2024-25 Nursing - Associate Degree Requirements and Application

A nursing student wearing a surgical face mask

From submitting your application to admission to registration, Northwood Tech is available to help guide you through the admissions process. To help you successfully complete this program, Northwood Tech has developed a set of program requirements and functional ability criteria. For students with a disability, reasonable accommodations are available to help you be successful in the program of your choice. 


Admission Requirements

The first step to get admitted is to fill out a Northwood Tech application, and Northwood Tech will guide you from there. If you're not quite ready to become a student, visit a campus to get the full Northwood Tech experience. A campus tour will give you the opportunity to meet staff, instructors and students, tour the campus and get a real feel for the campus culture. 

Nursing - Associate Degree (pre) Admission Requirements

  • Complete Online application form

  • Complete Accuplacer entrance assessment to determine placement (waiver may apply with acceptable alternative test scores and/or postsecondary degree completion); NOTE: required Accuplacer entrance assessment scores for core Nursing coursework are higher than pre-Nursing scores.

  • Review and sign Background Check Disclosure

  • Review and sign Functional Abilities Disclosure

  • Complete admissions meeting with a Northwood Tech counselor

Nursing - Associate Degree Program-Specific Requirements

Pre-Nursing students must complete the petition process to be eligible for the core Nursing program. In addition to the requirements above, students in this program must:

  • Complete one year, or one credit, of high school chemistry or one credit of college-level chemistry with a 2.0 or better

  • Complete a Nursing Assistant course with a grade of 2.0 or better

  • Complete priority petition for admission forms:

    • Have earned a high school diploma or GED certificate; current high school seniors must provide both a current high school transcript and a final (official) transcript with confer date

    • Northwood Tech transcripts to verify course completion (priority admission is given to students who have completed the ADN program-required General Studies courses)

    • Review and sign Background Check Disclosure

    • Review and sign Functional Abilities Disclosure

    • Complete and sign Intent to Enroll form

  • Prior to attendance in core Nursing coursework, student must:

    • Submit Background Check fee

    • Have an acceptable Wisconsin Caregiver Background Check, National Criminal Background Check, Minnesota Caregiver Background Check (if applicable), and other states if applicable

    • Pass a physical exam, have current immunizations, and demonstrate negative status for tuberculosis (Tb)

    • COVID vaccination---highly recommended

      • NOTE: Northwood Technical College cannot guarantee clinical placement or ability to progress in the program if a student is not able to meet the clinical site requirements including but not limited to; influenza vaccine, covid vaccine, negative tb skin test or QuantiFERON®-TB Gold In-Tube test (QFT-GIT) or T-SPOT®.TB test (T-Spot), up to date acceptable background check, or any other clinical requirements required by the clinical site. Northwood Technical College cannot guarantee clinical placement if the clinical site must be changed due to students inability to meet the site specific requirements. Many sites require the student information 4-6 weeks prior to the clinical start date.

    • Possess current certification of "BLS Basic Life Support"

  • Review and sign Health Sciences Confidentiality Statement

  • Participate in a mandatory program orientation session

2024-25 Nursing-Associate Degree Program Additional Information will be available April 2024.

Licensed Practical Nursing (LPN) to Associate Degree Nurse (ADN)

If you are a licensed practical nurse (LPN) and are interested in becoming a registered nurse (RN), Northwood Tech offers an LPN to ADN track. The LPN to ADN pathway provides advanced standing from an accredited program for nursing courses in ADN semesters one and two of the Northwood Tech ADN program. Additionally, credits may be transferred from the practical nursing program if the General Studies and/or elective credits were at an associate degree level. Contact the campus admissions advisor for more information.

Nursing - LPN to ADN Admission Requirements

  • Complete Online application form
  • Complete Accuplacer assessment to determine placement (waiver may apply with acceptable alternative test scores and/or postsecondary degree completion)
  • Have earned a high school diploma or GED certificate; current high school seniors must provide both a current high school transcript and a final (official) transcript with confer date
  • Complete one year, or one credit, of high school chemistry or one credit of college-level chemistry with a 2.0 or better
  • Have completed and passed or received transfer credit for the following general education classes: English, Composition 1, General Anatomy and Physiology, Advanced Anatomy and Physiology, Developmental Psychology, and Oral/Interpersonal Communication. NOTE: Intro to Sociology, Intro to Psychology, Microbiology and elective courses are not prerequisite to the progression path, but are strongly recommended for completion prior to entering clinical courses
  • Submit a copy of current, unrestricted active LPN license from U.S. State Boards of Nursing. Applicants without a U.S. issued state board of nursing license will need to apply and obtain a license from the state in which they reside.
  • Submit an official LPN transcript from a program that was accredited at the time of graduation.
  • Send statement of good standing from Dean of Nursing or Nursing Program Director at most recent college attended core (nursing core)
  • Review and sign Background Check Disclosure
  • Review and sign Functional Abilities Disclosure
  • Complete admissions meeting with a Northwood Tech counselor

Program-Specific Requirements

  • Successfully complete the LPN to ADN Module
  • Possess current certification of "BLS Basic Life Support"
  • Pass a physical exam, have current immunizations, and demonstrate negative status for tuberculosis (TB)
  • COVID vaccination---highly recommended
    • NOTE: Northwood Technical College cannot guarantee clinical placement or ability to progress in the program if a student is not able to meet the clinical site requirements including but not limited to; influenza vaccine, covid vaccine, negative tb skin test or QuantiFERON®-TB Gold In-Tube test (QFT-GIT) or T-SPOT®.TB test (T-Spot), up to date acceptable background check, or any other clinical requirements required by the clinical site. Northwood Technical College cannot guarantee clinical placement if the clinical site must be changed due to students inability to meet the site specific requirements. Many sites require the student information 4-6 weeks prior to the clinical start date.
  • Prior to attendance in core Nursing coursework, student must: 
    • Submit Background Check fee
    • Have an acceptable Wisconsin Caregiver Background Check, National Criminal Background Check, Minnesota Caregiver Background Check (if applicable) and other states if applicable
  • Review and sign Health Sciences Confidentiality Statement

2024-25 Nursing-Associate Degree Program Additional Information-LPN to ADN will be available April 2024.

Nursing - Associate Degree Transfer Student Requirements

Students must have completed at least one transferrable clinical or skills-based nursing course from an accredited ADN program to qualify for transfer into the ADN program at Northwood Tech. There is no time limit for course transferability. If students have not yet entered a clinical or skill based nursing course, they must apply to the generic track of the ADN program. Due to the limited availability of clinical slots for transfer students, transfers are admitted on a space-available basis.

2024-25 Nursing-Associate Degree Program Additional Information-Transfer will be available April 2024.

2024-25 Northwood Tech/UWEC Nursing Alliance

Admission Requirements

All Admissions Requirement items much be submitted together in one packet to the UWEC Nursing Alliance Program Director by the deadline listed on the Intent to Enroll Checklist.

Program-Specific Requirements

Prior to class start you must submit completion of the following items to your program advisor:

  • Complete one year, or one credit, of high school chemistry or one credit of college-level chemistry with a 2.0 (C) or better
  • Complete a Nursing Assistant course with a grade of 2.0 (C) or higher
  • Provide end-of-term official UWEC transcript to verify successful completion of all in- progress courses
  • Participate in a mandatory orientation and complete/submit the following items by the dates provided at the orientation:
    • Background Check fees (to Castle-Branch and/or Student Services for MN Caregiver if applicable)
    • Have an acceptable Wisconsin Caregiver Background Check, National Criminal Background Check, Minnesota Caregiver Background Check (if applicable), and other states if applicable
    • Pass a physical exam, have current immunizations, and demonstrate negative status for tuberculosis (Tb)
    • COVID vaccination---highly recommended
      • NOTE: Northwood Technical College cannot guarantee clinical placement or ability to progress in the program if a student is not able to meet the clinical site requirements including but not limited to; influenza vaccine, covid vaccine, negative tb skin test or QuantiFERON®-TB Gold In-Tube test (QFT-GIT) or T-SPOT®.TB test (T-Spot), up to date acceptable background check, or any other clinical requirements required by the clinical site. Northwood Technical College cannot guarantee clinical placement if the clinical site must be changed due to students inability to meet the site specific requirements. Many sites require the student information 4-6 weeks prior to the clinical start date.
    • Possess current certification of "BLS Basic Life Support"
    • Review and sign Health Sciences Confidentiality Statement
    • Complete and sign the Authorization to Release Student Record Information between UWEC and Northwood Tech

2024-25 ADN Priority Petition Process

March 27-April 3 for Fall Start
October 25-November 1 for Spring Start

Rationale for the Nursing-Associate Degree (ADN) Program Priority Petition process:

  • Helps ADN students to be successful in the program
  • Helps ensure the most prepared students enter into the rigorous ADN program
  • Allows accepted students to focus exclusively on the core nursing courses

The ADN program consists of the three steps listed below prior to acceptance into the core-ADN program. 

Please note that all 3 steps require students to review, sign, and submit the
Functional Abilities Disclosure and Background Check Disclosure documents listed above.

To get started, click on Step 1 below.

 

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2024-25 ADN Student Handbook

2024-25 Health Sciences & Nursing-Associate Degree Student Policies will be available August 2024.

Fall 2024 Associate Degree Nursing Orientation

2024-25 Nursing-Associate Degree Orientation documents will be available April 2024.

Nursing-Associate Degree (ADN) Withdrawal

  • Instructions for Withdrawal from ADN Core Courses 

    • If you are at this webpage, it means your ADN Academic Advisor has been notified that you dropped your ADN course (543-xxx) courses.

      • If you are withdrawing from your ADN core (543-xxx) courses, the ADN program would like to gather data regarding your decision to withdraw.  This data is useful in the ADN planning process.  Thank you for providing this information.

      • Please carefully review the Withdrawal from the ADN Program form.  You may complete the form electronically and email to lorraine.sacinomurphy@NorthwoodTech.edu or print and mail this form within one month of your exiting the program to the following address:

        • Lorraine Sacino Murphy

        • Northwood Technical College

        • 1900 College Dr

        • Rice Lake, WI  54868

      • If you have questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to contact Lorraine Sacino Murphy, Associate Dean, Nursing/ADN Program Director, at lorraine.sacinomurphy@NorthwoodTech.edu or 715.788.7089.

ADN Reentry Students

2024-25 ADN Reentry documents will be available August 2024.

Technology Requirements

If using Macintosh or Linux based computers, coursework must be submitted using your Office365 tools provided with your Northwood Tech email account. It is important to verify with your Program Faculty if non-Windows based computers are acceptable in the program.

View All Technology Requirements

Contact

Choose a campus to view contact information, or for general assistance, please contact us.

Rice Lake Admissions Contact

Nicole Messicci

Admissions Advisor

715.788.7144

Contact

Ashland Admissions Contact

Jennifer Bednarik

Admissions Advisor

715.685.3039

Contact

New Richmond Admissions Contact

Jodi Saliny

Admissions Advisor

715.752.8119

Contact

Superior Admissions Contact

Anna Kalin

Admissions Advisor

715.319.7331

Contact

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