Nursing A.A.S. 

School Year: 2023–24

Program Entry Semester: Fall, Spring, Summer

Lauri Hughes
Pre-Nursing Advisor PRIOR to Assigned Permanent Advisor

Walk-In Advising by Appointment

Linn Hall, Room 2172

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. 

Schedule Now

Nursing Diploma*

*State and federal aid may be used for the diploma on its own or as part of the degree program above.

Within the scope of practice of the registered nurse, the Kirkwood nursing program graduates will: 

• 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.

Prepare for your new career with an intensive twelve to sixteen week, one-on-one preceptorship with an experienced staff nurse in one of eight local area hospitals. You'll get hands-on clinical experience to create an easier transition to practice, and these preceptorships often lead to full-time positions upon graduation!

Kirkwood ADN (RN) graduates are well prepared to successfully pass the NCLEX-RN. Over the past four years, more than 94 percent of our graduates have passed the exam. Current NCLEX-RN rates for all nursing programs in the state of Iowa are published on the Iowa Board of Nursing website.

If you are planning to work outside of the state of Iowa, please meet with the Dean of Nursing to make sure you are familiar with Nursing licensure requirements of that particular state. For more information, visit the National Council of State Boards of Nursing website.

The Kirkwood Community College, Associate Degree in Nursing program is pursuing accreditation from the National League for Nursing Commission for Nursing Education Accreditation (NLN CNEA), located at 2600 Virginia Avenue, NW, 8th Floor, Washington, DC 20037; phone 202-909-2526. Interested parties are invited to submit third-party comments in writing directly to NLN CNEA, attention Lesleyan Jackson (ljackson@nln.org), NLN CNEA Manager, Accreditation Services, no later than September 1, 2021.