The program consists of 66 credits, with a balance between nursing and general education courses. Graduates of LaGuardia’s RN program will possess the ability to:

• Communicate effectively
• Provide direct nursing care to clients of all ages who exhibit common, well-defined health problems;
• Teach clients
• Manage client care
• Practice within the legal and ethical framework of the profession

There are approximately seventy-five different specialties in nursing. Nurses practice in hospitals, ambulatory care facilities, clients’ homes, schools, long-term care facilities, and industry and community agencies. They are engaged in direct client care, administration, education, and/or research. Nurses in advanced practice are prepared to assume greater autonomy in areas such as primary care, clinical specialties, anesthesia and midwifery.

The Nursing program co-hosts an  annual research conference each spring with Nurses Association of the Counties of Long Island (NACLI).

Pre-Clinical and Clinical Phases

The Nursing program is divided into two distinct phases:

• A: Pre-clinical - consisting of all required general education courses, including the key courses
• B: Clinical - consisting of all nursing courses with SCR pre-fix, complemented by campus laboratory experience and clinical practice in area health care facilities

New and transfer students intending to pursue the Nursing program are considered pre-clinical students (undeclared health major, 470 / UNDNRS-AAS). Progression to the clinical phase, known as applying for candidacy, is competitive and is not guaranteed.

Pre-Clinical students must file for Nursing candidacy, complete four key courses with a minimum GPA of 2.75. A minimum score of 58.7% will be required on each of the four (4) sections of the TEAS exam (English, Reading, Science and Math), with an overall score of at least a 58.7% before applying for RN candidacy. Achieving the minimum requirements does not guarantee that a student will be selected for the Clinical phase. Pre-Clinical students that meet the minimum requirements are ranked by the Registrar’s Office; the number of students accepted into the Clinical phase varies each semester based on the number of seats available. See additional information.

Additional information regarding the scoring system and progression to the Clinical phase can be found in the Handbook. Pre-Clinical students may only apply for candidacy twice. The Clinical phase is a two and a half year program, based on full-time, day attendance.

In support of the LaGuardia’s mission to educate and graduate its students to become critical thinkers and socially responsible citizens, the College has undertaken a team approach toward advising, designed to support you in your major from orientation through graduation.

Your Advising Team is made up of faculty, professional and peer advisors. They will guide you at every step during your college career. They are ready to help you:

• Explore your major
• Select introductory and advanced courses
• Connect you with campus support services
• Prepare an educational and career plan

Visit the Advising page to learn more about when to get advised and how to prepare for an advising appointment, and check out the Advising Calendar for information sessions, events and more.

Candidacy & TEAS Update

TEAS Exam WILL be a requirement to apply for the Candidacy Program for the Fall 2020 semester.

Nursing Programs – ATI TEAS
ATI Remote Proctoring – The exam will be conducted remotely, please review the instructions.

To be considered eligible for progression to the first nursing course (SCR110), a student must have met all of the following requirements:

• Be registered at LaGuardia as a pre-clinical “undeclared health major”, 470 / UNDNRS-AAS
• Meet the requirements for the TEAS entrance exam (see Handbook for more information)
• Registered for Nursing Candidacy (NUR000) in either the Spring Session I (for entrance in the Fall) or the Fall Session I (for entrance in the Spring). Key courses should either be completed or will be completed by the end of this 12 week session.
• Earned at least a 2.75 GPA (Grade Point Average) in the four "key" pre-clinical courses listed below:
• ENG101  Composition I, 3 credits 
• SSY101   General Psychology, 3 credits 
• SCC 110  Foundations of Chemistry, 4 credit 
• SCB203   Fundamentals of Human Biology I, 4 credits
• Successful completion of SCB 204 Fundamentals of Human Biology II, 4 credits

While a GPA of 2.75 in the key courses is the minimum requirement for consideration, it does not guarantee progression to clinical courses.

As of the Fall 2009 semester, in order to advance into nursing clinical coursework, (application for candidacy in RN or LPN Programs), students must provide documentation in one of the following categories to the Office of the Registrar (C107):

• US citizenship
• Permanent residency
• International student with F1 status
• Granted asylum, Refuge Status, Temporary Protected Status, Withholding of Removal, Deferred Enforced Departure, or Deferred Action Status by the U.S. government

Please Note: the CUNY Citizenship and Immigration Project provides free counseling and assistance to all CUNY students who need help with their immigration status. For more information, please visit  https://www1.cuny.edu/sites/citizenship-now/

There is a deadline to apply for nursing candidacy each 12 week session. It is the student’s responsibility to check the Academic Calendar for this date. with Students can only register for RN Candidacy (NUR000) by emailing the Health Sciences Department at HealthSci@lagcc.cuny.edu. Change of major does not automatically place you into Candidacy.

Spring 2020 CR/NC Policy – How it applies to Health Sciences Candidacy Programs
Registered Nursing Information Sheet

Current Students
Log in to the CUNY Portal to review your Degree Audit to find out what classes to take. Have questions about using Degree Audit? Visit LaGuardia’s Degree Audit page for tutorials and how-to guides.

Prospective Students
Review the Nursing Curriculum.

Faculty

Staff

How do I apply into the RN Program?
Students interested in the RN program must be registered as undeclared Health majors. Students first apply to LaGuardia as an “Undeclared Pre-Health” with a concentration of Registered Nursing, through Admissions. There are pre-requisite courses for the RN Program which students can take 6 months to 1 year to complete. The pre-requisite courses which are also called “KEY” courses need to be in the process of completion or completed during the 12 week semester you intend to apply for Candidacy [Spring I /Fall I].

• ENG 101
• SSY 101
• SCB 203
• SCC110
• SCB 204 Pre-clinical course required before beginning the RN Program IF accepted

What is Candidacy?
Candidacy is the process when students are ready to apply for the program and their KEY course grades are calculated and ranked. Students need to be matriculated at LaGuardia and active for the semester they intend to apply for Candidacy in order to be considered.

In addition to the KEY courses the ATI TEAS is a requirement for Candidacy. Students have ONLY 2 attempts to successfully pass the ATI TEAS Exam with an overall proficient score of 58.7% as well as in each of the four categories [Math, Science, English & Language, Reading]

The ATI TEAS needs to be completed by the deadline in order to be eligible for RN Candidacy. Please visit our website regarding specific details on registering for the ATI TEAS Exam at LaGuardia C.C.

How and which term should I apply for Candidacy?
You must be in the “Undeclared Pre-Health/RN” Major, have the 4 KEY courses completed or in the process of completing, Successfully passed the ATI TEAS Exam with the required score and be active for the semester you intend to apply for Candidacy.

Students apply for “NUR 000” Candidacy towards the beginning of the Spring I or Fall I semester. The deadline is listed on the College Academic Calendar.

Students have to request a Candidacy Form by emailing the Health Sciences Department at HealthSci@lagcc.cuny.edu.

The Candidacy Form then needs to be filled out and emailed to the Health Sciences Department before the Candidacy Deadline. Once the form is received by the Health Sciences Department the student will receive an acknowledgement email confirming receipt of the Candidacy form.

What is the minimum GPA required to apply for the RN Program?
The minimum GPA to apply for the RN Program is 2.75 overall and within the key courses. This is the minimum GPA required to apply. A 2.75 GPA does not guarantee admission into the program.

How many times can I take the TEAS?
Students can take the TEAS exam a total of 2 times. Student have 2 attempts to successfully pass the ATI TEAS Exam with an overall proficient score of 58.7% as well as in each of the four categories [Math, Science, English & Language, Reading]. The TEAS exam will be administered by ATI via remote proctoring. There is NO in person testing.

What are the phases for the RN program?
The phases are the following:

Phase 1: Pre-clinical
Once accepted into LaGuardia students declare their major, in this case “Undeclared Pre-Health/RN” which is the pre-clinical phase. During this phase you are to register and successfully meet the specific requirements in order to be eligible to apply for the clinical phase of the RN Program.

Phase 2: Clinical
Once you receive your Candidacy Notification Email confirming your acceptance into the clinical phase of the RN program you are then officially a Registered Nursing Student.

You will then begin registering and taking the clinical phase courses beginning with the pre-fix “SCR”

Which class can be taken during the short sessions [six weeks] when a student has already applied for candidacy?
SCB204 - Human Anatomy & Physiology II must be taken in session II or before entering the clinical phase of the RN program. The student will need to earn a grade of “C” or better.

If SCB204 has already been taken then it is recommended you register for MAT119/120 and/or SSY240 since both are required during the 1st semester of the RN Program IF accepted.

Can students apply for more than one candidacy program at a time?
Students can only apply for one candidacy at a time.

If accepted into the RN program, how long is the clinical phase of the RN program?
The clinical phase of the RN program is 4 semesters. The course sequence needs to be followed.

What if a grade of C- or lower is earned in a pre-clinical course?
If a grade of “C-“ or lower is earned in a pre-clinical course, the student will not be eligible to apply for Candidacy. The course will need to be repeated, both grades will be averaged together for Candidacy purposes only.

When will the candidacy results be announced and how will students find out if they have been accepted into the clinical phase of the RN Program?
Candidacy Notifications are announced in the second or third week of January or July after students apply for candidacy in session I of a particular semester. Students who applied for Candidacy will be sent an email via their LaGuardia Live Email Account from the Nursing Program.

Should I take TEAS now if I plan to apply for candidacy next semester?
Matriculated LaGuardia students usually take the ATI TEAS Exam during the semester they are applying for RN candidacy.

Does Financial Aid pay for TEAS?
Financial Aid does not pay for TEAS

What is the lowest GPA accepted for the RN program?
The lowest GPA accepted varies from year to year. The lowest GPA that can be accepted is 2.75 within the 4 key courses.

Nursing Handbook

The following course sequence is recommended for new Nursing majors. Current students should check their Degree Audit and the tables below for Flexible Core courses.

Pre-Clinical Courses

Clinical Courses

Fall or Spring I (12 week Session) 

Fall or Spring II (6 week Session)

Spring or Fall I (12 week Session)

Fall or Spring I (12 week Session)

Fall or Spring I (12 week Session)

Fall or Spring I (12 week Session)

All nursing courses must be taken in sequence. Upon entering the clinical phase of the Nursing Program, the student should be able to complete the program in four enhanced semesters (2 years).

Basic Skills Prerequisites:
*ENG099, MAT096
**ENG099 
***May take MAT119, depending upon placement scores.

Pre-Clinical Requirement
As of Fall 2009, SCB204 is a Pre-Clinical required course to apply for all nursing programs (RN & LPN). The course may be taken in the 6 week semester just prior to expected entry into the RN program.

For information about this program’s retention and graduation rate visit the Office of Institutional Research and Assessment website page.