School Year: 2025–26

Program Entry Semester: Fall, Spring, Summer

Nursing A.A.S. 

School Year: 2024–25

Program Entry Semester: Fall, Spring, Summer

Nursing A.A.S. 

School Year: 2025–26

Program Entry Semester: Fall, Spring, Summer

You are required to wear your scrubs to the first day of lab. All items listed are available for purchase at the Main Campus Bookstore.

Nursing Patch: It must be worn on the left side of the scrub top.

Nursing Scrubs: Scrub tops and bottoms must match exactly.

Scrub Color: The scrub color must be Galaxy Blue. Purchase the same brand for both as dyes may vary and the top and bottoms must match. It is recommended to purchase two sets of scrubs as they are required for Clinic, Lab, and SIM, and these are often scheduled two days in a row.

Top: The unisex and female tops are the two styles allowed for Kirkwood Nursing Students.

Pant: Any straight leg (no cuff) scrub pant is acceptable as long as it fits well and is hemmed if needed. Pant hems should not touch or drag on the floor.

Jacket: A Unisex White Jacket is optional.

Shoes: Must be clean, have an enclosed heel and toe, rubber soled, with no holes in the top (athletic shoes are allowed), with no neon or extreme colors or patterns. Shoes must be worn with white or neutral color socks or stockings that coordinate with the scrubs and without ornamentation.

Kirkwood Clinic ID: Nursing student clinical ID badge is obtained at the Eaglecard office in the Allsop Computer Lab, Neilson Hall Room 131. Scrub top must be worn in ID picture. Cost is $10.

Students accepted into the Nursing program are required to have their own personal laptop computer, required software, and other equipment. All required technology is available for purchase at Eagle Tech on Main Campus.

Lauri Hughes
Pre-Nursing Advisor PRIOR to Assigned Permanent Advisor

If you are new to nursing, looking for more information about Kirkwood's Nursing program, or have not been assigned an advisor yet, self-schedule a meeting with Lauri by clicking the button below. Meetings with Lauri can be done via Zoom, phone, or in person.

Schedule Now

Students in any of the 15 health programs are encouraged to join the Kirkwood chapter of HOSA, a global student-led organization exclusively for students enrolled in health science education and biomedical science programs or have interests in pursuing careers in health professions.

HOSA is one of eight recognized members of the National Coordinating Council for Career and Technical Student Organizations (NCC-CTSO). CTSOs are co-curricular groups that help students in career and technical education programs further their knowledge and skills by participating in activities, events, and competitions.

To learn more about HOSA please email the faculty advisor, Laurie Simmons at laurie.simmons@kirkwood.edu. 

Nursing is the largest health care profession in the United States. The Bureau of Labor and Statistics indicates that employment among registered nurses will grow by 6% through 2023 to 2033. About 194,500 openings for registered nurses are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire. Employment opportunities for licensed practical nurses are also projected to grow, with a projected increase of 3% each year through 2033.

Explore Careers

All students new to Kirkwood's nursing program are required to attend a program conference. You should register and attend a program conference prior to or during your first semester of prerequisites (the program conference is a prerequisite for Introduction to Nursing).

The conference allows you to learn more about the program and specific admissions requirements. You'll also get the opportunity to have any questions answered by a nursing advisor.

You'll need your k-number and password to register.

Register for the Nursing Program Conference

NOTE: All nursing program conferences expire after two years. As a prerequisite, your conference date must be valid through the beginning of the technical portion of the program.

Successful completion of this program leads to a professional licensure or certification. View the state listing guide to identify which states Kirkwood’s program fulfills state guidelines for professional licensure and certification.

If you are planning to move permanently to another state right after graduation, you should call the Nursing office at 319-398-5613 and schedule a meeting with the Department Coordinator to ensure all license by examination requirements for that state are met.

If you temporarily travel to a state to assist in a disaster to work as an agency or travel RN, you can work in many/most states on your Iowa multi-state or “Compact” license or obtain a license by endorsement from that state.

• The Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) allows a nurse who resides in a compact state to hold one license in the nurse's primary state of residence and practice in all other states in which the compact is in effect
• Primary state of residence is where you hold your driver's license, pay taxes, and/or vote
• View a list of NLC states
• NLC fact sheet for new graduates

Nursing Student Handbook

Kirkwood's nursing program mission is to guide, advise, and educate caring and competent nurses for the future.

Program Outcomes

• Patient-Centered Care: Provide compassionate patient-centered care to meet client physical, psychological, cultural, and spiritual needs within the context of the family and the community.
• Interdisciplinary Collaboration: Collaborate with members of the interdisciplinary health care team to ensure the provision of safe, quality, effective care through the use of communication and relationship–building skills.
• Evidence-Based Practice: Use systematic assessment, critical analysis, and application of best evidence and practices to implement evidence-based health promotion, prevention, and condition management to optimize patient, family, and population health.
• Quality Improvement: Participate in the development and implementation of health care organization quality improvements.
•  Safety: Implement safe care practices for patients, families, communities, and members of the health care team.
•  Informatics: Utilize electronic medical records, intranet and Internet resources, and other informatics resources and tools to make informed clinical decisions.
• Patient Self-Management: Facilitate patient self-management of health through planned education coordinated across the continuum of care to promote health, prevent illness, and manage health care conditions in the context of the family and the community.
• Professionalism: Perform all activities ethically and with integrity, always demonstrating a commitment to provide evidence-based, safe, quality, compassionate care for diverse patients, families, and communities.
• Leadership: Develop and use leadership skills to organize, motivate, and inspire health care team members to provide safe, quality, effective, and efficient patient care.