Nursing - Policies and Admissions Requirements

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Admissions Information - All Nursing Programs

Please also refer to the specific program for admissions and program policies.

General Guidelines

Admission requirements, selection criteria and the application process for the nursing programs are presented in regularly scheduled information sessions on each LSC campus or online for LSC-Tomball. Upon conditional acceptance into any LSC nursing program, students must submit official records of current, positive serological titers (for complete rubella, rubeola, mumps, and varicella). Additionally, a screen for Hepatitis C is required. A satisfactory physical examination documented on a college-approved form, Social Security number verification or current student visa, and a clear criminal background check completed through the Texas Board of Nursing (BON) must be obtained. Student rosters with demographic and identification information will be submitted to the Texas BON for the purpose of scheduling and processing extensive FBI background screenings. In cases where the applicant has a questionable background check, mental illness and/or chemical dependency, the Texas BON will consider eligibility on an individual basis by requiring the applicant to complete a declaratory order.

Texas Board of Nursing Background Check and Declaratory Order Process

The process for filing a Declaratory Order (DO) with the Texas Board of Nursing has changed. Students can no longer file a DO in advance. All prospective applications who were fingerprinted PRIOR to 2010 will be required by the Texas Board of Nursing to redo their fingerprints. The new process for filing a DO is:

Any student with a positive criminal background, history of mental illness within the last five years, or chemical dependency within the last five years must contact the Director of Nursing at the campus of their first choice.

The Director of Nursing will email the student a FERPA form.

Students will download, sign and return the form back to the Director.

The signed and dated FERPA form provides the Directors with the permission to send personal information to the TxBON (address, DOB, SS#) for the initial background check.

After Lone Star College submits your name on a roster, the TxBON will send you an initial outcome letter detailing the next steps in the DO process. Students are advised to gather official legal/medical documents that may be requested by the TxBON to expedite the process.

Students should allow 30 days for the TxBON to respond after the initial review.

In-depth reviews are conducted by the Enforcement Department of the TxBON and the cost to the student is $150. Students can expect to receive an outcome letter approximately 90 days after an in-depth review.

If a student is charged with a felony or misdemeanor while enrolled in a LSC nursing program, the student must inform the nursing director in writing. Criminal background checks are required by all clinical facilities.

Drug screens and verification of medical insurance may be required by some clinical sites during the student’s enrollment in a LSC nursing program. Students are responsible for any costs incurred related to drug screens and securing medical insurance.

Additionally, all accepted students into ADN and LVN programs must provide proof of English proficiency if they completed high school outside the USA. Proof of English proficiency can be achieved through:

Test of English as a foreign language (TOEFL) with score of 560 or higher on a paper exam, 220 or higher on a computer exam and 83 or higher on an Internet based exam, as of January 2015.
International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Academic Test with an overall score of 6.5 with a minimum of 6.0 in all of the four modules for the Academic Test.
Provide documentation of graduation from high school from an English-speaking country such as Canada (other than Quebec), Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and Ireland.
If graduated from English speaking high school in a country not listed above in #3, provide official transcripts and a notarized letter from the headmaster/principal of the high school stating that English was the primary language of the courses taught.
Provide documentation of graduation from a college or university in the United States, or other English speaking countries such as Canada (other than Quebec), Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and Ireland.

An admission appeal will be considered if there is evidence that one or more of the following conditions exist: (1) error in calculation of points for admission; (2) deviation from admission procedures as defined by the program website; or (3) disparate treatment of a student that is not addressed by EEO processes. Review the nursing website for further details.

Students accepted into the LSC nursing programs must adhere to the Code of Conduct and other policies found in the system and nursing student handbooks, which can be found on the LSC website. Upon completion of the ADN degree requirements, nursing graduates may apply to take the licensure exam to become a registered nurse (RN). Completion of the nursing program, however, does not guarantee eligibility to take the state licensure exam. Eligibility to take the National Council Licensure Exam for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) is determined solely by the Texas BON.

Costs incurred while in the nursing program include tuition and fees for the nursing courses as well as additional expenses for textbooks, uniforms, serological titers and booster immunizations, immunizations, testing fees, clinical/lab equipment and licensure fees. Nursing students are also responsible for the costs of their physical examinations, CPR certifications, background checks, Social Security number verification, drug screens (if required), health care insurance (if required), and transportation to and from clinical agencies for day and evening learning experiences.

Progression Requirements

To remain in good standing and progress within the nursing curriculum, students must:

Maintain a cumulative grade point average of 2.0, and
Attain a grade of “C” or better in each nursing and general education course designated in the VN certificate or ADN degree plan, and
Successfully complete all concurrent nursing courses to advance to the next level.

Testing Requirements

Students applying to the nursing programs are required to complete a national, standardized nursing pre-entrance test and meet the minimum score requirement on all required components of the test. The cost of the exam is the responsibility of the student. Refer to the nursing website for more information. Students enrolled in the nursing program are required to take nationally-normed tests throughout the curriculum and to make satisfactory scores on each test. All costs for the exams and remediation are the student’s responsibility. Review the nursing website at LoneStar.edu/nursing-dept for further details.

Students with Disabilities

LSC complies with the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Students with documented disabilities will be given accommodations in accordance with the LSC policy and those allowed by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing.

Biology & Pharmacology Course Requirements

All Biology courses submitted for program credit must be equivalent to four (4) credit hours (lecture with lab component), and completed no more than five (5) years prior to application. Refresher anatomy and physiology and microbiology course are available through continuing education for students whose biology is older than five years and who do not desire to repeat the courses for credit. The grades earned from the older credit biology courses will be used for grade point calculation where applicable. If a nursing pharmacology course (RNSG 1301 ) is submitted for program credit, it must be at least three (3) credit hours and must have been completed no more than five (5) years prior to application for the nursing program.

Readmission Guidelines

Effective fall 2018, the ADN programs will only allow students to be admitted into any Lone Star College ADN program up to 2 (two) times.
Effective fall 2018, the VN programs will only allow students to be admitted into any Lone Star College VN program up to 2 (two) times.

Students who have failed or withdrawn from any LSC nursing program will be considered on an individual basis. Readmission is not automatic and is based on remediation of an identified problem area and space availability. Students who request readmission to a program might be invited to interview with the program’s Readmission Committee. At this interview, the student will be asked to describe what steps have been taken in the intervening months to improve the chance of success and an action plan for improvement of academic and/or clinical performance. In addition, students seeking readmission must submit a letter of their standing from their previous nursing program director. Readmission into the associate degree nursing program must occur within two years of non-completion. Readmission into the vocational nursing program must occur within one year. Upon readmission, students who previously failed or withdrew from a nursing course must repeat all concurrent/corequisite nursing courses. A student may be readmitted into the nursing program one time only.

Reapplication Guidelines

The readmission policy does not apply to first semester nursing students. Students who fail or withdraw in the first semester of basic track, transition track, or VN program may reapply for a potential second admission but will only be accepted one additional time. Students who have reapplied and been accepted into the nursing program are required to repeat all nursing courses. The student must also meet all current nursing program requirements. Students reapplying for a second time are required to submit a letter of their standing from the previous nursing program director if they attended a nursing program within the past 5 years.

Transfer Guidelines

An individual’s request to transfer into any LSC nursing program will be reviewed on an individual basis by the program director and Transfer/Re-admissions Committee. Course placement is based on the type of program attended (block or integrated), previous level of achievement, and space availability. Admission is considered only if previous program enrollment has been within one (1) year.

Transfer request for completed nursing coursework (within two semesters of inquiry) at other colleges is evaluated individually and acceptance is based on program space availability. Transfer students must meet all admission requirements of the nursing program.
Students who have had two (2) unsuccessful attempts in any nursing courses at other institution are not eligible for transfer into the nursing programs at LSC.
Transfer applicants will be required to submit a letter of their standing from the previous nursing program director.
Refer to LSC websites for additional information regarding the nursing program transfer guidelines.

Admission Criteria - ADN

In addition to the admission requirements of the system and the general requirements listed above, the following are requirements for admission into the associate degree nursing program. The application process is competitive, with students being accepted into the programs based on scores determined by grade point average of prerequisite courses and the scores from the national, standardized nursing pre-entrance test. Refer to the nursing website for a sample score sheet. Students seeking admission to the Associate Degree Nursing program are required to:

Students must be college ready in reading, writing, and math as evidenced by LSC approved exam scores showing placement into ENGL 1301 and MATH 1314 or higher. English and Math placement scores may also be satisfied by successful completion of ENGL 1301 and MATH 0309/MATH 0310 courses or higher.
Complete the following prerequisite courses with a minimum grade point average of 2.5 or higher: BIOL 2401 and ENGL 1301. (BIOL 2401 is required to meet the admission criteria; however, the highest grade in BIOL 2401 or BIOL 2402 will be used for calculation of GPA for application purposes).
Biology courses submitted for program credit must be equivalent to four (4) credit hours (lecture and lab) and must be completed no more than five (5) years prior to application to the nursing program.
Nursing Pharmacology courses submitted for program credit must be three (3) credit hours and must be completed no more than five (5) years prior to application to the nursing program.
Obtain a grade of a “C” or higher in all courses required in the associate degree nursing (ADN) degree plan. GPA in all courses in the ADN degree plan must be 2.5 or greater at time of application.
Complete a national, standardized nursing pre-entrance test and meet the minimum score requirement. The cost of this test is the responsibility of the applicant. All applicants must take the nursing pre-entrance test. The entrance test may be taken one (1) time every sixty (60) days. Only the most recent test score will be used for the admission process. If the entrance test is repeated in less than sixty (60) days, only the first set of scores will be used.
Submit official transcripts from colleges attended other than LSC.
Submit a completed application to the preferred college’s nursing program. Application deadlines are posted on the LSC websites. Separate applications to the college nursing programs are only required if the application deadlines differ.
Applicants must provide documentation (official lab report) of a Quantitative (numerical value) Hepatitis B Surface Antibody Immunity (HbsAb) titer completed within the past 3 years that reflects immunity to the hepatitis B virus. A copy of this lab result must be submitted at the time of application. The HBsAb is a blood test that confirms immunity to hepatitis B virus. LAB REPORTS SIMPLY STATING “NEGATIVE” OR “POSITIVE” ARE NOT ACCEPTED.
- When a student does not demonstrate immunity to hepatitis B, the following MUST be provided at the time of application:
  - Documentation of the previously completed series of 3 immunizations,
  - The original quantitative HbsAb lab report
  - Evidence of having received at least the first booster shot in the second series of three immunizations AFTER the original negative quantitative titer.
- PLEASE NOTE: CDC guidelines recommend that students who are receiving the first hepatitis B vaccine series follow the schedule of immunizations at zero, one and six months and obtain a titer four to six weeks following the third immunization. This entire process takes seven (7) months. Simply getting immunizations/vaccinations without the titers is NOT SUFFICIENT and may prevent students from being admitted to clinical sites.
Complete the American Heart Association (AHA) Basic Life Support for Providers Certification.
Final acceptance into the program is contingent upon a satisfactory FBI background check (completed through the BON) and Social Security number verification. Some clinical facilities also require verification of medical insurance, drug testing, additional immunizations, and other medical requirements.

Admission Criteria - Transition to Professional Nursing for Articulating Students

In addition to the admission requirements for the system and the general requirements listed above, the following are admission requirements for the transition track for articulating students. The application process is competitive, with students being accepted into the programs based on scores determined by: grade point averages; total number of prerequisite and general education courses taken; and the scores from the national, standardized nursing pre-entrance test. Refer to nursing website nursing website for a sample score sheet.

Students must be college ready in reading, writing, and math as evidenced by LSC approved exam scores showing placement into ENGL 1301 and MATH 1314 or higher. English and Math placement scores may also be satisfied by successful completion of ENGL 1301 and MATH 0309/MATH 0310 courses or higher.
Biology courses submitted for program credit must be equivalent to 4 credit hours (lecture and lab) and must be completed no more than five (5) years prior to application to the nursing program.
Nursing Pharmacology courses submitted for program credit must be 3 credit hours and must be completed no more than five (5) years prior to application to the nursing program.
Obtain a grade of “C” or higher in all courses required in the associate degree nursing degree plan. GPA in all courses in the ADN degree plan must be 2.5 or greater at the time of application.
Possess current unencumbered Texas license as a Licensed Vocational Nurse, current National Registry EMT Paramedic Certification, current Texas Department of Health EMT Paramedic Certification, OR current Texas Department of Health Paramedic License.
Complete a national, standardized nursing pre-entrance test and meet the minimum score requirement. The cost of this test is the responsibility of the applicant. All applicants must take the nursing pre-entrance test. The entrance test may be taken one (1) time every sixty (60) days. Only the most recent test score will be used for the admission process. If entrance exam is repeated in less than sixty (60) days, only the first set of scores will be used.
Submit official transcripts from colleges attended other than LSC.
Submit a completed application to the preferred college’s nursing program. Application deadlines are posted on the colleges’ websites. Separate applications to the college nursing programs are only required if the submission deadline dates differ.
Applicants must provide documentation (official lab report) of a Quantitative (numerical value) Hepatitis B Surface Antibody Immunity (HbsAb) titer completed within the past 3 years that reflects immunity to the hepatitis B virus. A copy of this lab result must be submitted at the time of application. The HBsAb is a blood test that confirms immunity to hepatitis B virus. LAB REPORTS SIMPLY STATING “NEGATIVE” OR “POSITIVE” ARE NOT ACCEPTED.
- When a student does not demonstrate immunity to hepatitis B, the following MUST be provided at the time of application:
  - Documentation of the previously completed series of 3 immunizations,
  - The original quantitative HbsAb lab report
  - Evidence of having received at least the first booster shot in the second series of three immunizations AFTER the original negative quantitative titer.
- PLEASE NOTE: CDC guidelines recommend that students who are receiving the first hepatitis B vaccine series follow the schedule of immunizations at zero, one and six months and obtain a titer four to six weeks following the third immunization. This entire process takes seven (7) months. Simply getting immunizations/vaccinations without the titers is NOT SUFFICIENT and may prevent students from being admitted to clinical sites.
Complete the American Heart Association (AHA) Basic Life Support for Providers Certification.
Final acceptance into the program is contingent upon a satisfactory FBI background check (completed through the Texas BON) and Social Security number verification. Some clinical facilities may also require verification of medical insurance, drug testing, additional immunizations, and other medical requirements.

Admission Criteria - Vocational Nursing

In addition to the system admission requirements, the following are required for the vocational nursing program. The application process is competitive, with students being accepted into the program based on scores determined by: grade point averages; and the scores from the national, standardized nursing pre-entrance test. Refer to the website for a sample score sheet.

Students must be college ready in reading, writing, and math as evidenced by LSC approved exam scores showing placement into ENGL 1301 and MATH 0309/MATH 0310 or higher. English and Math placement scores may also be satisfied by successful completion of ENGL 1301 and MATH 0309/MATH 0310 courses or higher.
Complete BIOL 2404 with a grade of “C” or higher (Completion of both BIOL 2401 & BIOL 2402 is accepted in place of BIOL 2404 and is recommended for those students planning to transition into the ADN program). Biology courses submitted for program credit must be equivalent to 4 credit hours (lecture and lab) and must be completed no more than five (5) years prior to application to the nursing program.
Maintain a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 in college level courses.
Complete a standardized nursing pre-entrance test. The cost of this test is the responsibility of the applicant. All applicants must take the nursing pre-entrance test. The entrance test may be taken one (1) time every sixty (60) days. Only the most recent test score will be used for the admission process. If entrance exam is repeated in less than sixty (60) days, only the first set of scores will be used.
Submit official transcripts from colleges attended other than LSC.
Submit a completed application to the preferred college’s nursing program. Application deadlines are posted on the nursing website. Separate applications to the college nursing programs are only required if the application deadline differs.
Applicants must provide documentation (official lab report) of a Quantitative (numerical value) Hepatitis B Surface Antibody Immunity (HbsAb) titer completed within the past 3 years that reflects immunity to the hepatitis B virus. A copy of this lab result must be submitted at the time of application. The HBsAb is a blood test that confirms immunity to hepatitis B virus. LAB REPORTS SIMPLY STATING “NEGATIVE” OR “POSITIVE” ARE NOT ACCEPTED.
- When a student does not demonstrate immunity to hepatitis B, the following MUST be provided at the time of application:
  - Documentation of the previously completed series of 3 immunizations,
  - The original quantitative HbsAb lab report
  - Evidence of having received at least the first booster shot in the second series of three immunizations AFTER the original negative quantitative titer.
- PLEASE NOTE: CDC guidelines recommend that students who are receiving the first hepatitis B vaccine series follow the schedule of immunizations at zero, one and six months and obtain a titer four to six weeks following the third immunization. This entire process takes seven (7) months. Simply getting immunizations/vaccinations without the titers is NOT SUFFICIENT and may prevent students from being admitted to clinical sites.
Complete the American Heart Association (AHA) Basic Life Support for Providers Certification.
Final acceptance into the program is contingent upon a satisfactory FBI background check (completed through the Texas BON) and Social Security number verification. Clinical facilities may also require verification of medical insurance, drug testing, additional immunizations, and other medical requirements.