Nursing

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About Nursing

Mission Statement

The ECC Nursing Program empowers graduates to pass “the NCLEX-RN and function as registered nurses in diverse health care settings” (NLN Educational Competencies). The graduates of the ADN program enrich our communities by contributing to the service work force, providing safe, competent, professional care in a diverse and ever-changing health care arena.

East Central College offers two programs leading to an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Nursing. This program prepares students to become registered nurses. The main campus in Union, as well as the Rolla site, offers a complete pre-licensure program (generic) for those interested in becoming a registered nurse. A LPN to RN Bridge program is also available at the Rolla location for LPNs interested in becoming registered nurses.

Upon completion of either program, graduates are eligible to apply to write the NCLEX-RN exam for licensure as a registered nurse. Both nursing education sites are fully approved by the Missouri State Board of Nursing. The nursing program has state-of-the-art clinical labs which utilize technology and high-fidelity human patient simulators. The program utilizes some distance learning technology to promote access and flexibility.

The classroom and clinical components of the curriculum are interrelated to provide a strong background of the student in attaining the objectives of the program and in becoming a safe and competent practitioner.

Those persons considering a career in nursing should have an interest in health sciences and in working closely with people. In addition, they should be able to meet the academic demands of a program that requires commitment of time, energy, and motivation. In order to achieve success in the nursing program, a student is expected to spend an additional average of 20-30 hours per week outside of class studying, practicing, and preparing.

A selective admission process is utilized. Students are accepted based on academic points. All applicants take an HESI A2 admission test. Details regarding the test, score requirements, and registration for the test can be found on this website. LPN to RN applicants are required to successfully complete the HESI LPN to RN mobility exam prior to admission. Admission criteria and the selection process is outlined in the Admissions tab.

Admission is contingent upon a successful drug screen and criminal background check. Applicants with a prior criminal history should review the Missouri State Board of Nursing Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Prior Criminal History found in the Admissions tab.

Successful completion of the nursing program DOES NOT guarantee eligibility to take the licensure examination. Since one of the functions of the Missouri State Board of Nursing is to protect the public, the Board may refuse licensure to applicants who may jeopardize the well-being of Missouri citizens. The Missouri State Board of Nursing may also refuse to grant the student permission to take licensing exams or refuse to issue any certificate of registration of authority, permit, or license for the cause(s) outlined in the Missouri State Nurse Practice Act Chapter 335.066 RSMO, as amended.

The ECC Nursing Program has the full approval of the Missouri State Board of Nursing (MSBN).

The Associate Degree nursing program at East Central College meets the state education requirements to be a licensed registered nurse in the state of Missouri. Upon completion of the program, graduates may sit for the National Council of State Boards of Nursing NCLEX-RN exam. Individual state boards of nursing have specific licensure and educational requirements. Information regarding licensing and education requirements in other states may be requested from the ECC Nursing Program Director or the board of nursing in the state where the applicant wishes to practice.

Additional Information & Helpful Links

Find Your Nurse Practice Act
Licensure Requirements by State
Missouri State Board of Nursing

Admissions

To enter this course of study, students must meet these institution and program-specific criteria:

  • High school diploma or the equivalent
    (documentation must be sent to the registration office)
  • Application for admission to ECC
  • A placement test as specified by the college
    (some coursework requires minimum placement results)
  • An undisciplined Missouri LPN license (if pursuing the LPN to RN Bridge Program)
  • Cumulative college GPA of 2.75 or greater
  • HESI A2 Admission Test taken in the last two
    years with a composite score greater than 75%.
  • Score of 750 or better on the HESI LPN to
    RN Mobility Exam in the last two years
  • Completion of prerequisites with a “C” or better
  • Satisfactory criminal background check and
    drug screening once accepted to the program

Nursing Program Admissions Tests- HESI A2 / LPN to RN Mobility

  • LPN – RN BRIDGE:  A2 AND MOBILITY DUE SEPTEMBER 1, 2024
  • PRE-LICENSURE:  A2 DUE DECEMBER 1, 2024

Application Information:

LPN-RN-Bridge Application 2026
*DUE AUGUST 1, 2025

Pre-Licensure Nursing Application 2026
*DUE DECEMBER 1, 2025

RN Job Shadowing Resources for Pre-Licensure (Generic RN) applicants

See application for details regarding job shadowing requirements.  Please allow ample time to make arrangements with clinical facilities.

Mercy Washington
Mercy Washington Job Shadowing

Missouri Baptist Sullivan
SM-MBSH_Shadowing@bjc.org

573-468-4186 x 1827

Phelps Health
Mid-Missouri Area Health Education Centers

Scholarships:  Applications are available online only at: https://eastcentral.academicworks.com/users/sign_in

Additional Information & Links:

Degrees & Certificates

Nursing Curriculum Outcome Measures

Upon graduation the East Central College Associate Degree graduate nurse will embody nursing as three roles: Nurse as provider of care, Nurse as manager of care and Member of the Nursing Profession. Clinical education throughout the program is designed to facilitate transition to professional nursing practice. This will be demonstrated as follows:

  1. Nurse as Provider of Care – Utilizes the nursing process as the basis for the delivery of health care across the life span while prioritizing care for multiple clients.
    1. Obtains data through assessment.
    2. Develops nursing diagnoses and priority goals.
    3. Develops, implements, evaluates, and revises individualized nursing plans of care.
    4. Incorporates individual learning needs to develop, implement, and evaluate the effectiveness of the teaching-learning plan.
  2. Nurse as Provider of Care – Practices within a framework of scientific evidence while implementing planned care, utilizing evidence-based practice and clinical reasoning to make sound judgments, ensuring safe, quality client-centered care for multiple clients.
    1. Utilizes principles of therapeutic nutrition, pathophysiology, and pharmacology.
    2. Identifies changes in health status which are expected and unexpected resulting in actual or potential problems that interfere with recovery or promotion of health.
    3. Provides and promotes physiological safety and psychosocial safety.
    4. Performs nursing skills proficiently based on scientific understanding and best-practice guidelines.
    5. Demonstrates complex evidence-based clinical reasoning and judgment supported by the most current research.
  3. Nurse as Provider of Care – Establishes and maintains therapeutic interpersonal relationships with clients, families, and professional relationships with members of the healthcare team.
    1. Utilizes principles of therapeutic communication
    2. Utilizes proper lines of authority in communicating with members of the healthcare team.
    3. Utilizes information technology to manage, document and communicate nursing care by contributing to the healthcare record to decrease error and support decision making.
  4. Nurse as Manager of Care – Serves as a manager of care for multiple clients continuously coordinating, managing, and promoting healthy lifestyles.
    1. Delivers nursing care while setting priorities, planning and organizing care, utilizing time and resources effectively and efficiently considering policy and finance of the healthcare system.
    2. Collaborates with and delegates aspects of nursing care to healthcare team members consistent with their educational preparation, skill, experience, and scope of practice.
    3. Accepts responsibility and accountability for the nursing care provided and the care delegated to others.
    4. Advocates for clients, their families, and members of the healthcare team to promote healthy lifestyles; involving them in decision making and management of care, being sensitive to cultural diversity and specific needs.
  5. Member of the Nursing Profession – Functions as a member of the profession of nursing.
    1. Accepts responsibility and accountability for one’s own professional behavior.
    2. Practices within the nursing profession’s moral, ethical, legal, and regulatory framework.
    3. Utilizes current best practice guidelines to support nursing practice and quality improvement processes.
    4. Utilizes performance evaluations as means of continually improving one’s own nursing practice.

Nursing Curriculum Outcome Measures

Program Contact

Nancy Mitchell, MSN, RN
Dean of Health Sciences and Director of Nursing
Health Science Building – Suite 105
1964 Prairie Dell Road
Union, MO 63084
636-584-6616
nancy.mitchell@eastcentral.edu

Julie Beck
Program Assistant for Allied Health
Health Science Building – Suite 105
1964 Prairie Dell Road
Union, MO 63084
636-584-6616
julie.beck@eastcentral.edu

Lavonda Lawson
Administrative Assistant, Rolla North
2303 North Bishop
Rolla, MO 63401
573-202-6950
lavonda.lawson@eastcentral.edu

Employment and Salary Information

The registered nurse profession is experiencing faster-than-average job growth, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. By 2026, the number of positions is expected to increase by 15 percent.
In May 2017, the median annual wage for registered nurses was $70,000. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $48,690, and the highest 10 percent earned $104,100.