Catalog and Student Handbook 2024–2025 > Degree and Certificate Programs > Academic Program Divisions, Pathways, and Departments > Division of Business, Entrepreneurship, and Health Sciences > Health Sciences Pathway > Department of Nurse Education > Additional Information > Program Tracks > General Admission Guidelines (Certificate–VN; AAS–RN; LVN/Paramedic to RN)

General Admission Guidelines (Certificate–VN; AAS–RN; LVN/Paramedic to RN)

The following are required prior to applying to the program:

• All applicants must be Del Mar College students and meet the general admission requirements of the College.
• Prospective nursing students must meet college readiness in Reading, English and Math prior to submitting an application. Requirements may be found on the Assessment Requirements section of the Del Mar College website (https://www.delmar.edu/offices/testing/assessment-requirements.html).
• Completion and minimum required scores on standardized ATI® TEAS Exam. Please refer to the ATI TEAS Guidance Document (PDF) (https://delmar.edu/degrees/nursing-education/_resources/del-mar-ati-teas-guide-july-2024.pdf) for additional guidelines and fees. Please refer to the ATI TEAS section of the Del Mar College website (https://www.delmar.edu/degrees/nursing-education/ati-teas.html) for the latest schedule of exam dates.
• A grade of "C" or higher is required in all of the following general education prerequisite courses. These prerequisites must be completed prior to submission of application to the nursing program or upon submission of the application:
  • ENGL 1301
  • BIOL 2401
  • BIOL 2402
  • PSYC 2301
• A grade of "C" or higher is required in all of the following general education corequisite courses. These corequisites can be completed prior to admission or concurrent with nursing courses upon admission:
  • SPCH 1311, SPCH 1315, or SPCH 1321
  • PHIL 2306
  • BIOL 2420
• Program Grade Point Average (PGPA) of 2.5.
• Due to the program’s highly selective admission criteria, the most recent grade (not the highest) for all courses is used for admission purposes and in calculation of a student’s PGPA.

Students must apply to the nursing program online at the NursingCAS website (https://nursingcas.org).

Students must meet recommended standards for immunizations for Health Professions Personnel prior to applying to the nursing program. Additionally, students must submit documentation of the following immunizations (or other acceptable proof of immunity) in their NursingCAS applications:

1. Tetanus-diphtheria
   One (1) dose of a tetanus-diphtheria toxoid (Td) is required within the last ten years. The booster dose may be in the form of a tetanus-diphtheria-pertussis containing vaccine (Tdap).
2. Hepatitis B
   Students are required to have completed a Hepatitis B vaccine series or have serologic confirmation of immunity*. Hepatitis B series consists of three (3) vaccines, or two (2) vaccines if HEPLISAV-B is received as an adult.
3. Varicella
   Students are required to have received two (2) doses of varicella (chickenpox) vaccine or have serologic confirmation of immunity*.
4. Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR)
   Students are required to have two (2) doses of MMR vaccine or have serologic confirmation of immunity*.

*Serologic confirmation of immunity must consist of laboratory testing and results (at the student’s expense) that indicate either immunity (commonly known as TITER test).

Upon conditional acceptance to the program, students must submit the following:

• Physical Examination
  Evidence of good physical and mental health through a health screening documented on the standard departmental physical examination. Failure to reveal prior or present physical or emotional illness will place a student as subject to dismissal. While information will be held in confidence, there are certain circumstances that, for the student’s protection as well as others, make health information disclosure a necessity.
• Purified Protein Derivative (PPD) Test
  Negative PPD or chest x-ray within the last 12 months or other acceptable documentation of negative tuberculosis (TB) status.
  • Students with a positive PPD and a negative chest x-ray on admission into the program must complete a TB screening questionnaire annually while enrolled in the program.
  • Students whose responses indicate possibility of TB infection must submit documentation of medical evaluation and treatment, if applicable.
  • Students with a negative PPD on admission who convert to positive while enrolled in the program must submit documentation of medical evaluation and treatment.
  • Other acceptable blood tests for documentation of TB health status include QuantiFERON-TB In-Tube test (QFT-GIT) and T-Spot TB test (T-SPOT).
    • Positive IGRA: A positive test suggests that TB infection is likely. Additional testing is necessary and includes checking for signs and symptoms suggestive of TB disease, a chest x-ray, and when indicated, examination of sputum or other clinical samples for the presence of TB.
    • Negative IGRA: A negative test suggests that infection by TB bacteria is not likely. No additional testing is necessary.
  • Negative PPD, or other acceptable test documenting negative TB health status, is required yearly thereafter by each student while enrolled in the program.
• CPR Certification
  Document submission of American Heart Association Basic Life Support (BLS) Provider or American Red Cross CPR/AED for Professional Rescuers and Health Care Providers certification prior to admission. CPR Certification must be kept during the entirety of the nursing program.
• Drug Screen
  Students are required to pass a random drug screen prior to the beginning of clinical rotations. Details regarding the drug screen will be provided after students are accepted to the nursing program.
• Final acceptance into the program is contingent upon satisfactory Department of Justice Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) background check (completed through the Texas Board of Nursing).
  • Students will be given specific instructions on how to initiate the criminal background check after acceptance to the nursing program.
  • Nursing applicants who have been arrested, convicted of a crime other than a minor traffic violation, diagnosed with, treated, or hospitalized in the past five years for schizophrenia or other psychotic disorders, bipolar disorders, paranoid personality disorder, antisocial personality disorder, or borderline personality disorder, or addicted to or treated for the use of alcohol or any other drug within the past five years, may be required to petition the TBON for a declaratory order concerning their eligibility to take the licensing examination. If a declaratory order is necessary, students will be sent instructions by TBON after acceptance to the nursing program.