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Associate of Science in Practical Nursing

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DEGREE

Associate of Science in Practical Nursing

Total Credit Hours: 76-77


About Associate of Science in Practical Nursing
The mission of the Nursing and Allied Health Department is to generate locally educated and licensed nurses to work in the various health care provider agencies on Guam and the Pacific region. The Guam Community College Nursing Program is committed to providing career guidance and education in nursing to those students from Guam and the Pacific region who desire to become Practical Nurses. Upon completion of program requirements, students will earn an Associate’s Degree in Practical Nursing and will be eligible to apply and take the National Council Licensure Examination for Practical Nurses (NCLEX-PN). Licensure is granted through the Guam Board of Nurse Examiners.
 

Academic Advising

To ensure success, an academic advisor is available to guide students in our programs. Meeting with our counselors or an academic advisor is the first step in starting an educational plan for any of our programs. The counselors are located in the Student Services & Administration Building 2000. The Nursing Department is located on the second floor of the Anthony A. Leon Guerrero Allied Health Building 3000.

For more information contact the Nursing & Allied Health Department for assistance:
Dorothy-Lou M. Duenas, MSN, RN
Associate Dean of Trades & Professional Services
dorothylou.duenas@guamcc.edu 

Tamara Therese Hiura, NREMT
Program Coordinator II
tamaratherese.hiura@guamcc.edu

Marina Aguilar
Administrative Assistant
marina.aguilar@guamcc.edu


We are now accepting applications for the 2025 LPN Cohort. If you have met all general education requirements, you may click here to apply. 
The deadline to submit applications is January 3, 2025. 

 

REQUIREMENTS TO APPLY FOR THE PROGRAM
Students can declare in the A.S. in Practical Nursing Program, but to enter into the Nursing Cohort (NU Level Courses) you must complete the following:

  • Have a GPA of 2.5 or higher

  • Must take the NLN PAX Exam (Pre-admission Assessment Exam)

  • One Page Essay “Why I Want to Be a Nurse”

  • General Education Requirements are highly recommended to complete before applying into the Nursing Cohort.



 



Below are the required courses for the A.S. in Practical Nursing.
Please see the Nursing & Allied Health Department for more information.
 

General Education Requirements
CourseCourse NameCredits
English (Choose 1)
EN110AFreshman Composition with Instructional Lab4
EN110Freshman Composition3
CourseCourse NameCredits
MA___Mathematics Requirement3-4
SI131/131LHuman Anatomy & Physiology I (3) and Human Anatomy & Physiology I Lab (1)4
CS151Windows Applications3
CO125Introduction to Human Communication and Speech3
PY120General Psychology3
Major Requirements
CourseCourse NameCredits
ED220Human Growth and Development3
HL120Medical Terminology2
HL131Basic Life Support for Health Care Providers1
HL202Nutrition3
NU110Nursing Foundations8
NU160Pharmacology for Practical Nurses5
NU220Adult Medical-Surgical Nursing8
NU230Maternal and Newborn Concepts & Skills3
NU240Pediatric Nursing Concepts & Skills3
NU250Mental Health Nursing3
NU280Nursing Trends1
NU281NCLEX-PN Review and Transition2
NU292Practical Nursing Practicum6
SI106Drug Calculations for Practical Nursing1
SI132/132LHuman Anatomy & Physiology II: Theory (3)/Human Anatomy & Physiology II Lab (1)4
SI150/150LIntroduction to Microbiology: Theory (3)/Introduction to Microbiology Lab (1)4
Program Total76-77


2024-2025 College Catalog
 


Recognizing the necessity for students to succeed in the complex and rapidly changing workplace, Guam Community College offers a general education curriculum that introduces students to major areas of knowledge and methods of inquiry. All degree programs require an interdisciplinary general education component that promotes the development of intellectual skills that enable students to become effective learners and informed citizens. Critical thinking, the use of language and computation, appropriate social skills, global awareness and respect for diverse opinions are among the learning outcomes provided in the general education requirements of each program.

Guam Community College believes that general education provides the academic foundation necessary for students to achieve their life goals. General education is intended to offer students a breadth of quality student learning experiences, encourage their respect for cultural heritage, promote their ethical and responsible social behavior and facilitate their lifelong learning.

The General Education program strives to foster student learning and skill development in civic engagement, critical thinking, understanding of the relationship between the individual and society, information literacy, oral communication, quantitative reasoning, and written communication.

Guam Community College believes that high quality general education opportunities for all citizens are necessary for democratic principles and practices to exist and for a sound economy to flourish. The College continually scrutinizes the general education curriculum in order to assure that all degrees and certificates granted by the College support this vision of general education and that it serves as a means to inspire hope, opportunity and responsibility in all its constituencies.

Requirements for General Education follow the options described below. Students declared prior to fall 2010 will follow the requirements indicated in the applicable catalog in which they first declared their major program at the College.
 

Notes on General Education requirements

Students are advised to check the requirements for their specific programs before taking General Education courses.
Courses chosen to meet the general education requirements may not be used to meet the Major Requirements of a student’s specific degree program.

The list contains courses with pre-requisites, so students should make their choices carefully and thoughtfully. Students may consult a counselor or an academic advisor for guidance in choosing any of the course options listed.


IMPORTANT NOTE: Some programs require different levels of coursework to meet General Education requirements, please review the individual programs for more information.

GENERAL EDUCATION
Scope 1: Skills for and Application of Lifelong Learning
Freshman Composition (Choose one course from the following to meet the required 3-4 credits)
Course #Course NameCredits
EN 110Freshman Composition3
EN110AFreshman Composition with Instructional Lab4
EN 111Writing for Research3
Mathematics (Choose one course from the following to meet the required 3-4 credits)*
Course #Course NameCredits
MA 110AFinite Mathematics3
MA 115Fundamentals of College Algebra3
MA 161ACollege Algebra & Trigonometry I3
*Any college level math will be considered for the completion of this category
Literacy for Life Skills (Choose one course from the following to meet the required 3 credits)
Course #Course NameCredits
CO 110Critical Thinking for Civic Engagement3
CS 151Windows Applications
CS 152Macintosh Applications
Scope 2: Broad Comprehension of the Development of Knowledge, Practice and Interpretation
Humanities & Fine Arts (Choose one course from the following to meet the required 3-4 credits)*
Course #Course NameCredits
ASL 100American Sign Language I4
CH 110Chamorro I4
ED 265Culture & Education in Guam3
CO 125Introduction to Human Communication and Speech3
EN 210Introduction to Literature3
HI 121World Civilization (Pre-historic Time to 1500)3
HI 122World Civilization (1500 to Present Time)3
HI 176Guam History3
HM 110Introduction to Community Services3
HM 201Social Welfare & Development: Global Challenges3
HU 120Pacific Cultures3
HU 220Guam Cultures & Legends3
JA 110Japanese I4
KE 110Korean I4
PI 101Introduction to Philosophy3
TH 101Introduction to the Theater3
VC 101Introduction to Visual Communications3
*Any foreign language, humanities, or fine arts course will be considered for the completion of this category
Natural & Physical Sciences (Choose one course and the corresponding lab from the following to meet the required 4 credits)**
Course #Course NameCredits
SI 101/101LIntroduction to Chemistry: Theory (3) & Introduction to Chemistry Laboratory (1)4
SI 103/103LIntroduction to Marine Biology: Theory (3) & Introduction to Marine Biology Laboratory (1)
SI 105/105LIntroduction to Physical Geology (3) & Introduction to Physical Geology Laboratory (1)
SI 110/110LEnvironmental Biology: Theory (3) & Environmental Biology Laboratory (1)
SI 141Applied Physics I
SI 150/150LIntroduction to Microbiology: Theory (3) & Introduction to Microbiology Laboratory (1)
SI131/131LHuman Anatomy & Physiology I: Theory (3) & Human Anatomy & Physiology I Laboratory (1)
SI132/132LHuman Anatomy & Physiology II: Theory (3) & Human Anatomy & Physiology II Laboratory (1)
**The exception to this would be SI141 which does not include a laboratory requirement
Scope 3: Preparation for and Acceptance of Responsible Participation in Civil Society
Social & Behavioral Sciences (Choose one course from the following to meet the required 3 credits)
Course #Course NameCredits
EC 110Principles of Economics3
PS140American Government3
PY 100Personal Adjustment3
PY 120General Psychology3
PY 125Interpersonal Relations3
SO 130Introduction to Sociology3
CJ 100Introduction to Criminal Justice3
WG 101Introduction to Women and Gender Studies3
*Any social and behavioral science course will be considered for the completion of this category
Minimum General Education Requirements19


2024-2025 College Catalog
 



This suggested sequence of courses is based on the 2024-2025 College Catalog. 

Year 1
Semester 1Semester 2
CourseCourse NameCreditsCourseCourse NameCredits
EN___English Requirement3-4SI150/
150L
Introduction to Microbiology: Theory (3)/Introduction to Microbiology Lab (1)4
MA110AFinite Mathematics3HL131Basic Life Support for Health Care Providers1
SI131/
131L
Human Anatomy & Physiology I: Theory (3) and Human Anatomy & Physiology I Lab (1)4SI132/
132L
Human Anatomy & Physiology II (3)/Human Anatomy & Physiology II Lab (1)4
HL120Medical Terminology2PY120General Psychology3
HL202Nutrition3ED220Human Growth and Development3
Total15-16
 
Total15
Year 2
Semester 3Semester 4
CourseCourse NameCreditsCourseCourse NameCredits
NU110Nursing Foundations8NU220Adult Medical-Surgical Nursing8
NU160Pathophysiology & Pharmacology for Practical Nurses5NU230Maternal and Newborn Concepts & Skills3
SI106Drug Calculations for Practical Nursing1NU240Pediatric Nursing Concepts & Skills3
CO125Introduction to Human Communication and Speech3
 

 

 

 
Total17
 
Total14
Year 3
Semester 4Semester 5
CourseCourse NameCreditsCourseCourse NameCredits
NU250Mental Health Nursing3
 

 

 
NU292Practical Nursing Practicum6
 

 

 
NU280Nursing Trends1
 

 

 
NU281NCLEX-PN Review and Transition2
 

 

 
CS151Windows Applications3
 

 

 

 
Total15
 
Total0
 Program Total76-77


2024-2025 College Catalog




Career Opportunities...

Opportunities for employment in the healthcare industry are increasing on Guam and nationwide. Whether you want to work in a hospital or nursing setting, an ambulance, a clinic, or any healthcare related area, GCC’s Nursing & Allied Health Department is here to help you succeed. We employ qualified faculty who are experts in their area of instruction and work together to provide students with the best education available. Successful completion of our programs provide the opportunity for both local and national certifications.


Upon successful completion of the AS in Practical Nursing program, students will be able to:

  1. Utilize established standards and practice guidelines to help client restore, promote and maintain physical and mental health throughout their lifespan.
  2. Apply therapeutic communication with patients, patient support-persons and members of the health-care team.
  3. Employ evidence-based decision making to deliver safe and effective client care and to evaluate client outcomes.

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