Chattahoochee Tech's ADN Program Now a Fully Approved Program

The Georgia Board of Nursing announced this month that Chattahoochee Technical College's Associate Degree Nursing program has now been granted full approval. The news comes on the heels of the recent announcement that the program's first graduating class recently achieved a 100 percent pass rate on the state licensing examination.

According to the Chattahoochee Technical College Dean of Health Sciences Ron Webb, that 100 percent pass rate was one of the deciding factors in the approval for the program that only received its initial approval in 2009. The Georgia Board of Nursing requires that programs have a first time pass rate of 80 percent or more to move from the developing program status to full approval.

The first 18 students in the program graduated in June 2011. Since that time they have been studying for the NCLEX exam, which is designed to test knowledge, skills and abilities essential to the safe and effective practice of nursing at the entry level. NCLEX examination results are an important component used by boards of nursing to make decisions about licensure. National statistics show that so far this year about 89 percent of first time test takers of the NCLEX have passed.

"This represents a great accomplishment for this group of students, and it is a testament to the quality of instruction and dedication of the nursing faculty," Webb said. "We are all very proud of this group of students."

The Associate Degree Nursing Program at Chattahoochee Technical College offers nursing courses over six semesters. In addition, there are six prerequisite courses and five core courses that must be completed before admission to the program that is taught at the Austell campus of the college.

Admission to the program is extremely competitive with more than 300 applications for the most recent cohort. Only 48 were chosen. Most of the students accepted into the program demonstrated a grade point average of 3.75 or higher. The students' TEAS scores, a program admissions test of 170 multiple-choice questions in the areas of English, math, science and reading, was around 87 percent. The current class is scheduled to graduate in July 2012 with the next class starting August 2011.

For more information on this and other programs at Chattahoochee Technical College, call 770-528-4492 or visit www.ChattahoocheeTech.edu.