Overview
The Associate of Science (ASN) Degree nursing program at River Valley Community College requires 2 years of focused nursing courses and co-requisite/general education courses which may be completed prior to or sequentially concurrent with program enrollment. The ASN Degree nursing program at River Valley Community College is approved by the New Hampshire Board of Nursing (NHBON).
Upon satisfactory completion of the program, the graduate will earn an ASN degree and is eligible to apply to the New Hampshire Board of Nursing (NHBON) and Pearson VUE Candidate Services for the National Council Licensing Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN).
Priority application deadline is December 31 of each year for subsequent Fall Semester acceptance; however, students will be accepted on a rolling admission basis until all course slots are full.
To apply, click on the “Admissions” tab above to begin this process.
Program Updates (as of October 11, 2021)
1) Interested students are required to attend or view a mandatory nursing informational session.
Our next nursing informational sessions are as follows:
October 13 @ 5:00 p.m. – Claremont Campus Library Conference Room – Falcon Room – also via Zoom – link: https://ccsnh.zoom.us/j/91224365235?pwd=R2RBNzlnVCswZUNtbXIvSE0rTW5UQT09
November 8 @ 4:00 p.m. – via Zoom – link:
https://ccsnh.zoom.us/j/6288226147
November 22 @ 9:00 a.m. – via Zoom – https://ccsnh.zoom.us/j/4686909584
Additional dates to follow.
If you are unable to attend, you may also view online: Nursing Informational Session
2) Prospective applicants must take the Test of Essential Academic Skill (TEAS), and achieve scoring benchmarks in all 4 content areas. The TEAS test is presently offered online due to COVID-19 restrictions. You must register at least 48 hours prior to your testing date in order to be eligible to take the TEAS.
Registration Instructions:
- Register here: TEAS Registration
- Ensure to select “River Valley CC TEAS.”
- Remote TEAS testers will need to have free Proctorio proctoring software installed on testing computers prior to testing. The Proctorio Quick Start Guide is here: Proctorio Remote Quick Start Guide
- Select a TEAS date – at present, 2021 dates are as follows:
- October: 13 & 26
- November: 10 & 24
- December: 8 & 21
Estimated cost is approximately $120 (not including tax).
If you have further questions, click on the light blue-colored “Request Information” button located on the right side of your screen (if on a computer), or below (if on a mobile device).
RVCC also offers a Licensed Practical Nursing (LPN) program. Details here: RVCC LPN Program Link
Mission
Admission Process & Requirements
Submission of a competed application packet is the responsibility of each nursing candidate. Candidates must complete both college admission requirements and all items below in order to be eligible for admission. The steps below can be performed simultaneously by prospective candidates.
Candidates are notified by March 1 of each acceptance year.
Interested applicants may apply at any time for Fall, 2022, entrance (priority acceptance deadline is December 31, 2021).
It is highly recommended that students prepare and register for the TEAS test (as below) within the year prior to program acceptance to allocate sufficient time for success.
Step 1: View the Nursing Informational Session presentation link located on our “Overview” page.
Step 2: Complete a college application (see the blue “Apply Now” box on the right of this page).
Step 3: Submit all high school and college transcripts to the Admissions Department. Official transcripts may be sent directly to:
River Valley Community College
Admissions Department
1 College Place Claremont, NH 03743
Official transcripts may also be sent directly from high school or college electronically to: RVCCAdmissions@ccsnh.edu
Step 4: Register for and complete the Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS) of Assessment Technologies Institute (ATI) – www.atitesting.com
TEAS testing dates are on our Overview page.
The TEAS evaluates the academic ability of prospective RN students. TEAS preparatory materials are available on ATI’s website above and are also available in the RVCC library. TEAS
testing dates for RVCC are on ATI’s website. Students may take the TEAS test at any designated testing site (if not at RVCC); however, please designate results to be sent to RVCC if testing at an alternate site.
Step 5: Possess current New Hampshire Licensed Nursing Assistant (LNA) licensure is required by July 1 of program entry year; however, applicants may be eligible to have this requirement waived if they are currently working in Allied Health. Please contact RVCCNursing@ccsnh.edu to receive a skill survey application.
- Need a local Licensed Nursing Assistant (LNA) course? RVCC now offers LNA courses. Details here: RVCC LNA Program website
Additional New Hampshire Licensed Nursing Assistant (LNA) educational programs are listed in the hyperlink below. Please note that not all privately-held programs may be listed.
Alternatively, candidates are encouraged to reach out to local long-term care facilities, as many offer LNA courses at reduced cost.
RVCC now offers American Heart Association (AHS) Basic Life Support (BLS) for Health Care Providers courses. Details here: RVCC AHA BLS Course
Selection Criteria
Candidates are ranked numerically by the following scoring criteria at time of application (total of 29 points possible).
Scoring Area #1: TEAS scores: up to 20 points
-
- Reading: 73.8 – 78.6 (1 point); 78.7 – 81.0 (2 points); 81.1 – 83.3 (3 points); 83.4 -85.7 (4 points); 85.8 or greater (5 points).
- Mathematics: 70.0 -76.7 (1 point); 76.8 – 80.0 (2 points); 80.1 – 83.3 (3 points); 83.4 – 86.7 (4 points); 86.8 or greater (5 points).
- Science: 52.1 – 60.4 (1 point); 60.5 – 64.6 (2 points); 64.7 – 68.8 (3 points); 68.9 – 72.9 (4 points); 73.0 or greater (5 points).
- English & Language Usage: 63.3 – 70.0 (1 point); 70.1 – 73.3 (2 points); 73.4 – 76.7 (3 points); 76.8 – 80.0 (4 points); 80.1 or greater (5 points).
- In case an applicant does not pass all 4 areas of the TEAS, the last two consecutive TEAS scores will be considered. Test scores are valid for a period of two years.
- Scoring Area #2: Completed science co-requisites: up to 9 points
- Anatomy & Physiology I; Anatomy & Physiology II; Microbiology (3 points for each A; 2 points for each B, and 1 point for each C).
Science courses must have been completed with a grade of “C” or better within the past ten years from the time of acceptance.
Qualified candidates who are not accepted in the selection process may be assigned to a prioritized waiting list-based on the above criteria. Wait-listed candidates may be subsequently admitted if an opening becomes available prior to the beginning of the Fall Semester.
Upon Acceptance
It is understood that acceptance is conditional upon submission of satisfactory evidence in the form of the following documents by state deadlines. Accepted applicants are not to submit these documents to the college or nursing department; accepted applicants will receive specific instructions on how to complete and submit these requirements through the college’s approved vendor.
Details of required documentation for accepted applicants are listed here in the hyperlink below.
Program Goals
The goal of the nursing program at River Valley is to provide the upcoming workforce with well trained, effective and prepared nurses to care for populations within a community.
End-of-Program Student Achievement
NCLEX-RN Pass Rates
| 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | |
| RVCC Pass Rate | 100% | 100% | 97.5% |
| NH Pass Rate | 96.71% | 95.68% | 96.2% |
| National Pass Rate | 88.29% | 88.18% | 86.6% |
Program Retention Rates (within 100% of the time of the program’s stated length)
|
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
|
75% |
81.3% |
86.6% |
Program Retention Rates (within 150% of the time of the program’s stated length)
|
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
|
93.5% |
87.5% |
93% |
End-of-Program Student Learning Outcomes
Graduates of RVCC’s Associate in Science in Nursing Program will be able to possess competence in the following End-of-Program Outcomes:
1. Patient-Centered Care: Recognize the patient or designee as the source of control and a full partner in providing compassionate and coordinated care based on respect for the patient’s preferences, values, and needs.
2. Teamwork and Collaboration: Function effectively within nursing and interprofessional teams, fostering open communication, mutual respect, and shared decision making to achieve quality patient care. Collaborate with the patient and family using effective communication to develop patient-centered, goal-oriented, culturally appropriate plans of care.
3. Evidence-Based Practice: Integrate best current evidence with clinical expertise and patient/family preferences and values for delivery of optimal health care.
4. Quality Improvement: Use data to monitor the outcomes of care processes and use improvement methods to design and test changes to continuously improve the quality and safety of health care.
Use self-reflection for continuous improvement in professional actions, behaviors, and clinical practice.
5. Safety: Minimize risk of harm to patients and providers through both system effectiveness and individual performance. Integrate knowledge, judgement, and skills to practice nursing safely and competently within structured health care settings.
6. Informatics: Use information and technology to communicate, manage knowledge, mitigate error, and support decision-making.
Additional program outcome details are as follows:
- The first-time pass rate for RVCC nursing graduates is equivalent to or exceeds 80% for all first-time test-takers annually.
- Eighty percent (80%) of students will graduate from the RVCC Nursing Program within 3 years of the initial admission into the program.
- Within six months of graduation from the RVCC nursing program, 90% of graduates will be employed as Registered Nurses.
Revised 08/21
Course Sequencing
First Year: Fall Semester
First Year: Spring Semester
Second Year: Spring Semester
The Associate in Science Degree nursing program at River Valley Community College located in Claremont, New Hampshire, is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN), 3390 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 1400 Atlanta, GA 30326; (404) 975-5000.
The most recent accreditation decision made by the ACEN
Board of Commissioners for the Associate in Science Degree nursing program at River Valley Community College is Continuing Accreditation Status through Spring, 2029.
View the public information disclosed by the ACEN regarding this program at:
ACEN accredited programs search link
Questions about accreditation should be addressed to ACEN at the address listed above.
The Associate in Science Degree nursing program at River Valley Community College meets the state education requirements for Registered Nurse licensure in the states of New Hampshire, Vermont, and Massachusetts. River Valley Community College has not determined if the Associate in Science Degree nursing program at River Valley Community College meets the state education requirements in any other state, any U.S. Territory, or the District of Columbia. Contact the state regulatory agency for nursing in any other state for which this information is needed.
Additional Details
The New Hampshire Board of Nursing’s licensing regulations may restrict candidates who have been involved in civil or criminal legal proceedings. Questions about licensing restrictions should be addressed to the New Hampshire Board of Nursing, 7 Eagle Square, Concord, NH 0330
Eileen Glover
LPN | NursingProfessor & Department Chair; Allied Health
Sonya Kuykendall
Faculty | NursingProfessor & Program Director; Nursing, Claremont
Aime Reed
LPN | NursingAssociate Professor, Program Director & Clinical Coordinator; Nursing, Keene
Denise Ruby
LPN | NursingProfessor & Department Chair; Nursing
Melanie Whitaker
LPN | NursingAssociate Professor; Nursing
The RVCC Nursing Student Handbook can be found in the hyperlink below, and is updated every summer.
Health Sciences and Services61-63 Credits Required
NCLEX-RN Pass Rate in 2020
NCLEX-RN Pass Rate in 2019
