Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN)
3390 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 1400
Atlanta, GA 30326
404.975.5000 www.acenursing.org
CONTACT LCC
Shealynn McCracken
CTE and Nursing Instructional Coordinator
Phone: 719.336.1594 nursing@lamarcc.edu
Nursing
Nursing Program
If you have a passion for helping others and a desire to make a difference, you might want to consider pursuing a career in Nursing by attending Lamar Community College.
Healthcare is one of the fastest-growing industries in the United States. With nurses making up the majority of the industry, the demand for skilled Registered Nurses (RNs) is greater than ever. RNs provide and coordinate patient care, educate patients and the public about various health conditions, and provide guidance and support to patients and their family members.
As an RN, you will be making a difference in the lives of others, all while enjoying some of the highest starting salaries along with a wide range of employment locations and work schedules. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in May of 2018 the median pay for RNs was $71,730 per year (equivalent to approximately $34.49 per hour).
LCC’s program is nationally accredited through the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN). The program offers a five semester Associate of Applied Science in Nursing degree (A.D.N.) which will prepare you for practice as an RN. With successful completion of program requirements, you will be eligible to apply to test for RN licensure through the NCLEX-RN exam. Students also have the option to test for a Practical Nursing license at the end of the first year of the Nursing Program to become a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN).
Please note: The PN Exit option is not ACEN accredited. However, it is approved by the Colorado State Board of Nursing and LCC graduates are eligible to take Practical Nursing Boards (NCLEX-PN).
LCC’s Nursing Program is nationally accredited and affords graduates the ability to sit for the State Board Exam for RN licensure.
Over the course of five semesters of full-time coursework, students move through a sequence of courses progressing from basic to complex. Theory classes are provided on campus as well as a significant number of lab hours in which students practice and perfect new skills for their new profession. Students are provided a large number of clinical experiences from local nursing homes and hospitals to acute care experiences at a distance in adult health, obstetrics, pediatrics and psychiatric nursing. In addition, students are also given the chance to learn more hands on clinical experience with three fidelity human patient simulators that are provided right on LCC campus.
The program is offered in a full-time format on the LCC campus, beginning in August and ending in May. This Associate Degree program is comprised of two levels. After successful completion of Level I, students have the option to sit for the PN licensure exam (NCLEX-PN). Level II is the second year of the program.
Once students complete the program and become an RN, they are encouraged to continue their education to achieve a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing (BSN) and even a Master’s of Science in Nursing (MSN).
By the end of the program students will be able to:
Provide safe, quality evidence-based patient-centered nursing care in a variety of healthcare settings to diverse patient populations
Engage in critical thinking and clinical reasoning to make patient-centered care decisions
Implement quality measures to improve patient care
Participate in collaborative relationships with members of the interdisciplinary team, the patient, and the patient’s support persons
Use information management principles, techniques, and systems, and patient care technology to communicate, manage knowledge, mitigate error, and support decision-making
Provide leadership in a variety of healthcare settings for diverse patient populations
Assimilate professional, legal, and ethical guidelines in practice as a professional nurse
Promote a culture of caring to provide holistic, compassionate, culturally-competent care
Licensed Practical Nurse Certificate
As an option to the two-year ladder registered nursing (R.N.) program, students may choose to obtain a Practical Nurse Certificate after successfully completing Level I.
Practical Nursing Gainful Employment Disclosure
Certified Nurse Aide & Emergency Medical Technician Certificates
Lamar Community College offers additional certificate options in the field of healthcare including Certified Nurse Aide (CNA) and Emergency Medical Technician (EMT). Learn more about these certificates by reviewing our Allied Health options.
Program Prerequisites
High school diploma or equivalent
Complete prerequisite coursework including: Human Anatomy & Physiology I & II (BIO 201 & BIO 202), English Composition I (ENG 121), Human Nutrition (HWE 100), Quantitative Literacy (MAT 050), and Human Growth and Development (PSY 235).
Acceptance into the Nursing Program is contingent upon attaining a minimum GPA of 2.5 or above on all prerequisite course work.
The Kaplan Admission Assessment Exam is also a pre-requirement before gaining admission to the nursing program.
Cost of Textbooks/Supplies
For tuition, fees, and additional high program costs, visit the LCC Catalog.
National NCLEX-RN Pass Rates for Associate Degree (Jan 1-Dec 31)
2020
100%
100%
82.80%
2019
78.6%
55%
85.17%
2018
75%
75%
85.11%
3 Year Aggregate
84.53%
76.67%
84.36%
Graduating Class
Employment Rate, 12 Months After Graduation (June 1-May 31)
2020
2019
69%
2018
79.4%
Graduating Class
Completion in 3 Years
Attrition Rate
2020
50%
50%
2019
66.7%
33.3%
2018
80%
20%
2017
79.3%
20.7%
4 Year Aggregate
69.2%
30.8%
University of Colorado at Colorado Springs (UCCS)
Currently the LCC Nursing Department has an articulation agreement with UCCS. The two colleges also have a Dual Enrollment agreement that allows nursing students who complete the first year of the program to begin BSN coursework prior to entering the second year of the nursing program. This allows the student a seamless transition from finishing their Associate Degree of Nursing to completing their Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing.
University of Phoenix
The LCC Nursing Department has an articulation agreement with the University of Phoenix.
As a nursing student if you are interested in discussing either of these above articulation agreements please feel free to contact any of the Nursing Department faculty.
Kathy Henderson, RN, MSN, APRN Director of Nursing and Allied Health
phone: 719.336.1597
email: kathy.henderson@lamarcc.edu
I love nursing and all the opportunities it offers me to provide quality caring and patient education to individuals and groups. I especially love teaching and mentoring nursing students as they journey from novice to expert. It is very rewarding to me to see many of “my” students working in local health care facilities, making a difference in the lives of others.
I have 25+ years of professional nursing practice experience and have been a full time nursing faculty member at LCC since 1995 and became the Program Director in 2013. I graduated in December 2008 with a Master’s of Science in Nursing as an Adult Nurse Practitioner. I really like working with adults of all ages and especially with our geriatric population. I am excited about utilizing the knowledge I gained in my graduate education to help positively change the lives of individuals in southeast Colorado.
Learning is one of the most empowering and important human experiences.The ability and desire to learn are the key attributes that allow us to gainknowledge, wisdom and personal growth. The opportunity to impart knowledge through teaching is one of the most important responsibilities we have as faculty members. I believe that excellence in teaching originates from an insatiable desire to learn, and a constant pursuit to maximize one’s ability to communicate information to others.
In my educational pursuits I have utilized the ladder model in acquiring my nursing education. I received both a PN and ADN from Otero Junior College in 1992. I then completed a BSN from the University of New Mexico and most recently completed a Master’s in Nursing with an emphasis on Education from Walden University.
I joined the LCC nursing faculty team in 2004. This has enabled me to promote the nursing profession through the training and development of future nurses. I believe that aspiring to be a great teacher is one of the most noble of goals; in it is the power to impart knowledge, to influence thinking and to ultimately create positive change in the world.
I look forward to meeting and working with each and every one of you.
I’m Jordan Mallard, I graduated from McClave high school and attended nursing school here at Lamar Community College! I then graduated from University of Colorado at Colorado Springs with my BSN and I am currently working on my MSN with an emphasis in nursing education. I have been a practicing nurse for almost seven years, my experience includes correctional nursing, home health, long-term care, medical surgical and labor and delivery. Labor and delivery and nursery is definitely my passion! I continue to work at Prowers Medical Center in New Beginnings Birth Center on a PRN basis. I live in Hasty with my husband, three kids and one dog. We like to go out on the lake during the summer and fish. I am excited to be back at Lamar Community College teaching, running our on-campus clinical simulation and working with the current faculty! Go Lopes!
Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Alert Level: Prevention and Mitigation
LCC is operational and implementing its "Safe Return to Campus - Spring 2021 Plan" beginning January 4. Please read full details on our COVID-19 Response page.
Mary Ann Turner, RN, MSN, NE