Nursing Program Information for Students
CPR Certification
Following acceptance into a nursing class, students must provide proof of current CPR certification for health professionals. This must be maintained throughout the Nursing Program. Requirement can be met with the or health professionals. A basic community CPR course, an American Red Cross course or an American Heart Association CPR course will meet the program requirement.
Health Verification
Prior to entering the first nursing class, students must provide evidence through a health verification form and all required tests, including a drug screen, that they are in good health and free from communicable diseases prior to the beginning of the Fall term. Because nursing involves the direct care of clients, it is strongly recommended that students receive the Hepatitis B vaccination series.
General Expectations
Because the college seeks to provide, inasmuch as possible, a reasonably safe environment for its students and clients in the clinical practice setting, students may be required during the course of the program to demonstrate their physical and/or emotional fitness to meet the essential requirements of the program. Such requirements may include freedom from communicable diseases, the ability to perform certain physical tasks, and suitable emotional fitness.
Eligibility to Write State Board Licensing Examination
Individuals who have been convicted of a crime other than a minor traffic violation could be ineligible for registered nurse licensure in the State of Tennessee, even though they have successfully completed a nursing program. Individuals with a question concerning this should schedule an appointment with the Nursing Program Director.
Mandatory Criminal Background Check
Following acceptance and prior to entering the first nursing course, each student must undergo a criminal background check in order to comply with policies of affiliating clinical practice agencies. It shall be the student's responsibility to comply with instructions provided upon acceptance and provide the results from a designated vendor by a designated date. The check will be at the expense of the student. This is a requirement of the clinical agencies, not Chattanooga State. Students who do not meet this requirement in a timely manner or whose background does not meet agency standards will not be able to complete the clinical requirements of nursing courses. Additionally, a criminal background may preclude licensure or employment. Individuals with a question concerning this should schedule an appointment with the nursing program director.
Americans With Disabilities
In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, students must be, with reasonable accommodation, physically and mentally capable of performing the essential functions of the program. The Core Performance Standards for Admission and Progression developed by the Southern Council on Collegiate Education for Nursing and adopted by all nursing programs in the Tennessee Board of Regents system include:
- Critical thinking ability sufficient for clinical judgment.
- Interpersonal abilities sufficient to interact with individuals, families and groups.
- Communication abilities sufficient for interaction with others in verbal and written form..
- Physical abilities sufficient to move from room to room and maneuver in small spaces.
- Gross and fine motor abilities sufficient to provide safe and effective nursing care.
- Auditory abilities sufficient to monitor and assess health needs.
- Visual abilities sufficient for observation and assessment necessary in nursing care.
- Tactile ability sufficient for physical assessment.
Financial Aid Notes
Students wishing to receive financial aid should pay special attention to the satisfactory academic progress regulations regarding maximum time frame. Please read the financial aid policies in the Chattanooga State Catalog
Please see your financial aid counselor if you have any questions regarding your number of attempted credit hours and the satisfactory academic progress policy.
Transfer Students
Applicants seeking to transfer from an accredited nursing program should be aware that such requests are considered on an individual, space available basis. To be considered for transfer:
- Submit a Nursing and Allied Health application form. For more information email rninfo@chattanoogastate.edu
- Submit official transcript and nursing course descriptions from the previous nursing program to the Nursing Program Director.
- Submit a letter of recommendation from the director of the previous nursing program.
- Granting of transfer credit for any nursing course will be considered on an individual basis.
- In the event that direct transfer of credit is not possible, the ERI Fundamentals of Nursing I and II test are considered to be the challenge exam for granting credit for nursing courses, pending approval of the Nursing Program Director.
- Submit a letter of recommendation from the director of the previous nursing program.
- Students who received failing grades in two nursing courses in another nursing program are not eligible for transfer, except on an individual basis through academic fresh start.
- Any student transferring into the Nursing Program after receiving one failing grade in a nursing course from another nursing program will not be allowed to repeat any nursing course. The failure in the previous nursing program counts as the first failure.