Frequently Asked Questions

This nursing education program is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing.

Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN)
3343 Peachtree Road, Suite 850
Atlanta, GA 30326
404-975-5000
www.acenursing.org

1. Must have one unit of the following high school courses (or college equivalent) with a grade of “C” or higher by the end of Fall 2025:
   • Algebra I (or MDE 10) or placement into college-level math
   • Biology/lab (Bio 101 or Nas 2)
   • Chemistry/lab (Chm 5)
2. The following college level prerequisites must also be completed (“C” or better) by the end of Fall 2025. Note: BIO 141 and BIO 142 must be less than 5 years old from the beginning of the program.
   • BIO 141 (or equivalent) – Human Anatomy & Physiology I
   • ENG 111 – College Composition I
   • PSY 230 – Developmental Psychology
   • SDV 101 (2 credits) – Orientation to Health Professions (Please note: Upon receipt of your final official LPN transcript, showing completion of the program, we can award Credit for Prior Learning — two credits for completion of the LPN program and LPN license.)
   • BIO 142 (or equivalent) – Human Anatomy & Physiology II must be completed by second week of May in Spring 2026. Official transcript, showing spring grade must be at the HPAAO office by May 24 to maintain your class position in the cohort, if accepted. Note: we can access coursework from other Virginia Community Colleges and an official transcript is not necessary. Please plan to notify us when the grade is posted on SIS for confirmation of passing the prerequisite in spring.
3. Cumulative grade point average (GPA) must be > 2.0 at the end of Fall 2025 semester to be eligible for the 2026 program (based on the most recent school with a GPA calculated on at least 12 college credit hours within a one year timeframe).
4. Pre-requisite GPA must be > 2.5 at the end of the Fall 2025 semester (GPA of your grades for: BIO 141, BIO 142, ENG 111, PSY 230, and SDV 101).
5. Attendance at a mandatory informational session is required between September 1 and November 1, 2024.
6. A nursing entrance examination (KAPLAN) will be required in November/December for all applicants being considered for the transition program. The KAPLAN RN entrance test covers the following topic areas: Math, Science, Reading, Writing, and includes an evaluation of Critical Thinking. Scores in all categories of the KAPLAN are preferred to be above the 45th percentile. Any applicant who has a score below 45% will not receive any points in that area for the admission rubric. In addition, the composite on the Kaplan must be 45% or higher for consideration for a class position.

Please be advised that meeting the above minimum requirements does not guarantee admission.

Please complete this form and return to HPAAO. (PDF)

Admission to the nursing program at VWCC has been very competitive. LPN transition applicants should be aware that meeting the curriculum admission standards does not guarantee program admission. In the event the number of qualified applicants exceeds the space available for transition students, applicants will be considered based on the scores of the nursing entrance test (Kaplan) and GPA.

2024-2025 Kaplan Prep Guide (PDF)

The nursing program can have a maximum of 140 total students in the program (includes both First level & Second level students). Therefore, for the LPN to AAS Nursing, we can typically accept between 10-18 students for each cohort, depending upon the total number of nursing students.

Admission decisions are made by a Nursing Admissions Committee. Admission decisions are scanned to student email to the applicants as soon as possible, usually by late January. Please note that fall grades need to be posted to determine the prerequisite average prior to the Nursing Admission Committee meeting. Therefore, the committee cannot meet prior to mid-January to select the incoming class based on prerequisite GPA and Kaplan scores.

Virginia Western Community College faculty and students must comply with the policies required by clinical facilities with which we have legal agreements. If a student refuses to comply with a clinical facility immunization and vaccination requirement, Virginia Western Community College will attempt, but cannot guarantee, to assign a student to an alternative clinical facility. A student will be placed in an alternative location only if it meets the educational objectives of Virginia Western Community College and program requirements for clinical placement. Faculty also must be available to appropriately supervise students at the clinical facility. Refusal to comply with a clinical facility immunization and vaccination requirement by a student in our health programs may impede your progress in the program or your ability to remain in the program.

It is the student’s responsibility to “clear” their urine drug screen. A drug screen that has “positive” findings will not allow a student to obtain clinical placement and will result in removal from the program.  Marijuana may be legalized under state law for clinical partners associated with the nursing program. The presence of marijuana metabolites in urine will result in a “positive” drug screen finding that prevents a student from obtaining clinical placement and resulting in removal from the program.

There is not a waiting list. All applicants who meet the deadline (October 1) and are minimally qualified are considered for the program. The core NSG courses are 10-13 credits per semester, and you will need to be able to take any support course work you still need to fulfill general requirements (if not completed prior to). Lectures and assigned skills labs are held during daytime hours only. You should expect clinical experiences to be some 6 hours (day) and a majority to be 12 hours (day/evening and some weekend). The NUR courses must be completed in sequence (summer, fall and spring). Trying to work while in the program is discouraged due to the intensity of the program.

If you are interested in taking classes to prepare for future entry into the program but you are unsure when you will be eligible, please submit the 2026 Nursing application form with the appropriate transcripts. This will allow us to help you plan and suggest proper courses to begin your studies. An advisor will also evaluate your transcripts for transfer credit and can discuss your placement test results. Please attach a note to the 2026 application, that you are planning on applying for a future year.

The time an individual may work on transition prerequisite requirements varies by student. Applicants have different academic backgrounds (someone may need all the prerequisites or others may have all prereqs satisfied). Once accepted into NSG 115 (only begins in the summer), the transition course sequence takes 1 calendar year (summer, fall, spring), if successful. The nursing content will include lecture, nursing skills lab, simulation labs, clinical experiences and required orientations to clinical facilities.

You should expect the clinical assignments to take place primarily weekdays (can be 8 or 12-hr.). However, there can be special one-time assignments for a Saturday or a night shift.

We have a team of advisors for Health Professions. Ms. Pam Woody or Ms. Jasmine Terry will be one of the advisors that will process your academic file and evaluate previously completed coursework after a review of your official transcripts. Ms. Julie Ainsley is the pre-nursing advisor who can be reached at jainsley@virginiawestern.edu.

New students should begin with a New Student Advisor located in Chapman Hall.

Submission of all academic materials including application and official transcripts from High School and all colleges attempted should be directed to: Attention: Pam Woody; VWCC; School of Health Professions; 3091 Colonial Avenue; Roanoke VA 24015. The process letter verifying your GPA, prerequisites and evaluation of college course work to determine what can be utilized in the nursing program, will be completed by Pam Woody or Ms. Jasmine Terry. Julie Ainsley can assist with career planning and course selections and may be able to assist with preliminary information. For information on the application process, you may follow the checklist for application (PDF) or contact Ms. Yolanda Brown at ybrown@virginiawestern.edu. You may also utilize the team of advisors at healthprofessions@virginiawestern.edu.

The CSC: Introduction to Nursing consist of specific coursework that is designed to allow applicants to the Nursing program to complete some of the courses required within the AAS and to also offer a job skill option to applicants in case of non-admittance to the program. Not all prerequisite and support classes are included in the CSC.  The BIO 142 and BIO 150 and PHI 220 are not all included in the CSC and the Nursing Elective of ENG 112, or HLT 230 or SOC 200 is not offered in the CSC. If you are using FA to cover the cost of classes, FA will not cover the cost of all three BIO 142/BIO 150 and PHI 220.It will cover one of the courses, if FA eligible. Nor will FA cover the cost of the NSG elective since it is not included in the CSC. If you wish to complete these courses prior to entry, you need to plan to pay for those courses out of pocket.  If you are accepted into the AAS Nursing program, at that time, FA will then cover those courses.  The plan change for accepted students, to be placed into the AAS program from the CSC, typically occurs in late Spring for the accepted students, and will be effective for summer or fall semester. If you are a VWCC LPN graduate, the PHI 220 is part of the Practical Nursing program and you will need to plan to pay out of pocket for the required BIO 142 course for LPN to RN since that course will not be covered via Financial Aid since the PHI 220 course requirement is already fulfilled.

It allows applicants who may not be accepted into the AAS Registered Nursing program, to academically prepare students to take the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) certification exam, if the EMS 111/120/HLT 105 course sequence is completed.  Also, if you have a healthcare licensure/certification (such as CCMA, CNA, Phlebotomist, etc,) if you submit a copy of your current license to the Health Professions Advising and Applications Office, we can complete paperwork on your behalf to determine if  Credit for Prior Learning can be awarded for one of the options under the job skill portion of the CSC: Introduction to Nursing. Please note that we cannot use the LPN license as we will be using that license, that must be kept current until graduate from the RN program, to use for Credit for Prior Learning for the first and second level of the RN program, if accepted.

Applicants for admission to the Nursing program are considered for class positions based on their ability to meet the program admission standards, without regard to race, color, sex, age, religion, disability, national origin, or other non-merit factors.

You must successfully complete an approved nursing education program and pass a licensure exam (NCLEX-RN), which is administered by the National Council of the State Board of Nursing. You must apply to the regulatory board of the state in which you plan to practice. The general requirements include personal, character, and criminal background information. Application for the licensure examination will be provided toward the end of the fourth semester in nursing.

The AAS Nursing program is a pre-licensure nursing program that prepares graduates to apply for licensure as registered nurses (RN) through the Virginia Board of Nursing (VBON). 

Successful completion of the AAS Nursing program does not guarantee licensure or eligibility to practice nursing.  All successful graduates are subject to application of licensure rules and fees as set forth by the Virginia Board of Nursing including a background check, finger printing, and meeting the passing standard of the NCLEX-RN examination.  Only the Virginia Board of Nursing determines RN licensure.

Helpful resources:

• Virginia Board of Nursing: https://www.dhp.virginia.gov/media/dhpweb/docs/nursing/reports/ChoosingEducationPrograms.pdf
• National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN): https://www.ncsbn.org/publications/2023-nclex-candidate-bulletin