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The Nursing Program was established at OCC in 1966 and has been noted for its excellence in nursing education and student learning. There are eleven full-time faculty, two full-time lab staff as well as part-time clinical instructors.
The Nursing Program has different opportunities to obtain an Associate Degree (AAS) in Nursing leading to the RN:
- The Traditional Nursing Program admits 90 students for the Fall and 90 for the Spring semesters. Students may choose day or evening lectures which are held two days per week. Clinicals, which are assigned by the nursing office, are usually 1 day per week 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (can be subject to change). There are no evening or weekend clinicals. To meet clinical objectives, clinical experiences can be spread throughout southern NJ (*see information below about clinicals). Students time must be flexible to allow for practicums and testing. Although it is not a requirement, it is recommended that students do not work full time. Students must show Ocean County residency.
- The On-Site Online Nursing Program is a unique full-time selective program that is designed for students who attend class face-to-face one day or more per week with the balance delivered online. Great for those who are working (part time is recommended) or have significant family responsibilities, however, the program is rigorous and requires discipline on the part of the student to study on the subsequent days. Healthcare experience is a requirement. Students are admitted to the Fall semester only and are selected by a committee. (*see information below regarding clinicals). Students who previously applied but were not accepted must re-apply every semester. You do not have to be an Ocean County resident.
- The Career Mobility Nursing Program is an alternative program for qualified, practicing LPN’s (must show Ocean County residency). This is a selective program that will admit qualified candidates to Nursing 2 (usually on site on line in the Spring semester.) after testing out of Nursing 1 is achieved. All nursing general education requirements and a passing TEAS score must be completed before applying for Career Mobility (see admissions to nursing page and open link for list). This includes students with a previous degree. Please contact the School of Nursing and Health Sciences if you have any questions at Ext. 2224.
AAS/RN Program
The Traditional Nursing Program admits 90 students for the Fall and 90 for the Spring semesters. Students may choose day or evening lectures which are held two days per week. Clinicals, which are assigned by the nursing office, are usually 1 day per week 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (can be subject to change). There are no evening or weekend clinicals. To meet clinical objectives, clinical experiences can be spread throughout the state of NJ (*see information below about clinicals). Students time must be flexible to allow for practicums and testing. Although it is not a requirement, it is recommended that students do not work full time.
The Ocean County College Nursing Program utilizes local healthcare facilities in order to deliver the clinical component of training. We are guests in those facilities and must adhere to the rules they provide to us, including requirements regarding student medical clearance. These requirements are typically the same as what they require of their own employees who have hands-on contact with patients. Currently, that includes:
- Physical exam
- Tdap (Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis) within the last 10 years
- QuantiFeron
- CBC (complete blood count)
- Urinalysis
- Annual Flu vaccine
- Covid-19 vaccination date. [*At this time, the clinical facilities are not requiring a covid vaccine. Should this change, students will need to receive the vaccine as mandated by the facilities.]
- MMR (German measles, Measles, Mumps) screening
- Varicella (chickenpox) screening
- Hep B surface antibodies screening
- Mask Clearance
- Annual negative 10 panel drug screening
- A clean criminal background check every three years
It is important to note that if the clinical facilities opt to change these requirements, we will be obligated to comply. The college does not have the discretion to exempt a student from a hospital-imposed health requirement, nor can we ‘grandfather in’ anyone who began the program prior to a change.