Students who have completed and returned the application and submitted official transcripts (GED scores, documentation of high school or college graduation), will be accepted into Durham Tech as "pre-nursing status." Students will not be accepted into the Nursing clinical courses until they have met all of the requirements listed below.

Please Note: The deadline date to be considered for the fall semester class is March 31 or the following business day. Students qualifying after this date will be added to "pre-nursing status" and may be offered a seat on a space-available basis.

Students will remain in “pre-nursing status” status until they are offered a space in the clinical nursing program.  Pre-nursing students are encouraged to complete all remaining non-clinical courses (BIO 271, ENG 112, and the humanities elective, the computer competency requirement and the NA I requirement) during this time. 

In order to qualify for admission to the Nursing clinical course sequence, students must complete all of the steps below.  Admission to the Associate Degree Nursing Program at Durham Technical College is non-competitive.  Students qualify for admission to the nursing course sequence once they have completed required general education and science courses with a GPA of 2.5 and have achieved a minimum of a 60 composite score on the Nurse Entrance Test (NET).

1. Complete and return an application for enrollment or fill out a form online.
2. Request that your official transcript from high school be sent to Durham Tech. If you have earned the GED, submit an official copy of your test scores (use the Durham Tech "Request for Transcript" form).
3. Request that official college transcripts be sent to Durham Tech if you desire an evaluation for transfer credit.
   
   Note: Applicants who submit an official transcript documenting completion of a 2-year or 4-year college degree will not be required to submit a high school transcript. However, the high school attended and the graduation date must be included on the application.
   
   
4. Attend a Durham Tech Orientation.
   
5. Attend a Nursing information session.
   
6. Take a placement test for reading, writing, pre-algebra, and algebra.  This is required of all applicants regardless of your prior degree or courses taken.
   
   If a student has taken the placement tests at Durham Tech or another institution successfully in the past, the student may be able to use these scores for the ADN Program.
   
   Students who have taken the COMPASS or ASSET Test (placement tests) at another institution can request to have their scores sent to Durham Tech along with their official transcript.  These scores are not sent as a part of the  official transcript unless the student specifically makes a request. 
   
   Developmental courses taken at another institution after Fall of 2007 may transfer to Durham Tech.  Previously taken developmental courses may be used for three years to qualify for the ADN  program.  Courses older than three years may be eligible if the student has been in continuous enrollment since completing the developmental course sequence. 
   
   Students who do not achieve the required score on one or more portions of the placement test must complete prescribed developmental courses in reading, English, and math with a grade of “B” or better, or “C” or better for elementary algebra.   It is advisable to review prior to taking the placements tests.  Information about the placement test and sample questions are available in the placement testing section.

7. Meet with your program advisor and complete a Comprehensive Education Plan. You will receive a letter with your advisor’s contact information and directions for how to schedule your advising appointment.
8. Register and complete ACA 122, College Success (if required) your first semester on campus.
9. Complete all required developmental courses.
10. Meet with your program advisor and complete the “Self-Assessment of English Skills” form. If U.S. English is not your first language, take the iBT version of the Test of English as a Foreign Language test (TOEFL) and obtain required scores. More information about the TOEFL requirement.
11. Complete biology & chemistry prerequisites (not required if you qualify for transfer credit for BIO 168). Register for CHM 130 and CHM 130A which meets the prerequisites for both Biology and Chemistry. This requirement may also be satisfied by any of the following ways:
• High school biology and chemistry courses (one high school unit each) taken within ten years by the time a student achieves the required scores on the placement test OR completes all required developmental courses.  Documented courses must be completed with a “C” (numerical value 77) or better grade;
• Pre-college level biology and chemistry courses taken at a community college (ex. BIO 092 and CHM 094 at Durham Tech) within ten years by the time a student achieves the required scores on the placement test OR completes all required developmental courses.  Documented courses must be completed with a “C” or better grade; or
• College-level biology and chemistry courses (ex. BIO 111 and CHM 131/131A at Durham Tech) with no time limit.  Documented courses must be completed with a “C” or better grade. 
12. Make an appointment with your advisor and complete Part 1 of the student checklist.
13. Take the NET test. There will be a cost to students for the test.
14. Schedule an appointment with your nursing advisor to review the results of the NET test and to develop a plan for completing remaining criteria.  Students must achieve a NET composite score of 60.
15. Take Non-Nursing Courses: 
    • BIO 168, 169
    • PSY 150
    • PSY 241
    • ENG 111
    Students must maintain a GPA of 2.5 in non-nursing science and general education courses.
16. Make an appointment with your advisor and complete Part 2 of the student checklist.

Once you have received the letter stating that you have qualified for admission into the clinical nursing course sequence, complete the following steps:

1. Complete remaining non-nursing courses:
   • BIO 271 (LPN to ADN students must complete this prior to NUR courses)
   • ENG 112
   • HUM elective
2. Take the Computer Skills Assessment test or complete CIS 110 or CIS 113.
3. Become listed on the North Carolina Nursing Assistant I Registry as a NA I “without substantiated findings of abuse or neglect” by June 15 of the year that you begin taking nursing clinical courses.   This listing must be current when the student enters the clinical nursing course sequence.
   
   The only exception to this requirement is a student who already possesses an LPN license.   Information of expiration dates of NA I licenses can be found at www.ncnar.org. 
   
   Students can accomplish this by taking a NA I class and successfully completing competency testing (oral and written components).  Information at NA I classes at Durham Tech can be found in the noncredit Nurse Aide Section.
   
   Information about the skills that students are required to perform and the steps required can also be found at www.ncnar.org.   Students who have experience in another health care occupation may wish to review these to determine if they possess the necessary skills to successfully complete the competency testing without taking the NA I class.
   

The Associate Degree Nursing program clinical courses begin in the fall semester of each year.  All seats in the fall class will be filled by the end of the previous spring semester or sooner.  Students who qualify for admission will be offered a seat in the nursing clinical course sequence in the order that they qualify. 

IMPORTANT: It is essential that students notify the Nursing Admissions Counselor of all name, address, and telephone changes. The Admissions Office is not responsible for notices that fail to reach students.

• Students are required to submit documentation of current CPR certification for Health Care Provider/Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) prior to registering for clinical nursing courses. Information about CPR certification courses is available from the American Red Cross, the American Heart Association, the YMCA, and many area hospitals.
• Students are required to submit documentation of health insurance (hospitalization) prior to beginning clinical courses.
• Students must complete a criminal background check for the clinical facilities, and must be found to be acceptable by the clinical facilities to participate in clinical training.  (See the Statement of Policy Regarding Acceptance for Clinical Training form for additional information).
  

Transfer students applying for admission are required to meet the admissions requirements of Durham Tech and the progression requirements of the ADN program.  Credit will not be awarded for clinical nursing courses older than five years.  The Nursing Admissions Counselor and the ADN Program Director will review the applications of students with prior nursing credit on an individual basis to determine appropriate placement in the ADN program.  This review may include validation of both theory and clinical competencies.  A minimum of 25 percent of your credit hours must be completed at Durham Tech in order to graduate.

The Nursing Admissions Counselor officially awards course transfer credit when students are accepted into the college.  There is no time limit for transfer credit for the non-nursing courses on the ADN plan of study.  A grade of “C” or better is required for transfer credit to be awarded; a “B” (80% or above) is required in NUR prefix courses. 

The Licensed Practical Nurse seeking admission to the ADN program can be admitted with advanced standing into the LPN to ADN scheduling tract (transition) if she or he has a valid license to practice Practical Nursing in North Carolina. LPNs applying for transition should select “LPN to ADN”  as their program choice on the enrollment application.  This program is offered on an evening schedule in even numbered years. 

To be accepted into the transition program, the applicant must:

1. Complete all admissions requirements.
2. Submit a transcript documenting graduation from a Practical Nursing program and verify current licensure status with the Nursing Admissions Counselor. NOTE: Conditional admission to the transition course (NUR 214 — Nursing Transition) may be given to a student who has completed an accredited Practical Nursing program but has not yet taken the licensing exam (NCLEX-PN).  The student must be licensed prior to the first day of class for NUR 214 in order to be admitted to the ADN program.
   
   

Students who are interested in pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree at a four-year institution after completion of the ADN program at Durham Tech should see the Nursing Admissions Counselor to discuss college transfer options.  ADN courses are transferable to UNC Chapel Hill, NC Central University, and other schools in the UNC system.

The ADN program is a candidate for accreditation by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC).