Nursing Information
It feels amazing to help people regain their health and improve their quality of life. Become a nursing student at HCC and that's exactly what you'll learn how to do. Through coursework and clinical activities you'll build content knowledge and technical skills. You'll also learn to function as a core member of a healthcare team. Some of the 11 courses in Heartland's selective-admissions nursing program include:
- Medication Principles for Nurses
- Contemporary Nursing
- Nursing Care Concepts: Chronic Adult
Registered nurses held about 3.2 million jobs in 2022. The largest employers of registered nurses were as follows:
Hospitals; state, local, and private
59%
Ambulatory healthcare services
18%
Nursing and residential care facilities
6%
Government
5%
Educational services; state, local, and private
3%
Ambulatory healthcare services include industries such as physicians’ offices, home healthcare, and outpatient care centers. Nurses who work in home health travel to patients’ homes; public health nurses may travel to community centers, schools, and other sites.
Some nurses travel frequently in the United States and throughout the world to help care for patients in places where there are not enough healthcare workers.
*Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2022-23 Edition
Overall employment of nursing assistants and orderlies is projected to grow 4 percent from 2022 to 2032, about as fast as the average for all occupations.*
About 209,400 openings for nursing assistants and orderlies are projected each year, on average, over the decade.
Employment of registered nurses is projected to grow 6 percent from 2022 to 2032, faster than the average for all occupations.*
About 193,100 openings for registered nurses are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
*Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2022-23 Edition
Heartland Community College offers an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree to fulfill the Associate Degree in Nursing requirements. The Nursing Program is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN). Admission is selective, and is offered annually to both new students and Advanced Placement for Licensed Practical Nurses.
Additionally, HCC offers collaborative partnerships with Illinois State University and other 4-year universities which include dual enrollment and Pathways to complete the baccalaureate in nursing degree.
1. Earn your Heartland degree and transition directly into the workforce:
Associate in Applied Science Degree in Nursing
The AAS degree in Nursing prepares you to take the NCLEX-RN Examination for licensure to become a Registered Nurse (RN). RNs provide direct care to patients, families, and communities. They also use critical thinking skills to make clinical judgments in practice, provide emotional support to clients in distress, and teach patients and communities principles of wellness. Heartland graduates work throughout the community in hospitals, long-term care facilities, and outpatient settings.
Current Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) may enter the second year of the program to complete the academic requirements necessary to take the NCLEX-RN.
2. Earn an industry credential at Heartland:
Pratical Nursing
The Practical Nursing course (NURS 136) provides an optional career ladder as part of the AAS Nursing degree. After completing the first year of nursing courses, students may elect to take the 8-week summer Practical Nursing course which meets the educational requirements for taking the NCLEX-PN Examination to become a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN). As an LPN, you offer direct nursing care to patients while working under the supervision of a Registered Nurse, Advanced Practice Nurse, or physician.
3. Complete your general education requirements and transfer to a four year university for your nursing education
Associate in Arts - Concentration in Nursing
If you plan to complete the first 2 years of general education requirements and then transfer to become a nursing major at another 4-year college or university in Illinois, the Associate in Arts (AA) transfer preparation program is the path for you. This 60-credit hour area of concentration includes general education requirements and recommended electives.