to participate in the LPN to RN Advanced Standing Bridge:

• Meet all requirements of the receiving institution.
• Complete pre-requisite courses
  • BIO 137 – Human Anatomy and Physiology I*
  • BIO 139 - Human Anatomy and Physiology II*
    • *BIO 137 & BIO 139 must be no older than five years from the start date of the nursing coursework.
  • MAT 151 – Higher Level Quantitative Reasoning Course
  • PSY 110 – General Psychology
  • ENG 101 – Writing I
• Meet with the Professional Pre-Nursing advisor to review program requirements, determine eligibility, and make a timeline for next steps. We recommend that students interested in the advanced standing process attend a Pre-Nursing Admissions Conference.
• Submit a copy of their active Kentucky or Compact State LPN license and Basic Life Support CPR certification. *Asked for in the application.
• Provide an employee verification form.
  • Must have one year of patient bedside experience within the last three years. A minimum of two years is recommended if not working in an acute care setting.
• LPN to RN students must demonstrate retained competency, as nursing courses are designed to build on previous courses. Retained competency is demonstrated by:
  1. Successful completion of the HESI LPN-ADN Admission Examination. The recommended score is 800. The examination cost is $72 for all LPN applicants.

Apply to the LPN to RN Bridge

Paramedic who meet the admission criteria listed in the credit for prior learning guidelines have the opportunity to apply for the accelerated track and reduce their program to less than 12 months. Application period opens every year on April 1 for the fall semester. Please contact gw-healthprofessions@kctcs.edu for more information.

Applicants who wish to participate in the Paramedic to RN Advanced Standing Bridge:

• Must meet all requirements of the receiving institution.
• Must be complete with pre-requisite courses before the start of fall semester
  • BIO 137 – Human Anatomy and Physiology I*
  • BIO 139 - Human Anatomy and Physiology II*
    • *BIO 137 & BIO 139 must be no older than five years from the start date of the nursing coursework.
  • MAT 151 – Higher Level Quantitative Reasoning Course
  • PSY 110 – General Psychology
  • ENG 101 - Writing I
• Meet with the Professional Pre-Nursing advisor to review program requirements, determine eligibility, and make a timeline for next steps. We recommend that students interested in the advanced standing process attend a Pre-Nursing Admissions Conference.
• Submit a copy of their active Kentucky License or NREMT certification and Basic Life Support CPR certification. *Asked for in the application.
• Provide an employee verification form.
  • Must have one year of full-time paramedic work experience within the last three years.
• Paramedic to RN students must demonstrate retained competency, as nursing courses are designed to build on previous courses. Retained competency is demonstrated by:
  • Successful completion of the HESI Paramedic-ADN Admission Examination. The recommended score is 800. The examination cost is $49 for all Paramedic applicants.

Apply to the Paramedic to RN Bridge

The first semester in the program students take NSG 101: Nursing Practice which is 2 days a week for lecture/lab and 1 day for clinical during the week.

In the second semester and beyond, students take a Medical/Surgical course and a specialty course. The Medical/Surgical course is one (1) day a week for lecture/lab and one (1) day a week for clinical (until the student is in the final semester for Role Transition). The specialty course (behavior health, maternal newborn, and pediatrics) is hybrid with four (4) in-class meetings and additional time for lab and/or clinical.