Looking for experiential medical training in top clinical facilities? WCJC’s nursing programs give you that and more. Work with experienced healthcare providers and move through comprehensive coursework to earn your Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) or Licensed Vocational Nursing Level II Certificate. Here’s what you need to know to start your program — and jumpstart your career.
Submit the appropriate application for the program you’re applying for.
Be sure you complete the application in its entirety.
Each program has it’s own set of prerequisites. Our Pre-Allied Health program will ensure you complete each of them before you can be fully enrolled in one of our nursing programs. If you completed the prerequisites at another school, you must submit proof of completion of these courses by the stated deadline.
You must receive a grade of “C” or better and have an overall GPA of 2.5 or higher in these prerequisite courses.
Mail your application and materials to:
Wharton County Junior College - Nursing Program
Attn: Lori Baumgarten
911 Boling Highway
Wharton, TX 77488
Hand-deliver your application packet to:
Lori Baumgarten
911 Boling Highway
Johnson Health Occupations Center, Room 206
(near Parking Lot #5)
Wharton, TX 77488
The application period for LVN students is December through April, and the deadline for applications is the third Thursday in April.
The application period for LVN-to-RN students is September through January, and the deadline for applications is the third Wednesday of January.
The application period for ADN students is as follows:
If any deadline falls on a holiday or a time when the college is closed, it will change to the following Monday.
The following performance standards and activities are essential for successful admission, progression, and completion of a WCJC nursing program. Applicants must be able to meet these performance standards.
Critical thinking: The ability to make sound clinical decisions. Solve problems and make valid, rational decisions using logic, creativity, and reasoning. Analyze and use assessment findings to plan care for clients and families. Identify priorities of care based on analysis of data. Evaluate the plan of care and revise it as appropriate.
Communication: The ability to effectively interact with others in verbal, nonverbal, and written form. Speak English in such a manner to be understood by the general public. Communicate effectively in verbal and written form by speaking clearly and succinctly when explaining treatment procedures, describing patient conditions, and implementing health teaching for clients and/or families based on assessed needs, available resources, age, lifestyle, and cultural considerations.
Interpersonal skills: The ability to interact with individuals, families, and groups from a variety of social, emotional, cultural, and intellectual backgrounds. Establish rapport (relationship) with clients and colleagues through speech, touch, and hearing. Work effectively in small groups as team members and as a team leader. Function safely under stressful conditions with the ability to adapt to ever-changing environments inherent in clinical situations involving client care.
Motor skills: The ability to provide nursing care in a safe and accurate manner. Manual dexterity to maintain sterile technique when performing sterile procedures, such as the insertion of a catheter. Manual dexterity to perform all steps required for medication administration (such as IV, PO, IM, etc.). Be able to use a computer keyboard.
Hearing: The ability to monitor, assess, and provide safe nursing care. Be able to hear monitor alarms, emergency signals, call bells, and telephones. Distinguish changes in tone and pitch, such as when using a stethoscope to hear blood pressure, heart, lung, vascular, and abdominal sounds.
Vision: The ability to monitor, assess, and provide safe nursing care. Distinguish alterations in normal body activities, such as the absence of respiratory movement. Identify changes in color, size, and symmetry of body parts, such as the development of cyanosis. Read the fine print on medication containers, physician’s orders, monitors, thermometers, measuring cups, and equipment calibrations. Visualize written words and computer screens.
Mobility: The ability to move from room to room or maneuver in limited spaces, as well as accommodate stairwells when necessary. Perform physical activities necessary to do basic nursing skills, such as putting on sterile gloves or performing health assessments. Provide or assist with activities of daily living, such as getting in and out of bed, bathing, oral hygiene, ambulation, and positioning. Transport and transfer patients using equipment, such as stretchers, wheelchairs, walkers, and commode chairs. Respond quickly in an emergency. Stand for prolonged periods of time, perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and lift patients and objects of 30 pounds or more.
Tactile: The ability to monitor, assess, and provide safe nursing care. Palpate for pulses, temperature, texture hardness or softness, landmarks, etc.
Accountability and responsibility: Demonstrate accountability and responsibility in all aspects of nursing practice. Be able to distinguish right from wrong and legal from illegal and act accordingly. Accept responsibility for your own actions. Be able to comprehend ethical standards and agree to abide by them.
