Nursing Prerequisites

Program Acceptance Requirements

The application deadline for Fall semester is June 1 and February 1 for the Summer semester. To qualify for the Iowa Lakes Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) program, applicants must meet one of the following options:

Option 1: Standard ADN Admission

Applicants must have a GED/HiSet mean score of 456 or GPA of 2.5 or higher in the following college-level science courses, with a grade of C or higher in each:

• Nutrition (BIO 151) – 3 credits (must have been taken within the last five years)
• Composition I (ENG 105) – 3 credits
• Developmental Psychology (PSY 121) or Introduction to Psychology (PSY 111) – 3 credits
• Medical Terminology (HSC 114) – 3 credits

ACT Requirement:

• Composite ACT score of 20 (no superscores accepted)*
• The composite score is based on English, reading, mathematics, and science
• The Writing Test is not required
• ACT is not required for students who hold a degree from an accredited college or university

Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) Requirement:

• • Pass a 75-hour Certified Nursing Assistant (HSC 172) course
  • Submit Direct Care Worker Registry verification to the Iowa Lakes Nursing program

Option 2: LPN to ADN Pathway

LPNs entering the ADN program will receive eight credits for Nursing Concepts I and Dosage Calculations. Additional coursework will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

Additional Requirements:

• GPA of 2.5 or higher in the following college-level science courses (grade of C or higher required):
  • Nutrition (BIO 151) – 3 credits
  • Composition I (ENG 105) – 3 credits
  • Developmental Psychology (PSY 121) – 3 credits
  • Medical Terminology (HSC 114) – 3 credits
• Hold an unencumbered Practical Nursing license, verified by Nursys
• Meet all other ADN requirements, including a syllabi review of the completed Practical Nursing program
• ACT is not required for LPN to ADN applicants due to licensure

*Applicants must request official ACT results be sent directly to the Iowa Lakes Admissions Office. Hand-delivered results will not be accepted.

Register for the ACT exam at www.actstudent.org(opens in new tab).

Program Acceptance Requirements - Practical Nursing Diploma

The application deadline for Fall semester is June 1 and February 1 for the Summer semester. To qualify for the Iowa Lakes Practical Nursing Diploma program, applicants must meet the following criteria:

• Education Requirement:

  • High school diploma with a minimum GPA of 2.0
  • GED/HiSET mean score equivalent of 401
  • College GPA of 2.0 or higher from at least 7 credits of college-level science coursework (grade of C or higher required)

• Science Coursework Requirement:

  • Human Anatomy and Physiology I and Lab (BIO 168) – 4 credits (grade of C or higher required) (within the last five years)

• Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) Requirement:

  • Pass a 75-hour Certified Nursing Assistant (HSC 172) course
  • Submit Direct Care Worker Registry verification to the Iowa Lakes Nursing program

• ACT Requirements:

  • ACT Composite Score of 18 (no superscores accepted)

    • The composite ACT score is based on English, reading, mathematics, and science. The Writing Test is not required.

Applicants must request that official ACT results be sent directly to the Iowa Lakes Admissions Office. Hand-delivered results will not be accepted.

Register for the ACT exam at www.actstudent.org.

To register for the Next-Generation Accuplacer exam, contact the Iowa Lakes Success Center.

Mission Statement
Iowa Lakes Community College's nursing program facilitates students' learning in the nursing profession.

Philosophy of Nursing Education
The Nursing program provides an education that promotes the community's economic development by preparing graduate nurses for employment as practical or registered nurses.

We believe health is holistic, encompassing physical, emotional, spiritual, and cultural components.
We believe nursing is:

• A caring profession with core values of honesty, integrity, respect, and accountability
• An art and applied science
• Health education and maintenance through social determinants
• Collaborative and interdisciplinary
• An evidence-based practice
• Providing safe and efficient patient and client care
• Application of unique language, knowledge, and skills
• Utilization of the nursing process and critical thinking
• A practice that functions within legal and ethical parameters

We believe nursing education:

• Is a lifelong process
• Builds on the learner’s knowledge and experiences
• Is interactive with shared accountability for learning
• Fosters critical thinking and scientific inquiry
• Correlates theory and clinical practices
• Instills the core values of nursing

U.S. Department of Education New Regulations

As of July 1, 2020, the U.S. Department of Education implemented new regulations that professional nursing programs (LPN and RN) must adhere to - Regulation 34 CFR 668.43 (a) (5) (v). In compliance with this regulation, Iowa Lakes Community College PN & AD Nursing is providing the following information:

• Iowa Lakes Community College Practical Nursing and Associate of Science degree nursing curriculum meets state educational requirements for professional licensure in all 50 states.
• Iowa Lakes Community College Practical Nurse and Associate of Science degree nursing curriculum does NOT meet the state educational requirements for professional licensure in the following states/jurisdictions: None.

NOTES:

• This information is only for initial licensure by exam requirements for the state listed.
• Students should contact the State Board of Nursing in which they wish to be licensed for specific licensing requirements.
• Students may meet with the Director of Nursing Education if they wish to be licensed in another state.

Disclaimer: This information has been gathered from the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) website and will be updated annually on July 1. Iowa Lakes Community College assumes no liability or responsibility for any errors or omissions in the information contained in this resource. It is your responsibility to verify accuracy by visiting the NCSBN website at: https://www.ncsbn.org