Nursing Eligibility Requirements

An admission rubric may be applied to applicants based upon eligibility criteria, previous education, and TEAS score.

Meeting the criteria does not guarantee admission into the nursing program. A greater score on the admission rubric improves the applicant’s chances of being selected. Violations of the Academic Integrity or Student Conduct policies in JCC’s Constitution of the Student Body, or any violations of equivalent policies at other postsecondary institutions, shall also be considered as a factor in the admissions decision.

Prior to entrance into NUR 1510, students are required to present evidence of completion of a course in Basic Life Support (BLS) that includes infant, child, and adult CPR and Automated External Defibrillator (AED). The acceptable courses are: BLS for the Health Care Provider (American Heart Association) or CPR/AED for the Professional Rescuer (American Red Cross). Students are strongly encouraged to take BLS during the summer prior to entering the nursing program. By taking BLS during the summer, the student will be compliant with the CPR requirement throughout the two-year nursing program. Courses may be available through the nursing program, JCC, and/or in the community.

The State University of New York no longer requires a COVID-19 vaccine for students attending Jamestown Community College, effective as of summer 2023, which coincides with the official end of the national public health emergency by President Biden’s administration. However, nursing students participate in clinical site placements held at third-party locations and must comply with all required health and safety guidelines, including any vaccination or testing protocols, that are in place at their clinical site placements. Changes in local conditions or requirements by the federal, state, local, or third-party site agencies may result in changes to student vaccination policies.

• For more information, visit sunyjcc.edu/covid19.

All health care agencies in Pennsylvania require criminal background checks on nursing students before beginning a clinical placement. All JCC nursing students will be assigned to clinical experiences in PA during some semester(s). Therefore, nursing students are required, at their own expense, to complete the required child abuse background check and a state or federal background check before beginning clinical placement. Inability to obtain a satisfactory clearance will prevent a student from being assigned to clinical experiences in PA, and as a result, the student will not be able to complete the clinical objectives for the course and will not be allowed to continue in the nursing program. (The college will not move a student from an agency that denies background clearance to another.) A criminal record may also jeopardize a graduate’s ability to obtain registered nurse licensure.

• Lab fees: $250 per semester (NUR 1510, NUR 1520, NUR 2510, and NUR 2520).
• Physical information: To certify the health of students working with patients or clients in health care facilities, JCC, by law, must notify the health care agencies of the status of the students. Therefore, a physical examination to determine the student’s health is required prior to registration and enrollment in any nursing course requiring a clinical component. JCC will provide the forms and information regarding the physical examination following the student’s written acceptance to the nursing program. The fees for these services will be added to the semester tuition bill.
• Drug screen: It is a contractual requirement between the college and some healthcare agencies that prior to    beginning their clinical experiences at the healthcare agency; students must complete a 10 panel urine drug screen evaluation and receive clinical clearance to practice. Therefore, the college must require all Jamestown Campus freshman nursing students to complete a 10 panel drug screen evaluation and receive clearance prior to any clinical experience. The Campus Health Center performs the drug screen. Students who do not receive drug screen clearance from the initial 10 panel screen evaluation will be required to undergo a second drug screen at a higher additional cost.  Subsequently, if a student does not receive drug screen clearance from the second screening, the student will not be allowed to participate in any clinical experiences. Students who are not able to complete their clinical experiences will not be permitted to continue in the nursing program.
• Hepatitis B vaccine: The vaccine provides active immunity against Hepatitis B. It is strongly recommended by JCC and health care agencies that all students receive this immunization.
• Criminal background check and clearance
• Transportation: A variety of area agencies are used to provide clinical experiences for the nursing student. Among these agencies are private and public acute care hospitals, psychiatric facilities, long-term care facilities, rehabilitation centers, public schools, health care clinics, and home care agencies. Transportation and all the expenses associated with the agency experience are the responsibility of the student. Clinical agency placements are limited and in high demand by a variety of health care programs. Clinical agency assignments for JCC’s nursing program may be located in the following areas but are not limited to: Jamestown, Dunkirk, and Olean, NY and Bradford, Erie, and Warren, PA. Although students will have an opportunity to express their preferences for clinical site locations, the time and location of the clinical agency experience is at the discretion of the faculty. It is also a faculty policy to insure that students have well-rounded clinical experiences in a variety of clinical agencies. Therefore, students must attend more than one agency for their primary rotation during their four semesters of the program.
• Uniforms: Each student is expected to have a uniform for selected clinical experiences beginning with NUR 1510. Uniforms will be ordered during the first week of the fall semester. Other expenses associated with the uniform include a name embroidered & patch sewn on, white shoes, wrist watch (with second hand or timer), scissors, blood pressure cuff, and stethoscope.
• License and first registration fees: Fees for the licensure examination and first registration, which occur after the final semester of the program, are approximately $425 for New York state and $390 for Pennsylvania. Fees charged by other states will vary with the state.