The Associate Degree Registered Nursing Program at Bellingham Technical College located in Bellingham, WA is accredited by the: Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN)
3390 Peachtree Rd. NE, Suite 1400 Atlanta, GA 30326
404.975.5000
www.acenursing.org
If you’re interested in building a rewarding career in the high-demand field of nursing, then Bellingham Technical College’s Nursing Program is for you!
Attend an online 2022/2023 Nursing Application Window Info Session on May 26, 2022 and learn about our Nursing Application process and deadlines.
The Bellingham Technical College Nursing Program is the largest nursing program in the region and has been educating nurses since 1954. The registered nursing program is nationally accredited through the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) and is a concept-based Associate Degree in Nursing Direct Transfer Agreement/Major Ready Pathway (DTA/MRP). Academic preparation includes core courses in arts and sciences and those focusing on basic nursing skills and knowledge.
There is one Nursing Program at BTC which has three program options, Registered Nursing (RN), LPN-RN, and Practical Nursing (PN). The two-year registered nurse associate degree is intended for students new to the nursing field and is a full-time option only. Advanced placement students who are Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) are admitted into the part-time, evening LPN-RN option to complete the DTA/MRP associate degree. Students who graduate from the two-year full-time RN and LPN-RN pathway are eligible to sit for the National Council Licensure Examination – Registered Nurse (NCLEX-RN). The third program option is the Practical Nursing Certificate. This pathway is designed for students interested in becoming a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) and looking for a part-time option that better meets their needs. Upon competition of the PN Certificate program graduates are eligible to sit for the National Council Licensure Examination – Practical Nurse (NCLEX-PN).
Nursing Student Handbook 2021-2022
Note: BTC has not made a determination that the Nursing Program curriculum meets educational requirements for licensure/certification outside of Washington State. We encourage students who plan to work out-of-state to check relevant local licensure/certification requirements.
The BTC Nursing Program is approved by the Washington State Nursing Care Quality Assurance Commission (NCQAC).
PO Box 47864
Olympia, WA 98504
360.236.4700
Data are provided on a program (not credential) level
87%3 BTC in-field graduate placement rate (faculty-tracked, national)
$69,235 starting annual wage2
$82,199 average annual wage2
$99,394 potential annual wage2
Program fees address distinct and specified costs such as lab assistants, supplies, materials, equipment, rentals, software licensing, replacement and upgrade, maintenance, and other operational costs.
Students interested in the Nursing program should apply to the college and contact Admissions at 360.752.8345 or at admissions@btc.edu for assistance with getting started at BTC. A college application and your score on assessment testing and/or previous transcripts will determine where you begin your course sequence.
This pathway is designed for students new to the nursing field who wish to complete their associate degree full-time. The two-year, full-time RN Program enters sixty students into three cohorts each academic year using the Annual Program List-Nursing (ALP-N) process. The admissions process information can be found on the checklist and FAQ.
2-Year Nursing DTA Admissions Checklist
2-Year Nursing DTA Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) 2022-2023
Applications for the 2021-2022 academic year are no longer being accepted. The 2022-2023 Application Window will open 10:00am Tuesday July 12, 2022. Link to the online application will be posted on the website at that time.
The BTC Nursing Program is educating our students in-person again. Please be aware that this is not an online program.
Students will be required to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19. To be considered fully vaccinated, two weeks must have passed since the date of the second dose or first dose for the one-dose vaccine. The program’s clinical partner agencies will not accept any exemption to full COVID-19 vaccination.
The Bellingham Technical College Nursing Program is not able to accept advance placement students that are not Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs).
Applicants must score at the "PROFICIENT" level or higher in each of the four areas on one transcript. See the ATI Test of Essential Academic Skills handout for more information about this entrance assessment.
Students can take the TEAS through the BTC Assessment Center or remotely through ATI.
Registration Directions for TEAS at ATI
Deadline to submit ATI TEAS scores for the 2022-2023 Application Window is 5:00pm June 30, 2022.
Experience in healthcare may be demonstrated by certification or training in an allied healthcare field within the last five years. Other experience will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis by program staff. Do not turn in original certificates or licenses. Please follow the instructions on the form regarding which documentation to submit. Healthcare experience must be approved by the program prior to applying.
Healthcare Experience Verification Form (For DTA/MRP 2-year Program & PN Cert Entry Only)
Deadline to submit Healthcare Experience Verification forms for the 2022-2023 Application Window is 5:00pm June 30, 2022.
Applicants with previously approved Healthcare Experience Verifications forms do not need to re-submit.
ALL COURSES MUST BE A MINIMUM OF 5 QUARTER CREDITS OR 3 SEMESTER CREDITS
The following courses must be completed with a B (3.0) or higher in each course:
The following courses must be completed with a C (2.0) or higher in each course
The Transcript Evaluation Process must be complete before apply to the program. See Transfer Student on the BTC website for more information.
Deadline to submit transcripts for evaluation for the 2022-2023 Application Window is 5:00pm June 30, 2022.
AFTER admissions acceptance into the program and prior to beginning program classes students must submit proof of all Clinical Placement Requirements.
This program requires a criminal history background check prior to attending the clinic practicum. Criminal History Background Check Information Sheet
NURS 110 | Introduction to Health Concepts | 4 CR |
NURS 115 | Introduction to Health Concepts- Clinical Lab | 6 CR |
NUTR 115 | Nutrition in Healthcare I | 1 CR |
PHIL 115 | Ethics and Policy in Healthcare I | 1 CR |
PSYC 115 | Psychosocial Issues in Healthcare I | 1 CR |
NURS 120 | Health and Illness Concepts 1 | 5 CR |
NURS 125 | Health & Illness Concepts 1- Clinical Lab | 6 CR |
NUTR 116 | Nutrition in Healthcare II | 1 CR |
PSYC 116 | Psychosocial Issues in Healthcare II | 1 CR |
NURS 130 | Health & Illness Concepts 2 | 3 CR |
NURS 135 | Health & Illness Concepts 2- Clinical Lab | 6 CR |
PSYC 117 | Psychosocial Issues in Healthcare III | 2 CR |
NUTR 117 | Nutrition in Healthcare III | 1 CR |
NURS 210 | Acute Health Concepts | 5 CR |
NURS 215 | Acute Health Concepts- Clinical Lab | 6 CR |
NUTR 215 | Nutrition in Healthcare IV | 1 CR |
PHIL 215 | Ethics & Policy in Healthcare II | 1 CR |
NURS 220 | Complex Health Concepts | 4 CR |
NURS 225 | Complex Health Concepts- Clinical Lab | 6 CR |
NUTR 216 | Nutrition in Healthcare V | 1 CR |
PSYC 215 | Psychosocial Issues in Healthcare IV | 1 CR |
NURS 230 | Professional Nursing Concepts | 3 CR |
NURS 235 | Professional Nursing Concepts- Clinical Lab | 6 CR |
PHIL 216 | Ethics & Policy in Healthcare III | 3 CR |
BIOL& 160 | General Biology w/Lab | 5 CR |
BIOL& 241 | Human A & P 1 | 5 CR |
BIOL& 242 | Human A & P 2 | 5 CR |
BIOL& 260 | Microbiology | 5 CR |
CHEM& 121 | Introduction to Chemistry | 5 CR |
ENGL& 101 | English Composition I | 5 CR |
MATH& 146 | Introduction to Statistics | 5 CR |
PSYC& 100 | General Psychology | 5 CR |
PSYC& 200 | Lifespan Psychology | 5 CR |
Communications (elective) | 5 CR |
Humanities (electives) | 10 CR |
The BTC Associate Degree Nursing graduate will be able to:
Nursing Care: Integrate the nursing process to deliver individualized culturally competent care.
Self-Care Promotion: Formulate strategies to promote the health of self and others.
Professionalism: Model integrity through professional boundaries, ethical behaviors, and respectful communication.
Collaborative Leadership: Maximize positive health outcomes through the promotion of evidence-based clinical care within the interdisciplinary team.
Clinical Judgment: Model safe nursing care by integrating critical thinking, evidence-based practice, and prioritization.
2021
1st Quarter - 14/14 100%
2nd Quarter - 19/19 100%
3rd Quarter - 18/19 95%
4th Quarter - not available yet
Aggregate - not available yet
2020
1st Quarter - 15/17 88%
2nd Quarter - 19/19 100%
3rd Quarter - 20/20 100%
4th Quarter - 18/19 95%
Aggregate - 96%
2019
1st Quarter - 17/18 94%
2nd Quarter - 17/18 94%
3rd Quarter - 18/19 95%
4th Quarter - 0/0
Aggregate - 94%
2018
1st Quarter - 17/17 100%
2nd Quarter - 16/16 100%
3rd Quarter - 18/19 95%
4th Quarter - 1/1 100%
Aggregate - 99%
2017
1st Quarter - 16/17 94%
2nd Quarter - 16/22 73%
3rd Quarter - 19/20 95%
4th Quarter - 3/3 100%
Aggregate - 91%
Cohort (Grad month/year) - 12/21
19 began, 17 graduated
89% Retention
Cohort (Grad month/year) - 06/21
19 began, 17 graduated
89% Retention
Cohort (Grad month/year) - 03/21
19 began, 15 graduated
79% Retention
Cohort (Grad month/year) - 12/20
20 began, 12 graduated
60% Retention
Cohort (Grad month/year) - 08/20 (LPN-RN)
20 began, 19 graduated
95% Retention
Cohort (Grad month/year) - 06/20
19 began, 17 graduated
89% Retention
Cohort (Grad month/year) - 03/20
20 began, 19 graduated
95% Retention
Cohort (Grad month/year) - 12/19
21 began, 15 graduated
71% Retention
Cohort (Grad month/year) - 06/19
20 began, 19 graduated
95% Retention
Cohort (Grad month/year) - 03/19
21 began, 18 graduated
86% Retention
Cohort (Grad month/year) - 12/18
20 began, 18 graduated
90% Retention
Cohort (Grad month/year) - 06/18*
20 began, 19 graduated
95% Retention
Cohort (Grad month/year) - 03/18*
21 began, 16 graduated
76% Retention
Cohort (Grad month/year) - 12/17*
20 began, 18 graduated*
90% Retention
Cohort (Grad month/year) - 06/17*
22 began, 20 graduated*
91% Retention
Cohort (Grad month/year) - 03/17*
22 began, 21 graduated
95% Retention
*Number began and graduated within 150% of allotted time
2021-2022
Data pending
2020-2021
94% employed 9 months after graduation
2019-2020
98% employed 9 months after graduation
2018-2019
100% employed 9 months after graduation
2017-2018
85% employed 9 months after graduation
2016-2017
95% employed 9 months after graduation
Registered Nurses are the most advertised job online in Whatcom county. As the Baby Boomer population ages, the number of healthcare jobs in our community and beyond is rapidly growing. The demand for nursing program graduates is high: 97 percent of Bellingham Technical College Nursing Program students have jobs within nine months of graduating. The average annual wage in this field is $78,666, with an earning potential of about $96,658 per year.
BTC graduates are highly sought after by employers in our region and beyond. Graduates of BTC find top jobs in a variety of healthcare settings, including acute care hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, assisted living, skilled home care, hospice, clinics, day-surgery centers, schools, and public health.
Many of the Nursing Program graduates go on to complete their Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). The DTA/MRP degree that BTC offers allows graduates to seamlessly transfer to WA State RN-BSN programs. A BTC Associate Degree in Nursing is the first step on a path to further career advancement towards a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) or a doctoral degree.
Diana began as a nursing instructor at Bellingham Technical College in 2010. She has worked as a nurse in many settings in both Whatcom and Skagit County. Areas of experience include Acute Care, Long Term Care, Labor and Delivery, Postpartum, Health Clinics, Camp Nurse, and School Nurse. Diana began her nursing education at Skagit Valley College, and completed her Master of Nursing degree at University of Washington Bothell. Her research and projects focus on improving the health of student nurses and clients by promoting exercise and a plant strong diet.
Tiffany began her nursing career as an LPN while immediately working toward her BSN. She graduated from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in 2005. She completed graduate school at Western Governor's University with a MSN-Ed in 2015 followed by earning her national certification as a Certified Nurse Educator (CNE) in 2016.
Nursing Support Specialist - Advising for all Nursing and Pre-Nursing Master of Education Bachelor of Science – Mathematics I am a dedicated, goal oriented, team player with eight years’ experience teaching and four years teaching Middle School Summer School, three years running an After School Homework Center, and four years as an Accounting Clerk. I have been a Site Team Chair, Mathematics Head Chair, and the Middle School and High School Curriculum Director for Mathematics. I like challenges and finding solutions to them. I thrive on providing excellence in all areas of my job. My undergraduate schooling was completed at Faulkner University in Montgomery, Alabama where I earned a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Mathematics and was awarded one of four of the University’s top awards, the George S. Benson Citizenship Award for Outstanding Contribution in Academics and Athletics. I have completed my Master of Education Degree and Teaching Certification in Secondary Education at Western Washington University in Bellingham, Washington
Natasha graduated with an associate degree in Nursing from Olympic College. She went on to complete her bachelor’s and Masters in Nursing from Washington State University. She is currently working on her PhD in Nursing at Washington State University. She has worked as an RN since 2015. During this time, she has worked on a medical-surgical unit and obtained her Medical-Surgical Nursing certification. She went on to work in the float pool covering units such as psych, med-surg, rehab, oncology, and neurology. Her most recent nursing experience has been with a Progressive Care Unit, where she obtained her progressive care certification.
Patrick Harris became a nursing instructor at Bellingham Technical College in 2021. He is currently the course lead for NURS 210/215. Prior to relocating to Washington, he worked for five years as a nursing instructor at Umpqua Community College (UCC) in Roseburg, Oregon. Patrick obtained his Associates of Applied Science in Nursing at Umpqua Community College in 2004 and his Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 2006 at Kaplan University. He received his Master of Science in Nursing in 2017 through Western Governors University while working as a nursing instructor at UCC. Patrick has worked as a Registered Nurse since 2004, primarily in the emergency department with stints on the medical/surgical unit and in the cardiac cath lab. Patrick was a CNA and LPN prior to receiving his RN licensure. He worked in emergency departments in Oregon as both a traveling nurse as well as a full-time employee. He has worked in a variety of hospitals, ranging from a rural critical access hospital on the Oregon coast to a large hospital in Portland. He fulfilled a dream of his by working in Anchorage, Alaska as a traveling nurse prior to accepting a full time teaching job at UCC. He continued to work part time in the emergency department after becoming a nursing instructor.
Mary Curran has experience in providing nursing care in a variety of settings. Mary began her pursuit in the field of nursing at Bellingham Technical College by completing the nursing assistant program in 1991 and practical nursing program in 1993. The solid nursing foundation gained at Bellingham Technical College laid the ground work for her journey in nursing. Working at each level Mary continued her nursing education: Associate's Degree in Nursing, Bachelor's Degree in Nursing, and Master's Degree in Nursing. Mary is dedicated to quality nursing care and education through role modeling.
Holly Kennedy has a Master's Degree in Nursing from the University of Washington and a Certificate from the University of Washington in Nurse Educator Specialty Training. She has over 27 years of experience providing nursing care to patients in a variety of settings. Her background includes acute care hospitals, home health, home infusion, industry, Sara Lee Corporation, American Red Cross and medical office nursing. Holly Kennedy has over 9 years experience as a medical office nurse and clinic coordinator. She is committed to nursing education and facilitating the best experience possible for students in the clinical setting.