Nursing is one of the most diverse and exciting careers in today’s health care field. It provides unlimited opportunities and intangible benefits for those who enter the profession. Nursing is a career for those interested in a challenge, as well as those who seek the reward of caring for others.
The Primary purpose of the Nursing Program at Big Bend Community College is to prepare the students to become safe and responsible beginning practitioners.
Big Bend Community College’s Nursing Program combines classroom work with skills laboratory and clinical experiences in a variety of settings to provide students with a solid foundation of knowledge and experience to prepare them for the healthcare work environment. Students are encouraged to develop a systematic approach to problem solving and acquire the knowledge and skill to meet the diverse health needs of the individual, the family and the community during health and/or illness.
The Nursing Assistant – Certified (NA-C) Program is approved by the Washington State Board of Nursing.
The Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) Program is approved by the Washington State Board of Nursing and the Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges, and accredited by the ACEN: Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing. Comments about this program may be directed to ACEN at 3343 Peachtree Road, Suite 850, Atlanta GA 30326. Phone: (404) 975-5000. Website: https://www.acenursing.org/
All programs at Big Bend Community College are approved by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU).
Successful completion of the one-quarter program prepares students to take the Washington State Certification Examination. Successful completion of the examination is required to become licensed as Nursing Assistant – Certified (NA-C). This program is approved by the Washington State Nursing Care Quality Assurance Commission. Certified Nursing Assistants work in community, long-term, and acute care settings.
Successful completion of this degree prepares the student to take the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN). Successful completion of the examination and subsequent licensure allows the student to enter the workforce as a Registered Nurse. This degree is also designed to transfer to most nursing bachelor’s degree programs at all four-year colleges and universities in Washington state.
BBCC’s nursing program admits a cohort of new nursing students once every year through a competitive application process. Application deadlines, requirements and the scoring process are subject to change each year. Be sure to check for the most current information when applying. All application requirements, deadlines and links to forms are in the “How to apply” section below.
This pathway is applicable to students preparing for an upper division Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing BSN (Entry-to-practice/basic BSN pathway). Students will enter the transfer institution as a junior; however, admission to the nursing program at that college or university is not guaranteed. Programs requirements differ at each college. Students choosing this degree are advised to contact their potential transfer institution early in his/her course of study requesting information regarding specific course choices in each degree and the minimum GPA requirements.
Students may also choose to pursue the Associate in Arts & Science DTA degree with academic guidance to include prerequisites required to apply for a Nursing program at BBCC or another community or technical college, or to apply to a bachelors degree program.