It’s no surprise that US News & World Report ranks Registered Nurse (RN) in the Top 10 Best Jobs in America. The median salary is over $60,000 a year and the US Bureau of Labor Statistics expects over a half million new RN jobs will be created by 2022. Job security, competitive salaries and career growth are attractive. But the real reason to become a nurse is because you care about people and want to help.
RNs are critical members of every healthcare facility. Monitoring vitals, administering medication, performing procedures, and communicating with physicians is a lot of responsibility, but the reward of helping a patient recover is priceless.
As an RN you can tailor your career path. Specialize in nursing specific health conditions such as diabetes or cancer. Focus on pediatrics or elder care or emergency room triage. No matter what path you choose you’ll make a difference as a vital member of any healthcare team.
RVCC’s highly respected nursing program is accredited by both the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, Inc. (ACEN) and The New Jersey Board of Nursing.
Graduates of the program have an opportunity to seamlessly continue their education and earn a Bachelor of Science degree from Kean University.
- The Registered Nursing Program
- The Practical Nurse-Bridge to RN Program
Registered Nurse Program
A rigorous 68-70 academic program that includes both non-nursing and nursing academic programs. Graduates of the program receive an Associate Degree in Applied Science in Nursing and qualify to take the RN-NCLEX exam for Registered Nursing Licensure. Applicants should recognize that the program requires a substantial commitment of time and energy; makes holding a full or part-time extremely difficult, and necessitates significant changes in lifestyle and household responsibilities.
PLEASE NOTE: Students interested in pursuing the nursing program will initially be enrolled into the AS in Health Science degree as pre-nursing students. Students must complete the prerequisites in order to become eligible to apply for selective admission for entrance into the nursing program. Pending review of the selective admission criteria with ranking of scores and acceptance into the nursing program, the major will be changed to the AAS in Nursing/RN degree upon official notification of acceptance into the clinical nursing program.
Admission to RVCC does NOT guarantee acceptance into the nursing program at RVCC. Generic RN students who live or work (full time/part time) in Somerset or Hunterdon county will be given priority placement in the clinical nursing program when clinical applications are reviewed. Any out of county applicants will be considered for remaining open seats only after all in county applicants have been admitted to the clinical nursing program.
Practical Nurse-Bridge to RN Program
A specialized program designed for currently licensed LPNs in the State of New Jersey who wish to continue their studies at the Associate Degree level and quality to take the NCLEX exam for Registered Nursing Licensure. The program builds upon the education and experience already gain the student’s LPN career. To qualify, you must have an overall GPA of 3.25 (85%) or higher from an accredited LPN program.
The program consists of nursing and non-nursing academic course. The program beings with Nursing Transitions (NURS130) a full-time day course offered during the Summer. It is followed by clinical nursing courses during the fall and spring semesters. As a student you may be placed in the day or evening program as space allows. The clinical courses must be taken in sequence. The non-nursing academic courses may be taken in any semester. Due to the difficulty of the clinical nursing courses, most students choose to complete the non-nursing academic courses required for the degree prior to the start of the clinical course sequence. Applicants should recognize that the program requires a substantial commitment of time and energy; makes holding a full or part-time extremely difficult, and necessitates significant changes in lifestyle and household responsibilities.
Qualified students who live or work in Somerset or Hunterdon counties will be given priority placement in the Practical Nurse-Bridge to RN Program. Acceptance to the College does not imply admission to the clinical RN program. The College does not admit transfer students from other nursing programs.
Additional Information
RVCC Nursing Program Licensure Statistics:
Published as per Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, Inc. (ACEN)/formerly NLNAC
Graduate licensure pass rate based on first time test takers
2019 - 95%
2018 - 91.25%
2017 - 82.80%
2016 - 75.27%
Student completion of the nursing program
Class of 2019 - 77.6%
Class of 2018 - 62.5%
Class of 2017 - 76.7%
Class of 2016 - 77.8%
Graduates obtaining a job
Class of 2019 - PENDING data Spring 2020
Class of 2018 - 97.8%
Class of 2017 - 86%
Class of 2016 - 91.4%