Associate Nursing Degree – Borough of Manhattan Community College

Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC) offers an Associate degree in

Applied Science of Nursing. The program is a total of 65 credits that can be completed in 5
semesters as a full-time student. This program is in the state of New York. To enter the nursing
program a passing Heath Education System Incorporated Admission Assessment (HESI A2) test
score is needed as well.
According to the program brochure, the mission is to “serve student of diverse
backgrounds, by providing them with an education that prepares them for the place of work and
beyond the associate degree.” This is in line with the definition of a program mission by Billings
& Halstead (2013) where a vision is defined as a “narrative statement of values and beliefs.” An
aspect of the mission that is admirable is that the program promotes further education by having
articulation agreements for four-year nursing programs so the nursing graduates can continue to
obtain advanced degrees. This way the students can seemly transition into bachelors' programs.
According to Billings & Halstead (2013) the mission statement of a program describes why the
institution exists. BMCC’s program mission and learning outcome is to prepare graduates for the
professional role of registered nurse at the entry level after meeting the educational requirements
to take the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurse (NCLEX-RN)
(Borough of Manhattan Community College of the City University of New York, 2021).
The latest data available regarding the passing rate of the NCLEX for BMCC is as follow: in
2020, the 81 students in the daytime program had a passing rate of 89.1% and of the 38 students
of the nighttime program, there was 92.1% passing rate. This information is readily available on
the school’s website. The average passing rate for BMCC is higher than the state of New York
which was 74.4% for 2020 (Office of the Professions, 2021). BMCC also has a higher national
rate. According to NCSBN (2021), the passing rate in the United States for associate degree
nursing (ADN) programs is 78.78%.
The progression of the program focuses on courses needed for associate degree of science.
Under the college website, there is a description of the progression of classes. The first semester
Student would take level 100 English, Mathematics for Health Sciences, Psychology and
Anatomy and Physiology 1. Nursing program hopefuls would take the HESI A2 and with a
passing score apply to enter the nursing program. Only one nursing class can be taken per
semester. Along with the first nursing main class, students would take Anatomy and Physiology
level 2. With the second main nursing class, students would take Microbiology. Along with the
third main nursing class, they student would Level 200 English. This will complete the non-core
nursing classes.
The number of credits for the nursing courses are 26 credits divided into four main classes and
one minor class. The four main classes are (in order): Fundamentals of Nursing Care, Obstetrical
and Psychiatric Nursing care, Pediatric and Basic Medical-Surgical Nursing care and Advance
Medical Surgical Nursing. The minor class is Professional Issues in Contemporary Nursing
Practice. This last course focuses on nursing practice issues, challenges and current trends. All
four main nursing courses are eight credits each which are divided into four hours of class time
and 12 hours of lab time, 8 of which are spent in a hospital setting and the rest in a school
simulation laboratory. Main nursing classes are taken by themselves except for the Professional
Issues in Contemporary Nursing Practice that can be taken along the last Advance Medical
Surgical Nursing class (Borough of Manhattan Community College of the City University of
New York, 2021).
This associate degree program is accredited by the Accreditation Commission of
Education in Nursing (ACEN). The information is available in the pdf file of the nursing
handbook. Also, under the “News” section of the college, it was announced that the college
received re-ACEN accreditation in 2021 until 2027 (BMCC, 2020).
Leadership in ADN programs
Standard 15 under the American Nurses Association Scope and Standard of Practice list
leadership as a standard describing a competent level of behavior in the nursing professional role
(Borough of Manhattan Community College of the City University of New York, 2021).
Preparation for nursing leadership has traditionally been delegated to baccalaureate, masters, and
advanced nursing programs. However, associate degree nurses are expected to perform at the
same level as more advanced educated nurses. In a study by Mbewe & Jones (2015), nurses from
ADN programs were surveyed and found that they perceived that they were not educationally
prepared to assume the role as managers and leaders in nursing practice. They also felt that the
ADN program did not adequately prepare them to have a strong professional identity.
The study suggests that nursing faculty needs to be creative and create opportunities for the
students to find themselves in leadership roles throughout the curriculum. This can be
accomplished by role-playing, simulation and management-specific case studies and activities
(Mbewe & Jones, 2015). Assignments where nursing students act as leaders can boost their
confidence. In order to develop the students professionally, it’s suggested that ADN nursing
programs identify organizations, volunteer opportunities, and conferences that would help them
understand their professional identity as nurses.

References
Billings DM. & Halstead, JA. (2013). Teaching in nursing: A guide for faculty, (6th ed., pp. 107-
108). St. Louis, MO: Elsevier.
Borough of Manhattan Community College of the City University of New York. (2021).
Nursing Department Associate in Applied Science Degree Student Handbook.
https://www.bmcc.cuny.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Nursing-Students-Handbook-FALL-
2021.pdf
Borough of Manhattan Community College. (2020, October 14). BMCC Nursing Program
Received Re-Accreditation from ACEN. https://www.bmcc.cuny.edu/news/bmcc-nursing-
program-receives-re-accreditation-from-acen/
Mbewe, C. & Jones, M. (2015). Does associate degree curricula adequately prepare nurses for
leadership roles? Medsurg Nursing, 25, 1-13. http://www.ajj.com/services/publication-services
Office of the Professions. (2021, August 13). New York State PN NCLEX Results 2018-2022.
http://www.op.nysed.gov/prof/nurse/nclexpn2018-2022.htm
NCSBN (2020). 2021 NCLEX Pass Rates. https://www.ncsbn.org/15858.htm