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Traditional AASN

Associate of Applied Science in Nursing (A.A.S.N.)

College: College of Nursing and Health Professions

Department: Nursing

Degree Availability

The professional portion of the curriculum is four (4) semesters in length, beginning in the spring semester, and is only offered at ASU Mid-South in West Memphis and A-State Jonesboro (starting Spring 2023).  Effective Spring 2023 this program is no longer offered at ASU Mountain Home.

Description

The Associate of Applied Science in Nursing (AASN) graduate is prepared to provide and manage direct care to individuals with common well-defined problems. The AASN graduate functions as a team member using nursing diagnoses and established protocols for individuals in acute care and community-based settings. Additionally, the graduate participates as a member of the profession in appropriate specialty and politically focused nursing organizations

Career opportunities include a variety of work settings such as hospitals, clinics, home health environments, schools, industries, rehabilitation facilities, nursing homes and public health units.

Curriculum

Curriculum and degree requirements can be found in the most current Undergraduate Bulletin.

Undergraduate Bulletin Reference
2024-25 Undergraduate Bulletin Click here.
2023-24 Undergraduate Bulletin Click here.
2022-23 Undergraduate Bulletin Click here.
Visit the bulletins page >>
  • Prerequisites

    Prerequisite requirements for application to the Traditional AASN degree program include:

    • Cumulative GPA of 2.00 including all college credits
    • Completion of required courses

    The courses required prior to acceptance into the AASN degree program can be found in the most current Undergraduate Bulletin.

    Prerequisites include the following courses:

    • BIO 2203 AND 2201, Human Anatomy and Physiology I and Laboratory
    • ENG 1003, Composition I
    • MATH 1023, College Algebra (or MATH course that requires MATH 1023 as a prerequisite)
    The required courses can be found in the most current Undergraduate Bulletin.
    All required courses must be completed with a minimum "C" in each course.
  • Admission Process

    Limited Positions Available

    Acceptance to the University does not guarantee admission to any nursing program.


    How to Apply

    Class size is limited and all applicants may not be accepted into the program. Interested individuals are encouraged to seek an advisor early in their college career to ensure that all prerequisite courses are completed in a timely manner.

    Applicants for admission will be ranked according to application completeness, the GPA of the 10 hours of prerequisites and admission test score. Consideration will be given to students completing prerequisite courses by the end of the Fall semester.

    Based on recent legislation in Arkansas, students admitted to professional programs that lead to licensure upon graduation are required to have a successful background check to complete formal admission. 

    Online applications will be available August 31st - October 15th.

    Applicants Must Complete

    1. Admission to Arkansas State University
    2. Online application for Admission to the School of Nursing available August 31st.  Link to apply is on the School of Nursing website (when available). Application checklist: Click Here
    3. Take the HESI A2 admission exam. Link is on the School of Nursing website (when available). Payment for admission exam is non-refundable. You are only allowed to take admission exam once per academic year. Admission exam is a timed exam, with a 3-hour time limit and will cover three sections - Critical Thinking, Reading Comprehension and Anatomy & Physiology. E-mail Brenda Goodwin for more information.
    4. Take Smarter Measure Assessment. The link, username and password will be provided after you have completed the application. You will only be allowed to take the assessment once per application session. This online readiness tool helps indicate the degree to which distance learning and/or learning in a technology rich environment will be a good fit for the student. This assessment requires students to answer questions and complete a few activities. It takes about 35 minutes to complete. Competencies measured are: reading rate and recall, technical competency, technical knowledge, typing speed and accuracy.
    5. Official Transcripts: Submit official transcripts showing all college work completed, including grades on courses taken in the last semester of enrollment to the Registrar's Office (PO Box 1570, State University AR 72467).  
    6. Submit a list of currently enrolled prerequisite coursework with application.
    7. Documentation of English proficiency, if applicable.

    Questions?

    For questions or for more information, contact:

    Application Process/Questions:

    Mary Trammell

    mtrammell@astate.edu

    2000 W Broadway, West Memphis AR 72301

    (870)733-6031 

    Advising/Pre-requisite Questions:  

    Pre-Nursing Advisor

    nursinginfo@astate.edu 

    P.O. Box 910 State University, AR 72467

    (870) 972-3074

  • Application: Traditional

    Admission Exam

    Admission testing will be required for the Traditional AASN Program. Test dates and times are listed below. Testing will have a 3 hour time limit. Please DO NOT pay for the exam unless you are making application to the Traditional AASN Program. The payment is non-refundable. Due to limited testing space, you may only test once per admission cycle. 

    Link to register is on the School of Nursing website (when available)

    Study Guide

    A study guide is available from Elsevier for the HESI A2 exam. 

    Note:  the following exams will be administered for the Traditional AASN program: Critical Thinking, Reading Comprehension and Anatomy & Physiology.  

    Program Application

    Program applications for the Traditional AASN program will be available August 31st - October 15th and will be available on the School of Nursing website

  • Program Statistics

    AASN Pass Rates

    • 2021 - 68.6%
    • 2020 - 82.4%
    • 2019 - 91.4%
    • 2018 - 81.1%
    • 2017 - 81.9%
  • Application: Readmit / Transfer

    For students seeking readmission to an A-State Nursing program or you would like to transfer to A-State from another School of Nursing:

    Requirements

    Students seeking readmission or transferring from another school to the AASN nursing programs are required to pass a standardized test created from the objectives of the courses successfully completed in previous semesters.

    Criteria for readmission to the undergraduate nursing programs includes:

    • Complete readmission packet 
    • Recommendation of faculty;
    • Passing score (75%) on the standardized assessment test(s) of courses previously passed;
    • Cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0; and
    • Space availability in the class

    Readmission applications and information on scheduling a testing date are located on the School of Nursing website each semester.

    The cost of the readmission test is $50.00 and will be the responsibility of the student.

      Please email NRStesting@AState.edu with any questions.

      Readmission/Transfer Deadline

      Program applications for transfers and readmission will be available (Fall) April 30th - June 7th and (Spring) August 31st - October 15th.

    • Licensure Information

      RN Licensure

      Upon completion of this program, the student is eligible to apply for licensure as a Registered Nurse.

      A first-time applicant for any license with the Arkansas State Board of Nursing will be required to have a state and national background check. Any offenses identified in section §17-87-312 of the Nurse Practice Act may prohibit a graduate from obtaining a license to practice as a Registered Nurse in the State of Arkansas. Although an appeal may be possible there are offenses that permanently disqualify an applicant from licensure.

      The Nurse Practice Act may be viewed on the Arkansas State Board of Nursing website www.arsbn.org or on the nursing website.

    • Additional Documentation
      • Students admitted will be required to supply additional documentation, including current CPR certification, Hepatitis B immunizations, TB skin test or chest x-ray, tetanus and MMR and proof of professional liability insurance (minimum $1,000,000/$6,000,000).

      • Based on recent legislation in Arkansas, students admitted to professional programs that lead to licensure upon graduation are required to have a successful background check to complete formal admission. 


    Questions

    For general questions and program information, please contact:
    Jonesboro 
    Rochelle Morris, pre-nursing advisor
    (870) 972-3074
    *Effective Spring 2023, the traditional AASN Program will be offered a the Jonesboro Campus

    For campus and application-specific questions contact the following:

    ASU-West Memphis 
    Mary Trammell
    (870) 733-6031

    *Mountain Home Campus - Effective Spring 2023 this program will no longer be offered on this campus

    Affirmation

    The School of Nursing affirms that all students enrolled in the AASN program must possess those intellectual, ethical, physical and emotional capabilities required to undertake the full curriculum and to achieve the levels of competence required by the faculty for safe professional practice. The criteria are included in the Nursing Student Handbook and are attached to the application for admission.

    Accredited by ACEN

    ACEN LogoThe AASN program is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, 3390 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 1400, Atlanta, GA 30326, Telephone: (404) 975-5000, http://acenursing.org/.

    The AASN program is also approved by the Arkansas State Board of Nursing.