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Registered Nursing FAQs
View a listing of first steps.
View the Curriculum Layout of our RN program.
View for an outline of Tuition and Fees (PDF). Please note that there will be additional costs, including textbooks, miscellaneous
supplies, uniforms, licensure fees, etc.
Yes, a variable tuition rate per credit hour (in addition to the standard tuition
rate) will be applied to all courses in the Nursing Program. Please refer to the Tuition web page for more information.
We recommend that our nursing students do not work more than 20 hours a week. Some
students may wish to adjust to being in the nursing program with fewer hours at first
and then gradually work their way up to 20 hours or less.
Once all admissions criteria has been completed:
- The Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) degree is a two-year program leading to an Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S.) in Nursing which leads to your Registered Nurse (RN) licensure after the state board (NCLEX-RN) examination.
We do not offer a waiting list. Applicants must reapply each semester that they are
not admitted.
The Kishwaukee College Nursing Program can be completed part-time if a student completes
all general education courses in advance. Students may choose to apply for either
the daytime section or the evening section. Daytime cohorts begin every fall (August)
and spring (January). Evening cohorts begin every spring (January). While the Nursing
Program does not offer a fully online option, many courses are offered in a hybrid
format, allowing students to complete a portion of coursework at home each week using
online resources.
It is recommended to attend a meeting when you first become interested in nursing. For high school students, we urge students to attend the summer before their Senior year. Attending a meeting at an early stage will allow you to fully understand the admission criteria and prepare accordingly. Advisement may be offered after the information meeting on an individualized basis (official sealed transcripts from all college’s attended or applicable placement testing is required to be eligible for an individualized meeting). We will help you plan out your courses to meet criteria and inform you when you will be eligible to apply.
The nursing information meetings are normally held once or twice a month during the Fall and Spring semesters and once a month during Summer semesters.
Nursing courses and clinicals differ between semesters. During semester I, students
will be on-campus 3 days a week and attend clinical 1 day a week. During semester
II, students will be on-campus 3 days a week and attend clinical 2 days a week. During
semesters III and IV, students are on campus 2-3 days a week and attend clinical 2
days a week. Clinicals entail 8-week specialty rotations including Maternal Health,
Pediatrics, Medical-Surgical Nursing, and Community/Mental Health Nursing. Clinicals
may consist of days, evenings, and Saturdays taught by full-time and part-time instructors.
While the Nursing Program at Kishwaukee does not offer child care, Kishwaukee College
does have a child care center on campus. Please visit the Early Learning Center webpage for more information or contact the Director of Early Learning Center, at 815-825-9880
for enrollment and tuition information.
Kishwaukee College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Our Registered
Nursing program is approved by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional
Regulation and is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing
(ACEN).
Enrollment in the Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) Program is limited to clinical site capacity. The Nursing Program admits 40 students in the Fall and 50 students in the Spring semester, which includes 10 spots in the evening section.
Kishwaukee’s Nursing Program does not require you to be a CNA.
Most of our clinicals are out of Kishwaukee’s district (e.g. Rockford). For this reason,
we do accept students from these districts following the Illinois Community College
Board guidelines. However, out-of-district students are subject to out-of-district
tuition. View the tuition prices.
You may check your voter’s registration card for Kishwaukee College District 523.
You may also contact the Student Services at 815-825-9375.
It is recommended that students take this test one semester before they are eligible
to apply to the nursing program. Students are encouraged to test at Kishwaukee College.
Testing is scheduled through the ATI testing website. Testing sessions are scheduled
every 2-3 months. Students may test only once per session. Students who are unavailable
to test at Kishwaukee College must submit scores officially through ATI and show proof
that the exam was not taken in the previous 90 days. Students who do not test at
Kishwaukee College are also required to submit a letter with their Nursing application
stating why they took the ATI test elsewhere, along with a letter from the test site
stating that ATI testing standards were maintained. Students are encouraged to talk
to Associate Dean of Nursing & Allied Health for further information. TEAS Information
can be found here.
The TEAS test covers Reading, Math, Science, and English and it is recommended that you have college courses in these areas before attempting the TEAS test. The test consists of 170 questions with the breakdown as follows:
- Reading: 31%
- Key ideas & details, craft & structure and integration of knowledge & ideas.
- Math: 22%
- Number & Algebra, and Measurancement & Data.
- Science: 31%
- Human Anatomy & Physiology, Life & Physical Sciences, and Scientific Reasoning.
- English: 16%
- Conventions of standard English, Knowledge of language, and Vocabulary acquisition.
Study guides may be purchased at www.atitesting.com. The nursing program utilizes ATI resources throughout the program. Our Library has
a copy of these study materials which students may check out in 2-hour intervals.
Our Testing & Tutoring Services also provides free tutoring to students in different
subject areas. You may also take free practice tests at www.testprepreview.com/teas_practice.htm.
- Associate Degree Nursing (RN) admission requirements.
- Basic Nursing Assistant Certificate (BNA) admission requirements.
Students are encouraged to apply to Nursing in their last semester of pre-requisite
coursework. If you are not admitted for that particular semester, you will still be
required to submit a new application for the following semester. Applications are
only accepted during the designated time frames in each semester.
Applications are accepted Sept. 1-30 to start in the Spring semester and Feb. 1-28 to start in the Fall semester.
Students must complete all admission criteria. In the event that there are more applicants
than spaces available, applicants are categorized according to a select criteria.
Students who have completed all prerequisites will be considered first, followed by
those who need to complete TEAS, followed by those who are in their final prerequisites.
Within each category, students will then be ranked by GPA in nursing related courses,
followed by the number of hours completed in the nursing curriculum, followed by overall
100/200 level GPA, followed by number of hours completed at Kish, followed by TEAS
test scores. This is outlined in the Admissions Selection Process handout. We strongly recommend that students attend an information meeting for further
clarification.
Please refer to these documents on our Transfer Policy:
Nursing Program Transfer Credit Policy and Transfer Nursing Student Admission Policy & Criteria.
Students are notified via phone. Please ensure you keep your contact information up-to-date with the Admissions Office. If we are unable to contact a qualified applicant by phone, an email to the student's Kishwaukee College email address will be sent requesting the student to contact us before a certain date. If no contact has been made between the student and the Nursing Department, the students file will be closed.
For Fall admission, phone calls will begin in late March. For Spring admission, phone calls will being in late October. Please be patient during this time period.
This type of information will be covered during a nursing orientation. Once you have
been accepted, students will have an official meeting with the Director of Nursing where
they will learn about the orientation for newly admitted students. During this meeting,
students will learn their schedule, when/where to register, immunizations, and other
applicable information.
Please refer to the Foundation website for available scholarships. In addition Nursing Students should watch announcements
for any non-foundation scholarship opportunities that we receive in the Health Sciences
office.
Yes. Students who successfully complete NUR117 (Fundamentals of Nursing) with a "C"
or higher can sit for the CNA Certification exam. You will need to fill out paperwork
with the CNA Coordinator to apply to take the state CNA exam. Upon successful completion
of this test, you will be eligible to work as a CNA in the state of Illinois.
The ADN program must be finished within four years from the start of the first nursing
course.
Yes. Three organizations are offered to any interested Nursing student: The Student
Nurse Organization (SNO), Nurses Christian Fellowship (NCF), and Alpha Delta Nu Honor
Society (ADN). ADN Students must qualify with GPA requirements. For more information,
view the Student Clubs and Organizations page.
- Kishwaukee ADN Program: Students will be eligible to take the NCLEX-RN examination. Upon successful completion of this exam, students name will be placed on the Department of Professional Regulation’s Registry for Registered Nurse (RN).
- BNA Program: Students will be eligible to take the Illinois Nurse Assistant Training Competency Exam. Upon successful completion of this exam, the students name is placed on the Illinois Department of Public Health’s Health Care Worker Registry for Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA).
95% of Kishwaukee College nursing graduates are employed as a registered nurse within
six months of graduation. Guidance for job placement is offered with the curriculum
and resources exist at the College to assist with this process.
News & Events
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Kishwaukee College earns ACTLA Online Tutoring Program Certification
Kishwaukee College earns ACTLA Online Tutoring Program CertificationKishwaukee College’s Tutoring Services department recently received certification of its online tutoring program through the Association of Colleges for Tutoring and Learning Assistance (ACTLA).