Nursing (AS)

Mission

The mission of the Florida Southwestern nursing programs is to provide quality, affordable, nursing education programs within Southwest Florida communities.

Vision

Florida Southwestern State College nursing programs will be recognized as beacons of excellence in nursing education, valued for knowledge, skills, and professionalism of graduates practicing within healthcare communities.

Florida SouthWestern State College offers an Associate Degree in Nursing and a Completion Certificate in a Nurse Refresher Continuing Education course leading to professional licensure. Nursing requires both a degree and the successful completion of additional criteria such as licensure exams, field placements, or clinical hours. If your future plans include achieving licensure or certification, you should know the requirements vary by state.

Graduates of the Associate in Science in Nursing (ASN) Program are prepared to become licensed as an entry level Registered Nurse (RN).

The nursing curriculum incorporates classroom instruction, laboratory, simulation education, and clinical practice in the care of diverse populations. Local health facilities are utilized for clinical practice, including community agencies, acute care institutions, long-term and ambulatory care facilities. Graduates of the program possess knowledge, values, skills, and compassion: all are essential for professional nursing practice in a dynamic and rapidly changing health care environment.

The ASN program is offered on the Charlotte, Collier, and Lee campuses. There are two schedule options available for each campus. The day schedule is offered primarily during daytime hours, Monday – Friday. The evening and weekend schedule is offered primarily evening hours Monday – Friday and weekends. Both schedules consist of classroom instruction, laboratory, simulation education, and clinical practice through multiple modalities including online and in person instruction. Students enrolled in the evening and weekend schedule, will have a Blended-On Campus modality for their didactic courses. In this blended course your professor will mix required on campus class meetings with online coursework. All exams will be held in person on campus. The synchronous online portion of the course may be live in a virtual Zoom classroom. All required class meeting dates and times will be posted in the course schedule for you to plan for. Both schedules will require the student to fully commit to the academic schedule put forth by the nursing department. Occasionally, students from either schedule may be assigned to complete clinical hours during day, evening, or weekend hours. Applicants are able to rank their campus and schedule preferences and once accepted, will remain with that assignment for the duration of the program.

For the Associate Degree in Nursing program, completion of program requirements makes you eligible to apply to take the National Counsel Licensure Examination (NCLEX) RN in Florida or one of the other 27 nursing compact states if you are wanting to apply for a multi-state license under the enhanced Nurse Licensure Compact (eNLC). A list of current compact states can be located on the National Council of State Boards of Nursing website. If you are a student who resides outside of Florida or one of the compact states, Florida SouthWestern State College cannot confirm whether this degree program meets educational requirements for professional licensure in your state. Since the ASN program at Florida SouthWestern State College is nationally accredited, the curriculum should meet the requirements of other states; however, some states have requirements in addition to the program’s curriculum. If you wish to take the NCLEX exam in a non-compact state, please contact the board of nursing in that state to determine whether this degree or certificate program will meet their licensure requirements.

Current occupational employment and wage data for Registered Nurses are published by the United States Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Accreditation

The Associate and Baccalaureate of Science degree nursing programs at Florida SouthWestern State College at the Charlotte, Collier, and Lee campuses located in Punta Gorda, Naples, and Fort Myers, Florida are accredited by the:

Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) 3390 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 1400 Atlanta, GA 30326 (404) 975-5000 https://www.acenursing.org/

*The most recent accreditation decision made by the ACEN Board of Commissioners for the Associate of Science in Nursing program is Continuing Accreditation.

End of Program Student Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of the ASN Program, the graduate will be able to:

  1. Interprofessional collaboration: Build effective nursing and interprofessional collaborative relationships through open communication, mutual respect, and shared decision-making to achieve quality care outcomes.
  2. Information Literacy and healthcare technology: Demonstrate effective use of information and healthcare technology to deliver high-quality nursing care.
  3. Social Determinants of Health: Provide compassionate, respectful nursing care that embraces differing beliefs, practices, and lifestyles to meet the needs of healthcare recipients.
  4. Professional identity: Demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and attitudes of the professional nurse while upholding the legal, ethical, and regulatory standards of nursing practice.
  5. Contemporary evidence-based practice: Integrate contemporary evidence-based practice to provide safe quality nursing care.

Student Achievement Outcome Data

Student achievement outcome data (PDF) provides evidence to demonstrate the extent to which FSW Nursing graduates are adequately prepared. This information is updated annually and made publicly accessible.

Degree Requirements and Program Length

The ASN degree consists of 72 credit hours. These hours include General Education (16 credits), Program Specific Courses (14 credits), and Nursing Core Courses (42 credits). The Nursing Core Courses will be completed after acceptance into the ASN program over four fall/spring semesters.

Prior to graduation of the Nursing Program, students must complete all General Education and Program Specific Courses outlined in the program of study.

The Traditional and Evening/Weekend schedules for the AS Nursing Program will both require discipline and commitment. Nursing education is rigorous and must be top priority from first semester through graduation to be successful on the NCLEX-RN licensing exam and to become a professional Nurse.

LPN Florida Department of Education Gold Standard and Statewide Articulation Agreements

This Gold Standard Career Pathways Statewide Articulation Agreement guarantees the minimum award of course credits or a block of credit toward the above AAS/AS program is 11 hours of credit. This agreement does not preclude the awarding of additional credits by any college through local agreements. The Licensed Practical Nurse certification, or National Licensed Practical Nurse (NCLEX-PN) certification represents industry acknowledgement of technical skill attainment of competencies in the Nursing (Associate Degree) R.N. program. To be eligible for articulation, the student must show evidence of their current Licensed Practical Nurse certification, or National Licensed Practical Nurse (NCLEX-PN) certification and it must have been issued within three (3) years prior to their enrollment in the program.

If space permits, Florida SouthWestern State College offers LPNs, meeting the application and agreement requirements, the option to accept an ASE1000 block of 11 credits. The ASE1000 block consists of Level I AS Degree Nursing Core Courses: NUR1020C, NUR1068C, and NUR2092.

Academic Standards and Progression Policies

  1. Academic standards in the ASN Program are very rigorous and require full-time commitment.
  2. Admission to the program and completion of the curriculum does not guarantee the award of RN licensure by the Board of Nursing.
  3. A grade of C or higher must be earned in General Education (16 credits) and program specific (14 credits) courses.
  4. Attendance and punctuality are mandatory for all classes. The third and each subsequent classroom absence and/or partial absence will result in a 5-point deduction from the final course grade.
  5. Attendance (100%) is required for all laboratory, simulation, and clinical activities.
  6. A clinical failure may result if more than two clinicals are missed.
  7. A minimum percent score of 77% on exams must be earned in each Nursing/NUR course in order to progress in the program. A score of less than 77% earned in a Nursing/NUR course, according to the syllabus grading requirement, will result in a course failure.
  8. All assignments, including clinical requirements, must be completed and turned in prior to the administration of the final examination.
  9. If a minimum percent score of 77% is not achieved in two (2) or more Nursing/NUR courses, dismissal from the program may result.
  10. Prior to withdrawal from a course, the student must meet with an advisor to discuss financial aid and academic progression.
  11. Students who must repeat a course are responsible for any new/additional charges such as curricular changes, student fees, or other associated program fees.
  12. Dismissal from the nursing program will occur if a student is deemed unsafe or unprofessional in clinical practice/patient care.

Admission Requirements & Process

Application Cycles

  • Fall Semester (August): September 16th through May 15th
  • Spring Semester (January): May 16th through September 15th

Process

After the application deadline, applicants are evaluated based on the application requirements (see PDF under Application Requirements).

  • Acceptance to the program is based on the following:

    • Evaluation of application requirements
    • Clearance of a college-approved criminal background check and drug testing.Applicants will be notified when to complete this step, and it will be at their expense.
    • Campus and schedule preferences
    • Space availability

Prior to the first day of class, Students must have successfully completed the following:

  • Student Health Form
  • Immunizations
  • Screening for tuberculosis (TB)
  • Certification in American Heart Association Basic Life Support for Healthcare Providers (CPR and AED)
  • Proof of personal health insurance throughout enrollment in the program, naming the student and dates of coverage.

RN to BSN Nursing Career Ladder

Credits earned in the ASN program will count towards the related baccalaureate Nursing degree completion (RN to BSN) program under the provisions of Florida Rule 6A-10.024. This creates a career ladder so that students can proceed toward their educational objectives as rapidly as their circumstances permit. Please note that ASN graduates will be required to complete all General Education, Program Specific Courses, Foreign Language competence, and earn the Florida Registered Nursing RN credential before admission to the RN to BSN program at FSW. For more information, please refer to the RN to BSN Academic Program Page.

Program Contact Information

Prospective applicants interested in learning more about our ASN program, application requirements, and admission process, should register for a virtual information session. For additional questions, please email: nursing@fsw.edu