Nursing (AS)

FSW Nursing Mission Statement

The Florida SouthWestern State College Nursing Program's mission is to inspire life-long learning and prepare a diverse population to serve as caring nurse leaders in the healthcare community.

  • Prospective applicants interested in learning more about our ASN program, application requirements, and admission process, should register for a virtual information session.
  • The fall 2024 application will open April 1, 2024 and the deadline to apply will be May 15, 2024.
  • The TEAS exam is an ASN application requirement. You can register for the exam here.

Florida SouthWestern State College offers an Associate Degree in Nursing and a Completion Certificate in a Nurse Refresher Continuing Education course leading to professional licensure. Nursing requires both a degree and the successful completion of additional criteria such as licensure exams, field placements, or clinical hours. If your future plans include achieving licensure or certification, you should know the requirements vary by state.

Graduates of the Associate in Science in Nursing (ASN) Program are prepared to become licensed as an entry level Registered Nurse (RN).

The nursing curriculum incorporates classroom instruction, laboratory, simulation education, and clinical practice in the care of diverse populations. Local health facilities are utilized for clinical practice, including community agencies, acute care institutions, long-term and ambulatory care facilities. Graduates of the program possess knowledge, values, skills, and compassion: all are essential for professional nursing practice in a dynamic and rapidly changing health care environment.

The ASN program is offered on the Charlotte, Collier, and Lee campuses. There are two schedule options available for each campus. The day schedule is offered primarily during daytime hours, Monday – Friday. The evening and weekend schedule is offered primarily evening hours Monday – Friday and weekends. Both schedules consist of classroom instruction, laboratory, simulation education, and clinical practice through multiple modalities including online and in person instruction. Students enrolled in the evening and weekend schedule, will have a Blended-On Campus modality for their didactic courses. In this blended course your professor will mix required on campus class meetings with online coursework. All exams will be held in person on campus. The synchronous online portion of the course may be live in a virtual Zoom classroom. All required class meeting dates and times will be posted in the course schedule for you to plan for. Both schedules will require the student to fully commit to the academic schedule put forth by the nursing department. Occasionally, students from either schedule may be assigned to complete clinical hours during day, evening, or weekend hours. Applicants are able to rank their campus and schedule preferences and once accepted, will remain with that assignment for the duration of the program.

For the Associate Degree in Nursing program, completion of program requirements makes you eligible to apply to take the National Counsel Licensure Examination (NCLEX) RN in Florida or one of the other 27 nursing compact states if you are wanting to apply for a multi-state license under the enhanced Nurse Licensure Compact (eNLC). A list of current compact states can be located on the National Council of State Boards of Nursing website. If you are a student who resides outside of Florida or one of the compact states, Florida SouthWestern State College cannot confirm whether this degree program meets educational requirements for professional licensure in your state. Since the ASN program at Florida SouthWestern State College is nationally accredited, the curriculum should meet the requirements of other states; however, some states have requirements in addition to the program’s curriculum. If you wish to take the NCLEX exam in a non-compact state, please contact the board of nursing in that state to determine whether this degree or certificate program will meet their licensure requirements.

Current occupational employment and wage data for Registered Nurses are published by the United States Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Accreditation

The Associate and Baccalaureate of Science degree nursing programs at Florida SouthWestern State College at the Charlotte, Collier, and Lee campuses located in Punta Gorda, Naples, and Fort Myers, Florida are accredited by the:

Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) 3390 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 1400 Atlanta, GA 30326 (404) 975-5000 https://www.acenursing.org/

*The most recent accreditation decision made by the ACEN Board of Commissioners for the Associate of Science in Nursing program is Continuing Accreditation.

End of Program Student Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of the ASN Program, the graduate will be able to:

  1. Interprofessional collaboration: Build effective nursing and interprofessional collaborative relationships through open communication, mutual respect, and shared decision-making to achieve quality care outcomes.
  2. Information Literacy and healthcare technology: Demonstrate effective use of information and healthcare technology to deliver high-quality nursing care.
  3. Diversity, equity, and inclusion: Provide compassionate, respectful nursing care that embraces diversity, equity, and inclusion to meet the needs of healthcare recipients.
  4. Professional identity: Demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and attitudes of the professional nurse while upholding the legal, ethical, and regulatory standards of nursing practice.
  5. Contemporary evidence-based practice: Integrate contemporary evidence-based practice to provide safe quality nursing care.

Student Achievement Outcome Data

Student achievement outcome data (PDF) provides evidence to demonstrate the extent to which FSW Nursing graduates are adequately prepared. This information is updated annually and made publicly accessible.

Degree Requirements and Program Length

The ASN degree consists of 72 credit hours. These hours include General Education (16 credits), Program Specific Courses (14 credits), and Nursing Core Courses (42 credits). The Nursing Core Courses will be completed after acceptance into the ASN program over four fall/spring semesters.

Prior to graduation of the Nursing Program, students must complete all General Education and Program Specific Courses outlined in the program of study.

The Traditional and Evening/Weekend schedules for the AS Nursing Program will both require discipline and commitment. Nursing education is rigorous and must be top priority from first semester through graduation to be successful on the NCLEX-RN licensing exam and to become a professional Nurse.

LPN Florida Department of Education Gold Standard and Statewide Articulation Agreements

This Gold Standard Career Pathways Statewide Articulation Agreement guarantees the minimum award of course credits or a block of credit toward the above AAS/AS program is 11 hours of credit. This agreement does not preclude the awarding of additional credits by any college through local agreements. The Licensed Practical Nurse certification, or National Licensed Practical Nurse (NCLEX-PN) certification represents industry acknowledgement of technical skill attainment of competencies in the Nursing (Associate Degree) R.N. program. To be eligible for articulation, the student must show evidence of their current Licensed Practical Nurse certification, or National Licensed Practical Nurse (NCLEX-PN) certification and it must have been issued within three (3) years prior to their enrollment in the program.

If space permits, Florida SouthWestern State College offers LPNs, meeting the application and agreement requirements, the option to accept an ASE1000 block of 11 credits. The ASE1000 block consists of Level I AS Degree Nursing Core Courses: NUR1020C, NUR1068C, and NUR2092.

Academic Policy and Progression Criteria

The academic standards in the Nursing program are very rigorous and require full-time commitment.

  • A grade of C or higher must be earned in General Education (16 credits) and Program Specific (14 credits) courses.
  • The ASN Program uses the following grading system: (90 - 100 = A, 80 - 89.99 = B, 77 - 79.99 = C, 60 - 76.99 = D, Below 60 = F).
  • A grade of "C" or better must be earned in each Nursing/NUR course (42 credits) in order to progress in the program.
  • A grade less than "C" in a Nursing/NUR course will require a reattempt.
  • A Nursing/NUR course may be repeated or reattempted only once. If a grade of "C" or better is not achieved when the course is repeated or reattempted, dismissal from the program will result.
  • If a grade of "C" or better is not achieved or Withdrawal/W grade occurs in two or more Nursing/NUR courses, dismissal from the program will result.
  • Dismissal from the Nursing Program will occur if a student is deemed unsafe or unprofessional in clinical practice/patient care.
  • The Academic Review Committee (ARC) will evaluate each student who is unsuccessful in a course or has an interruption in their program sequence. An alternate program plan will be developed by the committee in collaboration with the student.
  • Attendance and punctuality is mandatory for all classroom, laboratory, and clinical activities. The third and each subsequent classroom absence and/or partial absence will result in a 5-point deduction from the final course grade. Attendance (100%) is required for all laboratory and clinical activities.

Admission Requirements & Process

Application Deadlines

  • Fall Entrance (August): April 1st-May 15th
  • Spring Entrance (January): August 1st-September 15th

Process

  • After the application deadline, applicants will be scored on their GPA (see score sheet under Downloads and Links section) and their TEAS score. At the end of this step, applicants will be determined as Qualified and Selected, Qualified and Not Selected (applicant’s GPA score was not in the top 200), Not Qualified (applicant did not meet the minimum qualifications to apply).
  • The applicants selected for admission will be assigned based on the applicant’s overall score, their campus and schedule preferences, and space available. At the applicant's expense, a college-approved criminal background records check and drug testing must be completed. Note that applicants should consult Florida Board of Nursing if they have any criminal offenses, beyond minor traffic violations, which may limit clinical training placement and obtaining Registered Nurse (RN) licensure.
  • Successful applicants will be converted to ASN admitted students and will proceed to complete final steps prior to first day of class (below).

Prior to the first day of class, Students must have successfully completed the following:

  • Student Health Form
  • Immunizations
  • Screening for tuberculosis (TB)
  • Certification in American Heart Association Basic Life Support for Healthcare Providers (CPR and AED)
  • Proof of personal health insurance throughout enrollment in the program, naming the student and dates of coverage.

RN to BSN Nursing Career Ladder

Credits earned in the ASN program will count towards the related baccalaureate Nursing degree completion (RN to BSN) program under the provisions of Florida Rule 6A-10.024. This creates a career ladder so that students can proceed toward their educational objectives as rapidly as their circumstances permit. Please note that ASN graduates will be required to complete all General Education, Program Specific Courses, Foreign Language competence, and earn the Florida Registered Nursing RN credential before admission to the RN to BSN program at FSW. For more information, please refer to the RN to BSN Academic Program Page.

Program Contact Information

Prospective applicants interested in learning more about our ASN program, application requirements, and admission process, should register for a virtual information session. For additional questions, please email: nursing@fsw.edu