Academic Affairs Office

Frequently Asked Questions

Updated July 2011

Welcome to the Nursing Information page of the Muskegon Community College Nursing Program.  Our Nursing Program is referred to as a “ladder” program which means our Associate Degree Nursing students seeking the Registered Nurse License (RN) are eligible to write the NCLEX-PN exam after successful completion of the first four  terms (60 weeks) of the Nursing Program. The Associate Degree program is designed to be completed in six terms (90 weeks). Students may exit after completion of the LPN Program and finish required course work to apply for admission to the Associate Degree Program if seeking the Registered Nurse License.

Please note that this curriculum is designed for full time students (see career ladder ) and consists of 12 credit hours per semester, much of which is laboratory and clinical coursework. If you have significant family or work obligations, we encourage you to take as many of the required general education classes as possible (COM, PEA, PSYC, ENG, BIOL, PHIL, ANTH) prior to beginning the NUR course sequence.

ALL STUDENTS must make an appointment with the MCC Counseling and Advising Center to develop a Nursing course plan (231-777-0362).

How long will I have to wait to start the Nursing courses?

The waiting time varies depending on the number of applicants who have met all requirements for admission.; the ready list is updated continuously. Students on the ready list will be called for admission in the order their names appear on the ready list. If, at the time your name is called circumstances prevent you from beginning the Nursing Program, you may defer your admission.

Effective with the 2011 admissions, up to half of each class (25 out of 50 in both the Summer and Fall semesters) will be selected from the applicants who have completed all general education courses required for the AAS degree.  Students who qualify for this accelerated admissions need to see a counselor for an Accelerated Application.

Once I have applied, how will I know that I am accepted into the Nursing Program?

Communication regarding nursing admissions is through the official MCC email system; you are officially accepted into the Nursing Program when you have replied via MCC email to the official offer sent by the Nursing Program indicating there is a space for you in the next class and you have been enrolled for NUR 100, Overview of the Nursing Profession.  During the application process, you will receive information on how you can verify that your name has been placed on the Ready List and where you can obtain updates on wait times, projected call-in periods, etc.

What coursework or testing can I complete while I am waiting on the Ready list?

You are encouraged to take any non-nursing general education course in the curriculum, subject to the pre-requisites for those courses. For example, take BIOL 105 Anatomy and Physiology I as this is a lab course and can be time consuming.  It will make your course load lighter when you do get into the Nursing Program.  Courses that you can take while waiting for the NUR classes are:

  • * PSYC 201  -  General Psychology
  • * COM 103 - Intercultural Communication for Nurses
  • * PEA 101A  -  Fitness, Wellness and Nutrition
  • * BIOL 105  -  Anatomy and Physiology I
  • * CHEM 100 & 100A Fundamentals of Chemistry (or CHEM 109 & 109A, Chemistry for Health Science)
    • Alternately, students may waive the chemistry requirement by demonstating competency on the Toledo Chemistry Placement Test or providing proof of 1 credit high school chemistry within 8 years of ready date.
  • *BIOL 106  -  Anatomy and Physiology II
  • BIOL 207  -  Microbiology
  • *ENG 101  -  English Composition
  • * PEA/DNC Elective
  • * PHIL 204  -  Biomedical Ethics
  • ANTH 103 -  Cultural Diversity in Contemporary Society

         * required for entry into Level 2

I was recently called for admission to the nursing program, but now I am pregnant and I think I should wait until next year to start the Nursing Program.  Can I defer?

You are allowed two deferrals before you will lose your place on the Ready List and are required to reapply to the Nursing Program. If you are emailed a letter or called regarding an opening based on your position on the Ready List and choose not to come into the nursing class available, you will be allowed to defer.  You also may defer a second time. However, if you defer a second time, you must come into the Program on the third notification or your name will be removed from the Ready List and you will be required to reapply. All current requirements for your coursework will again be activated and you must revalidate any coursework that is more than eight years old.

What is the 8 year rule?

Any coursework that is older than 8 years must be revalidated in order to demonstrate current competency with the course content. You do not need to retake the course if you pass the revalidation competency test. See the nursing counselor regarding appointments with the appropriate Department Chairperson for any course over 8 years old that you need to revalidate. You must have taken the course in order to test for competency.

Why do I have to have a Criminal Background Check? 

Michigan Public Acts 27, 28, and 29 of the 2006 Michigan Public Health Code state that “persons with a history of felony or conspiracy to commit a felony within 15 years….or a misdemeanor involving a vulnerable adult or child, or a state or federal crime that is substantially similar to a misdemeanor described in this statement within 10 years”… may not work or be affiliated with certain health care facilities. Students with felony or misdemeanor criminal records would not be able to complete the program of study required for nursing licensure.  Please click here for more information.

Fingerprinting may be required for clinical experience in accordance with Michigan law. 

The cost of the criminal background check and any required finger printing is the responsibility of the student.

I heard that I have to take CPR classes.  Is that part of the Nursing Curriculum? 

You will need to submit evidence of current Adult and Child CPR to the Nursing Program Office (room 333) prior to the second term of the Nursing Program. The CPR requirement can be met in one of three ways:

  1. Complete HE100A Community First Aid.  You will earn the American Red Cross Adult, Infant, and Child CPR card and a Community First Aid card in this 2 credit course.
  2. American Heart Association:  Complete BLS Provider Course (includes Adult and Child)
  3. American Red Cross:  Professional Rescuer (includes adult & child)
    4.  *** Current CPR must be maintained throughout the Nursing Program and be valid through each entire semester.

Are there scholarships available for Nursing Students?

Yes, there are scholarships available to students entering the nursing profession. Requirements vary. You should first complete the FAFSA through the Financial Aid office (due annually by March 1st). Local organizations, hospitals, and health care agencies, and Community Foundations have scholarships available to nursing students. Other sources of nursing scholarships are available on www.discovernursing.com and www.michigancenterfornursing.org.  There may be additional scholarships available for students currently enrolled in nursing (NUR) courses in the Program. These are posted on the Program's Blackboard site under scholarships when they become available.  In addition, some of the local healthcare agencies will assist you with tuition reimbursement if you are currently their employee.

Financial Aid information is available through the Student One Stop, at http://www.muskegoncc.edu/pages/475.asp, and will also be offered in CSS 100 College Success Seminar.

What exactly do you do during clinicals?   Where are clinicals?  Do I have a choice? 

Clinical experiences are a required part of all nursing education programs. The clinical experiences generally are 2 or 3 eight hour shifts per week at local health care agencies, usually located within a 25 mile radius of the College. You will be caring for patients of all ages and in various stages of health and illness. Students may request clinical placements but many factors are taken into consideration in assigning clinical placements. Generally, clinicals are on the day shift.

What is the cost of the Nursing Program?

Nursing students pay the same tuition rates as other students per credit hour, depending on whether the student is “in-district” or “out-of-district”. For all courses with clinical components there are contact in excess of credit hour fees as delineated in the College class schedules. There also are course fees; please click here for more information.

My grade in BIOL 105 was a C-.   Why do I need to repeat that course?

In order to progress in the Nursing Program you must have a C (2.0) in all general education coursework and a 77% (C+) in all NUR courses and AH 111.

I took PSYC 201 at another college and it only transferred to MCC as 2.67 credits.  I need 4 credits of PSYC.  What should I do?

See your counselor as soon as possible.  You may take an independent study to fulfill the requirements of PSYC 201. You cannot progress to the second term of the Nursing Program without the necessary equivalent credit for PSYC 201.

Will there be an orientation to the Nursing Program?

Yes, once you have been accepted into a NUR 100 Overview of the Nursing Profession class, you will be given information regarding an online orientation to the Nursing Program. This will include presentations about the philosophy and organizing framework of the Program, the curriculum, uniforms, student policy and procedures, and required criminal background checks.

I want to earn my BSN.  Can I do that at Muskegon Community College?

Many courses taken at MCC will transfer to universities for completion of your BSN.  (Please see the Michigan Center for Nursing web site for a complete list.) Contact the MCC Counseling and Advising Center or contact individual programs directly for specific information on BSN completion requirements.

What kind of a schedule should I expect in the MCC Nursing Program?

 Sample Schedule for TERM 1 (12 credits).   Class days and times vary.

Monday   Tuesday  Wednesday Thursday  Friday 
    NUR 100/AH 111 5-8pm (or Mondays)    

NUR 100/AH 111 1:30-4pm (or Wednesdays)

   PEA 101A 12:30-2p    
  BIOL 105 Lecture 4-5:25pm Lab 5:40-8:40pm  

BIOL 105 Lecture 4-5:25pm No Lab

  

PSYC 201 10:10-12:10pm (or Internet)

   PSYC 201 10:10-12:10pm (or Internet)    
COM 103        

Sample Schedule for TERM 2 (12 Credits). Class days and times vary.  Note: NUR 121 & NUR 123A run the first 7.5 weeks only; NUR 124A & NUR 125 run the second 7.5 weeks only.

Monday  Tuesday Wednesday  Thursday  Friday 
NUR 121 or NUR 125 8-10am    NUR 125 Test outs

 

  
NUR 123 1:30-4:30pm OR NUR 124 1:30-4:30pm NUR 123 Lab 1-3pm OR NUR 124 Clinical 7a-3p NUR 123 Lab 1-3pm OR NUR 124 Clinical 7a-3p  

NUR 123 Lab 2-4 hrs (varies) OR NUR 124 Test-out 1-2 hrs (varies)
 

ENG 101 6-8pm

  

ENG 101 6-8pm

  

Sample Schedule TERM 3 (12 Credits).  Class days and times vary.

Monday  Tuesday  Wednesday  Thursday  Friday 

NUR 131 8-11am Lecture

NUR 131 Demo Lab 2-3pm

BIOL 106 Lecture 4:30-5:55pm

   NUR 131 Lab 2 hrs + Clinical prep

BIOL 106 Lecture 4:40-6:05pm

BIOL 106 Lab 6:15-9:15p

 NUR 131 clinical 7a-3p (8hrs)

NUR 131 clinical 7a-3p (8hrs)

Sample Schedule TERM 4 (12 Credits).  Class days and times vary.

Monday  Tuesday  Wednesday  Thursday  Friday 
NUR 141 1:30-4:30pm Lecture

CHEM 100 Lecture 6-8pm

NUR 141 clinical 7a-3p (8hrs)

PHIL 204 6-9pm

CHEM Lab 4:45-7:45pm

 NUR 141 clinical 7a-3p (8hrs)

CHEM 100 Lecture 6-8pm

 PEA Elective

NUR 141 Lab or Simulation 10-12pm

(varies by week)

* CHEM 100 & 100A or CHEM 109 & 109A (or equivalent required to progress to Level 2 of the Nursing Program)

 Sample Schedule TERM 5 (12 Credits) - Level 2.  Class days and times vary.

Monday  Tuesday  Wednesday  Thursday  Friday 
NUR 212 8-11am 

NUR 212 Labs 1:30-5pm

 NUR 212 clinical 7a-3p (8hrs)

BIOL 207 Lecture 5-6:25pm

BIOL 207 Lab 6:35-9:35pm

 NUR 212 clinical 7a-3p (8hrs)

 

BIOL 207 Lecture 5-6:25pm

NUR 212 Lab or Simulation 10-12pm

(varies by week)