Nursing Program
Most LCCC HSW students must complete clinical rotations for program completion. These clinical rotations occur in clinical settings with clinical sites that have agreed to provide these educational experiences for LCCC students. In order to ensure the safest environment possible for their patients and staff, many of these clinical settings have included COVID-19 in their list of clinical clearance requirements, with limited exemptions available for students and employees. Because all clinical hours and/or clinical competencies must be completed to meet program requirements, this means you may be required to receive the COVID-19 vaccination or have an approved exemption on file to enter and/or progress in the Nursing program. For additional information, regarding these requirements, please see the Health Sciences & Wellness Policies Handbook, Addendum and the Clinical Site COVID-19 FAQs.
What will I learn?
Are you ready to positively impact people's live through care and comfort, knowledge and experience?
LCCC's nursing program includes a balance of general education and nursing courses that provide the knowledge and skills needed to function as beginning practitioners of nursing. These courses include anatomy, physiology, microbiology and nursing among others. Students receive classroom instruction and coordinated clinical experience in the nursing care of patients in health care settings under the supervision and guidance of the nursing faculty.
The Nursing Program offers multiple options for study:
Course
After successfully completing the CNA course, the student earns a certificate and is eligible to take the Prometric Nurse Aide exam to become a licensed Certified Nurse Assistant. Verification of immunizations, CPR certification and a satisfactory background check is required. Anyone interested in becoming a CNA can take this course.
Available at the Cheyenne main campus.
What can I do with this degree?
CNAs work in hospitals, home healthcare services and nursing care facilities.
Visit Career Coach for additional information about Nursing Assistants.
Visit Career Coach for additional information about Home Health Aides.
Visit LCCC's Career Resources to find tools for selecting the right program for you and marketing yourself to future employers.
Certificate of Completion
The LCCC Practical Nursing Program is designed as an additional program option – resulting in a certificate of completion for students with patient care experience as a Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) wishing to expand their skills and knowledge in patient care. This intensive three-semester program, not including prerequisite courses, is a balance of general education and nursing courses that provide students with the knowledge and skills needed to function as beginning practitioners of nursing. Students receive instruction in a hybrid/online on a schedule/online anytime platform alongside in-person clinical experiences in the nursing care of patients in health care settings under the supervision and guidance of the nursing faculty and preceptors. This program can be completed at a distance with short on-campus residencies required each semester.
Available at the Cheyenne main campus and online.
What can I do with this degree?
Nurses work in hospitals, physicians' offices, home healthcare services, and nursing care facilities. Others work in outpatient clinics and schools, or serve in the military.
Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN)
This four-semester program (after a semester of prerequisites and acceptance into the program) is part of the statewide nursing curriculum Revolutionizing Nursing Education in Wyoming (ReNEW) which is designed as a baccalaureate curriculum with an ADN benchmark allowing students to sit for the NCLEX-RN (licensure exam) at the completion of the fourth semester. This curriculum allows for students to complete an Associate Degree in Nursing, gain RN licensure and employment, and then to transition seamlessly into the University of Wyoming for to complete the RN-BSN (Bachelor's) degree in as little as 1 semester.
The nursing curriculum at Laramie County Community College is a leveled educational program to facilitate career mobility. The first two semesters provide a foundation for progression in the field of nursing and prepare the student to enter the second level of the nursing curriculum. At this point, after completion of the prerequisites and the first two semesters of the program, a student will earn a Certificate in Nursing and will have completed IV-Certification. Students may choose to take the National Council Licensure Exam (NCLEX-PN) and attain licensure as a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN).
Students receive classroom instruction and coordinated clinical experience in the nursing care of patients in a variety of health care settings under the supervision and guidance of the nursing faculty. Clinical sites are located in communities across the LCCC service area and travel will be required.
Applications to the program are available the semester prior to admission and are submitted according to the application, which may be obtained at the website lccc.wy.edu/programs/nursing.
Prerequisite courses must be completed with a grade of "C" or better. Students are encouraged to contact the Student Success Coaches and ask for the Nursing Program Coach for program-specific questions. Current Nursing students should refer to the respective catalog in which they began the Nursing program. Admission to the LCCC Nursing Program is competitive and students must be in satisfactory academic standing. A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher for all completed courses listed in the nursing curriculum is required for admission to the nursing program.
Upon completion of the program, the graduate earns an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) and is eligible to take the National Council Licensure Exam (NCLEX-RN) and attain licensure as a Registered Nurse (RN).
Available at the Cheyenne main campus.
What can I do with this degree?
Nurses work in hospitals, physicians' offices, home healthcare services, and nursing care facilities. Others work in outpatient clinics and schools, or serve in the military.
Visit Career Coach for additional information about Clinical Nurse Specialists.
Visit Career Coach for additional information about Critical Care Nurses.
Visit Career Coach for additional information about Acute Care Nurses.
Visit LCCC's Career Resources to find tools for selecting the right program for you and marketing yourself to future employers.
Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN)
This option is for LPNs. Those who have had two consecutive semesters of nursing school, but are not licensed as PNs, must have their transcripts evaluated for eligibility to enter as an Advanced Placement Student. It is offered twice a year. The program is a classroom-based setting to complete two semesters of the nursing program in order to take the NCLEX-RN Exam and become a registered nurse.
Available at the Cheyenne main campus.
What can I do with this degree?
Nurses work in hospitals, physicians' offices, home healthcare services, and nursing care facilities. Others work in outpatient clinics and schools, or serve in the military.
- More and more nurses are completing their baccalaureate degree in nursing (BSN) in order to enhance their employment opportunities, facilitate career advancement and/or prepare for graduate education.
- ReNEW is a shared statewide curriculum providing a streamlined bridge from the associate degree in nursing to the BSN.
- The ReNEW program plan is a four-year, eight semester (not including summers) baccalaureate curriculum that can be completed sooner.
- You can start at one of the Wyoming community colleges and be dually enrolled at the University of Wyoming.
- Upon successful completion of the four-semester (following acceptance) ADN benchmark, you are awarded an associate degree in nursing. With the BSN requirements completed, the BSN Degree can be awarded in as little as 1 semester.
- The courses/clinical experiences needed to complete the BSN are available through the university online.
- The first ReNEW Graduating class was May 2018.
For questions about ReNEW, please contact ReNEW@uwyo.edu or call 307.766.6574.
This program has received full approval as a nursing education program by the following accrediting agencies and national standards boards:
Wyoming State Board of Nursing; 130 Hobbs Avenue, Suite B; Cheyenne, WY 82002; 307.777.7601
Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) ; 3390 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 1400; Atlanta, GA 30326; P: 404.975.5000; F: 202.975.5020; www.ACENursing.org
Outcome being measured: NCLEX-RN Pass Rates
Expected level of achievement: NCLEX-RN will be at 80% or better.
*December graduates test in subsequent year. i.e. Dec. 2019 graduates tested in 2020
| Year | Cohort Average | Annual Average | National ADN Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 |
Dec. 2020 87.87% |
86.89% | 82.48% |
| 2022 |
Dec. 2021 92.31% |
86.79% | 79.90% |
| 2023 |
Dec. 2022 91.66% May 2023 91.30% |
92.0% | 88.56% |
| 2024 |
Dec 2023 100% May 2024 97.06%% |
96.92% | 93.35% |
Outcome being measured: Program Completion
Expected level of achievement: 80% will graduate in 150% of time
| 2021-22 | 2022-23 | 2023-24 |
|---|---|---|
| 100% | 98% | Pending |
Outcome being measured: Job Placement Rates
Expected level of achievement: 95% of new graduates (seeking employment) will be employed within 6 months of graduation
| 2021-22 | 2022-23 | 2023-24 |
|---|---|---|
| 100% | 100% | 100% |
Acceptance into the program is conditional based upon satisfactory completion of a criminal background check and drug screen. Instructions for completion will be provided once a student is accepted into the program.
Students will also be subject to random and for cause drug screening throughout the program. Testing positive on the drug screening or evidence of tampering with a specimen will disqualify a student from participation in a clinical assignment and will result in dismissal from the program.
Certain criminal activity, as evidenced by a criminal background check, may also disqualify a student from clinical participation.
Students are advised that the inability to gain clinical education experiences can result in the inability to meet program objectives and outcomes. These circumstances may prevent acceptance into and/or continuance in the program.
Cost of Attendance
For general college expenses, students should view LCCC’s cost of attendance. Students in the Nursing program have additional estimated clinical course fees of $500* a semester. This is an estimate and may change at any time. Course fees may be higher for nursing when compared to other programs.
Examples of how those fees are used include, but are not limited to, the following:
- ATI Integrated Testing Services
- Equipment and supplies for Skills Laboratory
- Equipment and supplies for the Simulation Laboratory
- Other costs unique to the nursing program