Nursing

Registered nurses are caring and use knowledge, skills, and problem-solving abilities to help individuals, families, and groups with health needs. RNs plan, care, and work with people to help them become healthier or to regain health after illness or surgery. Nurses teach health practices to clients and other health care providers, and frequently supervise the work of nursing assistants and practical nurses. RNs also administer medications and perform treatments for patients. Nurses work in a variety of settings, including hospitals and long-term care, schools, industry, clinics, and patients’ homes.

The Clatsop Community College (CCC)  Nursing Program has been a member of the Oregon Consortium of Nursing Education (OCNE) since 2015. The OCNE curriculum is designed to educate nurses who can provide care to individuals, families, and communities in health promotion, acute or chronic illness, and at the end of life. OCNE graduates are skilled in clinical judgment, systems thinking, leadership, evidence-based practice, and culturally appropriate, relationship-centered care.

OCNE is a partnership between nine Oregon community colleges and six campuses of the OHSU School of Nursing that provides a shared curriculum that ensures a direct pathway to a bachelor’s degree for students whose goal is to become a BSN-prepared nurse.

Through OCNE, all CCC students are dual-enrolled at OHSU throughout their time in the CCC Nursing Program. OCNE partner schools share common prerequisites and admissions standards. After completion of the 45 credits of prerequisite nursing coursework and being accepted into the nursing program, all OCNE students around the state take the same core nursing courses in year 1 and year 2 of the nursing program, regardless of which campus they attend.

Once students from OCNE community colleges graduate and earn an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree in Nursing, they are eligible to take the national RN licensure exam and then continue directly to OHSU for the equivalent of the 4^th and final year of coursework required for a Bachelor of Science (BS) in Nursing degree. Students can complete all bachelor’s coursework online without leaving their home community. This allows them to work as RNs and remain in their local communities while pursuing the BSN degree.

For more information about the OCNE curriculum and opportunities to earn a bachelor’s degree, please email Tina Kotson, AVP of Nursing, Allied Health & Public Safety, at tkotson@clatsopcc.edu.

Associate of Applied Science (AAS)

Clatsop  offers an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Nursing. Enrollment is limited and you must apply for admission. If accepted, you will begin nursing classes fall term. Applications are evaluated on a point scale that is based on a number of factors including grade point average on pre-requisite course work completed at the time of application. See application instructions for detailed information.

The Clatsop Community College Nursing Program is approved by the Oregon State Board of Nursing. Clatsop’s most recent review and re-approval occurred in March 2021.

Transfer Course Equivalency Guides

CCC’s Nursing program uses the OHSU School of Nursing Course Equivalency Guides for Oregon and Washington to determine transferability of Non-Nursing courses to meet prerequisite requirements. If you have transfer credits from a school outside of Oregon or Washington, you are welcome to contact Kasey White, Director of Admissions & Outreach, at kwhite@clatsopcc.edu

Nursing Curriculum, Course of Study & Required Learning Hours – 2025

The Clatsop Community College Nursing Program will offer five informational sessions specifically designed to help applicants complete the 2026 Nursing Program Application.

Potential applicants are strongly encouraged to attend at least one session. These sessions are not mandatory but are very helpful.

The 2025-26 Application Instruction Sessions will be held in COL 116 with a Zoom option for those who cannot attend in person on the following dates/times:

• Wednesday, November 19, 2025, 10:00-11:30 a.m.
• Thursday, December 11, 2025, 3:00-4:30 p.m.
• Friday, January 9, 2026, 10:00 -11:30 a.m.
• Tuesday, January 20, 2026, 5:00 – 6:30 p.m.
• Friday, January 30, 2026, 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Potential applicants are welcome to attend any session on a drop-in basis. If a Zoom link is needed, potential applicants must pre-register to get the link by contacting Kathy Laughman at klaughman@clatsopcc.edu.  If Kathy does not respond within 2 business days, call and leave a message at (503) 338-2354.

Please note that these sessions are specifically focused on completing the 2026 Nursing Application and are not intended as general program information presentations or advising sessions.

General program information and advising sessions are scheduled throughout the year at different times. If you would like more information about those presentations, please contact Kathy Laughman.

Important Information:

• Minimum application requirements are found on page 4 of the Nursing Program Application Instructions.
• Applications are accepted on or after January 5, 2026
• Application deadline for Fall 2026 is February 17, 2026
• Applications must be received by the deadline to be considered.

The Nursing Program Application Instructions and the Nursing Application and Attachments are companion documents.

Instructions. Applicants need to refer to the Instructions as each section of the Application and Attachments is being filled out. It is recommended that applicants print out a copy of the instructions or pick up a copy from the Nursing Office.

Application. The Application and Attachments MUST BE downloaded BEFORE typing in information; otherwise, the information will not be saved. An applicant should type in as much information as they can, then print out the Application and Attachments to complete the rest by hand.

All pages of the Application, required Attachments and TEAS scores are to be included in your submission. If submitting optional Attachments, these also need to be included in your submission. If you are submitting your items electronically, put everything into one pdf document. Google docs are not acceptable. Directions for submission are detailed in the Nursing Program Application Instructions.

2026 Nursing Application Instructions

2026 AAS Nursing Admissions Application for Phase 1 Form – required

2026 Pre-Requisite Course Completion Form – required

2026 Phase I Category Points Form – required

2026 Declaration of Residency Form – optional

2026 Healthcare Work Experience Verification Form – optional

2026 Volunteer Verification Form – optional

2026 Declaration of Military Service Form – optional

2026 Declaration of Second Language Proficiency Form – optional

TEAS exams are mandatory for applicants. TEAS exams are only being offered through a remote proctoring online process by ATI. Clatsop CC will not be proctoring any of these exams.

Important note: We will not accept TEAS exam scores that are dated before August 18th, 2025.

Below is a link to the TEAS registration website. You will need to create an account and register to take the TEAS. Dates and times available will be shown when you register–just choose one of the open time slots. The average cost is $120 paid directly to the ATI company. When you register, select Clatsop Community College as your institution to send your scores.

TEAS test scores may be downloaded immediately after you finish your exam. Clatsop will not pull your scores from ATI; you must submit a copy of your scores and include it in your application packet. If you are taking the TEAS exam through another institution’s process, you do not have to retake the TEAS for your Clatsop application. You may submit a copy of those scores with your application.

Here is the link to the TEAS registration website.  Once you click on the link below, you will see the section, Things to know before registering. This section includes the Guide which we recommend you open and review.

After reviewing the Guide,

• click on REGISTER FOR THE TEAS inside the orange box (at the bottom of the Things to know before registering section).
• Select the Remote Online option. This will take you to the TEAS PROCTOR-PROGRAM TYPE pull down.
• Select ATI Remote Proctor-Nursing option and register for the date/time option you want.

https://www.atitesting.com/teas/register#prep

The website also contains lots of information about the TEAS exam. Scroll down the main page and you will see question buttons that answer a variety of frequently asked questions.

If, after reading through the information, you still have questions or problems with signing up, go to this website https://www.atitesting.com/contact

For information on preparing to take the TEAS exam click here.

The above information is current as of 9.19.24.

Completion of mandatory clinical requirements is NOT part of the application process.

Participation in hospital-based clinical experiences is an integral portion of the curriculum as a nursing student.  All the hospital-based clinical sites available to Clatsop Community College follow the OHA Oregon Administrative Rules for required proof of immunizations, screenings, trainings, and insurance. To maintain your offer of admission to the Clatsop Nursing Program, you will need to provide evidence that you are eligible to participate in clinical activities prior to starting nursing classes in fall term. Questions about clinical requirements will be addressed in the June orientation. If you have questions prior to then regarding the requirements, please contact Tina Kotson, tkotson@clatsopcc.edu.

2025-27 AAS Nursing Estimated Program Costs

Applicants to the Clatsop Nursing Program need to be aware that the OSBN has limits on eligibility for licensure, as defined in OAR 851-031-0006 (2). Admittance and successful completion of any nursing program does not guarantee licensure in the State of Oregon. Even with successful passage of the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN), licensure may be denied to graduates with certain criminal offenses in their background or to those with a major physical or mental condition that, in the OSBN’s determination, could affect the graduate’s ability to practice nursing safely, OAR 851-021-0055 (7).

Clatsop Nursing Program Frequently Asked Questions

What do registered nurses do?

Nursing is a set of deliberate activities involving caring, creative thinking and clinical judgment that assists clients to achieve an optimal level of wellness. Nurses work with clients to promote holistic health through wellness promotion, health maintenance, and health restoration activities. Nurses express personal concern for the well-being of clients by providing personal and skillful care. The nursing profession can offer you a wide variety of exciting options for a career path.

What does the job market look like for registered nurses?

Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook: “Employment of registered nurses is expected to grow 6 percent from 2023 to 2033, faster than the average for all occupations. About 194,500 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.” http://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/registered-nurses.htm

Will I be eligible to take the national licensure exam for registered nurses if I graduate from the Clatsop Community College Nursing Program?

Yes. As you near the end of your education in the nursing program, you will be provided with information necessary to apply for and take the NCLEX-RN, the national nursing licensure exam. Upon passing that test and meeting any other requirements of the Oregon State Board of Nursing (OSBN), you will be issued a license to practice as a registered nurse in the state of Oregon. Graduates who choose to do so can apply for licensure in any of the 50 states. Nurses may legally be licensed in any state they choose provided they meet licensure standards in each state.

What is OCNE?

The Clatsop Nursing Program is partnered with nine other Oregon community college programs and all Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) Campus programs in a unified approach to nursing education. This statewide partnership is known as the Oregon Consortium for Nursing Education (OCNE). OCNE schools have a common curriculum and similar admissions processes. Many of the admission/prerequisite requirements are the same as well.

How can I earn a bachelor’s degree in nursing if I start at Clatsop Community College?

As an OCNE partner school graduate you can seamlessly transition with your AAS degree to the OHSU School of Nursing online completion program for your final year of nursing coursework to receive the Bachelor of Science (BS) with a major in nursing degree. Students must complete the AAS degree and pass the NCLEX-RN as part of transitioning to OHSU. Other schools, such as Linfield University, also admit program graduates who have their RN license.

How do courses transfer from other institutions?

The Clatsop Registrar’s office works with transfer students to determine what credits may transfer. For general information about the transfer of courses from other institutions, go to https://www.clatsopcc.edu/transfer-credits/

For information regarding the transfer of credits for the required pre-requisite courses, see the Degree & Transfer Information section above.

What will the selection process look like?

The Nursing Program Application Instructions document covers the details of this process. In addition, group Information Sessions are held by the Director of Nursing & Allied Health. There is no requirement to attend a session, but it is strongly encouraged.

How competitive is the entry process for Clatsop’s program?

Admission to Clatsop’s Nursing Program is competitive. In recent years, approximately 45-50 applications have been received for 24 seats. Since fall 2023, twenty-four (24) students have been admitted to each cohort; the expectation is to continue offering 24 seats for the foreseeable future. Points are determined after an evaluation of multiple criteria (see Nursing Program Application Instructions). It is difficult to predict the chances of acceptance in advance. It is important to be as successful as possible in your prerequisite coursework. We strongly advise that applicants complete all the required prerequisite credits by the end of fall term before application and gain work experience in a medical setting.