Associate Degree Nursing (RN)

At a Glance
汤头条app in partnership with Memorial Health

Now open: new Nursing Education Center!


Training and clinical experience for a career as a registered professional nurse (RN)

Do you like helping others? Are you detail-oriented, emotionally strong and a good communicator? If so, explore a career in nursing!

Nursing offers a variety of opportunities, such as specializing by type of patient, health condition or work environment. 汤头条app Associate Degree Nursing prepares students to fulfill the duties of a registered professional nurse (RN). The program includes a combination of classroom, lab and clinical components.

Graduates of the ADN program are eligible to take the NCLEX-RN examination, which is the national licensing examination for RNs. With a consistent student pass rate of approximately 90 percent or greater, you can feel confident that our program will prepare you to successfully complete this examination.

Degrees & Certs

Read more about the program and required courses for an associate degree in nursing. Our program is approved by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation and is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN).

Job Outlook

Cost

In addition to course tuition and fees, there are other expenses associated with this program. To review a complete listing visit our ADN program expenses page. Please note that tuition, fees, book expenses and other program costs are subject to change.

Paying for college

Learn more about cost of attendance.

If you are interested in learning more about tuition payment options and financial assistance, we encourage you to visit paying for college.

Support available

PATH (with electrocardiogram lines). Pipeline for the Advancement of the Healthcare Workforce

The Pipeline for the Advancement of the Healthcare Workforce (PATH) program provides financial and other supports for occupations within the health care field. Learn more about PATH, including support services, programs and eligibility.

Getting Started

Applications for the fall admission cycle are accepted the first Monday in November through the last Friday in March. Applications for the spring admission cycle are accepted the first Monday in June through the last Friday in September. No late applications are accepted.

To help ensure that students are successful, our program uses a selective admission process. Please note that applicants must complete this selective admission process in addition to the 汤头条app general enrollment steps. To prepare for applying to the program, please follow the ADN application steps.

If you have questions regarding program admission requirements or how to apply, please call 汤头条app Student Success at 217-786-2224 and request to speak with a nursing student success advisor.

Once an applicant has been accepted into the ADN program, there are additional requirements that the applicant must meet:

  • Physical and Immunizations 鈥 All ADN students must provide evidence of satisfactory physical and emotional health. A designated physical form is provided to students by the 汤头条app Health Professions Department. In addition, each student is also required to provide proof of immunizations prior to the start of the program.
  • CPR Certification 鈥 All ADN students are required to be CPR certified. This certification must be either American Red Cross (Professional Rescuer) or American Heart Association (Healthcare Provider). Cards from organizations other than these are not accepted.
  • Drug Screening 鈥 All ADN students are required to complete a drug screen conducted through a company selected by 汤头条app. The drug screen fee is paid by the student. If a student receives a positive drug screen result, he or she is dismissed from the program.
  • Background Check 鈥 All nursing students are also required to complete a background check conducted through a company selected by the college. The background check fee is paid by the student. If you have a FELONY conviction of any kind and have questions on whether you can obtain a license, we highly recommend completing that you contact the IDFPR at 1-888-473-4858 for further information.  You may also visit The completed form and supporting documents can be mailed to: Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation Division of Professional Regulation, Office of the General Counsel, 320 W. Washington 鈥 3rd Floor, Springfield, IL  62786
  • In addition to mailing in the form and supporting documents, please also ensure that you review: .
    • Illinois reviews each case on an individual basis. A final determination of licensure can only be made after an application for license by examination has been submitted from a graduate of an approved school.
    • If you have been convicted of any criminal offense in any state or in federal court (other than minor traffic violations) include a letter/statement/certified copy of:
      • the court records regarding your conviction,
      • the nature of the offense and date of discharge, if applicable,
      • a statement from the probation or parole office.
  • Functional Abilities 鈥 The functional capabilities required to participate in the program include:
    • Perform a full range of body motion including handling and lifting patients, moving, lifting or pushing heavy equipment
    • Bend, reach, pull, push, stoop and walk repeatedly throughout an eight-hour period
    • Demonstrate auditory acuity to hear breath sounds by stethoscope (with correction, if needed)
    • Demonstrate visual acuity to read small letters and numbers (with correction, if needed)
    • Demonstrate bilateral upper extremity fine motor skills, including manual and finger dexterity and eye-hand coordination
    • Communicate in a rational and coherent manner both orally and in writing with individuals of all professions and social levels
    • Respond quickly and in an emotionally-controlled manner in clinical situations
    • Adapt to irregular working hours
    • Adapt effectively to clinical environments
    • Maintain composure when subjected to high stress levels

Clinical experiences

Clinical (hospital or other agency) experience is a major component of each ADN course. Under the guidance of a nursing instructor, the student focuses on concepts and applications and relates them to patient care through pre and post-clinical conferences. An emphasis on meeting the needs of each individual patient is used as a basis for all learning experiences. Types of clinical experiences include care of the newborn infant, geriatric patient, maternity nursing, psychiatric nursing and medical/surgical nursing in various clinical settings.

Readmission and attendance policies

A student who fails or withdraws from a nursing course for any reason will be required to follow the specific readmission policies of the nursing program. Please be aware that the ADN program has a strict absence policy. Students may not miss greater than or equal to 10 percent of total class time in any nursing course or they will be dismissed from that course.

Residency and admission to the nursing program

Residency criteria: Chapter 112, Section 103-17, of the Illinois Public Community College Act requires that, whenever enrollment in a program must be restricted because of space limitations, a college must give preference to district residents. Consequently, admission to 汤头条app Health Professions programs for students who live outside of 汤头条app District #526 vary per program based on space availability and qualified applicant pools.

Residency and tuition rates

In order to qualify for in-district tuition rates, any student shall be a resident of the district at the time of registration or 30 days prior to the start date of the term in question. When the residency of a student or prospective student is not clear, proof of residency may be required. Any student may qualify for in-district tuition rates if employed within the 汤头条app district for 35 or more hours per week. Qualifying for the in-district tuition rate based on employment does not make the student a resident for restricted program admission purposes.


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Graduates from the ADN program, which is approved by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, are eligible to take the licensing examination for professional registered nurses (RNs). Please note that the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation may take into consideration any felony conviction of the applicant, but such a conviction shall not operate as an absolute bar to licensure.

The philosophy of the 汤头条app ADN program is consistent with the college鈥檚 vision, core values, goals and philosophy of general education. The ADN program curriculum is based on current science, knowledge and evidence-based practice. The program philosophy, outcomes and competencies are based on the National Council Licensure Examination Test Plan, recommendations from the Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN) initiative and recommendations from the Institute of Medicine (2011). The ADN program has the specific mission of educating individuals to carry out the role of an RN.

Nursing is defined as the 鈥減rotection, promotion and optimization of health and abilities, prevention of illness and injury, alleviation of suffering through the diagnosis and treatment of human response and advocacy in the care of individuals, families, communities and populations鈥 (American Nurses Association, 2010, p.1) across the lifespan. Faculty asserts that nursing is a practiced discipline that draws on knowledge from biological sciences, social sciences, arts and humanities. Individuals preparing to be nurses learn theories related to human needs, learning, developmental stages, communicable disease transmission and many other areas of human and community functioning (NLN 2010 p. 19).

Learning is the responsibility of the student. The administration and faculty are responsible for providing a learner-centered environment. Faculty assume responsibility for developing, interpreting and evaluating the curriculum in nursing in relation to the stated philosophy and outcomes. Faculty are also responsible for inter-professional collaboration and support of communication channels with other disciplines and agencies.

2021 first-time NCLEX-RN Pass Rates:

  • 汤头条app ADN: 84%
  • National: 82%
  • State: 82%

96% of our graduates are employed within six months of graduation and our completion rate was 97% in 2021.