The Colorado Nursing Articulation Model: 2001-2005

Publication of the Colorado Trust

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Testing Information

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LPN to ADN

If you DID NOT graduate:

within the last 10 years,
from a state approved practical nursing program,

you are required to take national standardized exams on nursing content to obtain credit for your first year of nursing knowledge.

All Colorado associate degree nursing programs accept the following Regents College Examination (RCE) or National League for Nursing (NLN) national standardized exams and scores for this credit:

Test Number	Regents College Exam (RCE)	Required Score
#403	Fundamentals of Nursing	45
#453	Maternal and Child Nursing,Associate Level	40
#554	Adult Nursing	40

National League for Nursing (NLN) Mobility Profile 1
Overall Score	75
Book One	Foundations of Nursing
Book Two	Nursing Care During Childbearing and Nursing Care of the Child

Take either the RCE or the NLN exams. Do not take both. Test results are valid for three years. The tests should not be taken more than twice. If it is necessary to take the test more than twice to receive a passing score, it is recommended that you take a course with comparable content at the receiving school. If you have already taken other national standardized nursing exams, check with the school you are interested in attending to see if they will accept your other tests.

Check with the counseling department at the college you are interested in for information on how to take these exams and to answer further questions.

Refresher Course Guidelines

The CCNE has created the Colorado Nursing Articulation Model to facilitate mobility between one level of undergraduate nursing education to another. Within three years of graduation, nurses may articulate directly from one program to most others without clinical work experience. However, nurses graduating more than three years prior to articulation must have worked at least 1,000 hours within the past three years or must have successfully completed a refresher course that has been approved by CCNE or the equivalent (e.g., nursing course work as specified by the accepting educational institution). Nurse refresher courses seeking CCNE approval status for articulation must meet the following standards:

Course materials submitted for review must include course description, objectives, content outline, learning activities and methods and evaluation tools.
Course materials must substantiate that key elements and essential content are included in the course.
Courses must have a broad-based general medical/surgical nursing focus.
Courses must have a minimum of 80 hours of theory and 80 hours of clinical contact. Nurses out of nursing practice 10 years or more must have the opportunity for more clinical time as needed.
Separate courses should be developed for the licensed practical nurse and registered nurse. If both practice levels are admitted to the same course, course materials must clearly differentiate appropriate skill level and knowledge base taught to each.

Key Elements

Course Description
- General medical/surgical focus
  - Specialities may be included
- Contact hours
  - Theory - 80 minimum
  - Clinical - 80 minimum
  - Additional clinical time for nurses out of practice more than 10 years
- Clinical resources d. Audience
  - RN - must emphasize RN practice
  - LPN - must emphasize LPN practice
  - Both - must clearly differentiate knowledge and skill level for both
Objectives
- Overall course
- Specific unit
Content Outline
Learning Activities and Teaching Methodology
Evaluation and Grading Criteria
- Theory evaluation tool
- Clinical evaluation tool
- Skills list
- Criteria for successful completion
  - Documentation of successful completion
  - Method of permanent record keeping for three years postcompletion
- RN and LPN - must clearly differentiate knowledge and skill level for both

Essential Content

Physical Assessment
- Review all systems
- Adult focus
- History-taking
Medication Administration
- Procedures
- Dosage calculations
Nursing Process
- Assessment
- Diagnosis
- Planning
- Implementation
- Evaluation
Nursing Skills Update
- Sterile technique review
- Universal precautions
- Cardiopulmonary resuscitation
Pharmacology
- Major categories only
- Drug interactions
- Patient responses
IV Therapy
- Fluids and electrolytes
- Acid base
- Equipment (peripheral, central lines, pumps, PCA, IVACs)
- Medication
- Blood administration
- Complications
Nursing Knowledge Update
- Anatomy, physiology, pathophysiology
- Pharmacology
- Medical/surgical intervention
- Nursing care
- Major systems
  - Cardiac
  - Respiratory
  - Neurological
  - Endocrine (diabetes)
  - Gastro-intestinal
  - Orthopedic
  - Oncology
  - Immunology (infections, including AIDS)
Legal and Professional Issues
- Documentation
- Patient confidentiality
- Patient rights
- Nurses'rights
- Liability and malpractice
- Scope of practice (Nurse Practice Act)

Copyright 8 2000, by the Colorado Council on Nursing Education.
Permission to copy material from this model is granted
with the stipulation that the Colorado Council on Nursing
Education be cited as the author.