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Eligibility Requirements

To Apply
Prospective students to Instituto College’s ADN and BNA programs must meet the listed eligibility criteria to be considered for enrollment.
 
ADN Eligibility Requirements
To be considered for admission, applicants must:
  1. Submit official transcripts from High School/GED and colleges attended.
  2. Have an active Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) certificate or other healthcare training certificates/licensure.
  3. Have an overall GPA of 2.75 or higher out of a 4.0 scale.
  4. Have completed the following pre-requisite courses with a grade of “C” or higher within the specified time limits:
    • ENG 110 or equivalent – English Composition (within the last 7 years)
    • MATH 110 or equivalent – Algebra and/or Statistics (within the last 7 years)
    • BIO 120 - Cellular & Molecular Biology (within the last 7 years)
    • BIO 200 - Anatomy & Physiology I (within the last 5 years)
    • BIO 210 - Anatomy & Physiology II (within the last 5 years)
    • CHEM 100 - Basic Chemistry (within the last 7 years)
  5. Have TEAS scores (valid for one year of the most recent time taken) of:
    • Overall Cumulative Score = 60%
    • Reading = 70%
  6. Present a Government issued ID.
  7. Have a health insurance card and an active CPR (BLS) card.
BNA Eligibility Requirements
To be considered for admission, applicants must:
  1. Present a certificate of graduation from High School/GED and any colleges attended.
  2. Have placed in 11.0 grade level on the Test of Adult Basic Education (TABE test) in reading comprehension and math.
  3. Have placed and/or completed pre-college courses Math 098 and English 098 with a grade of “C” or better, verified by an official transcript.
  4. Have Authorization to work in the U.S/Proof of Citizenship.
    Submit verification of income.
  5. Have a Government issued ID and social security card.
  6. Have a health insurance card and an active CPR (BLS) card.
State law requires that applicants be at least 16 years of age to enroll in a Certified Nursing Assistant program.
 
Additional Requirements
Vaccinations/Titers
All nursing students are required to provide current medical physical examination form. Students are also required to have and maintain record of immunization and vaccinations.
  1. Titers are required to verify immunity to:
    • Measles
    • Mumps
    • Rubella
    • Varicella
    • Hepatitis B
    • Influenza
    • COVID-19
  2. QUANTIFERON Gold standard and/or chest x-ray is required to verify student tested negative for tuberculosis (TB).
  3. Tetanus diphtheria vaccination (Tdap) received within previous ten years. 
Nine Panel Drug Screen
Area healthcare agencies and Instituto College’s nursing programs are drug free environments. Instituto College enforces a zero-tolerance policy with regard to student impairment from drugs or alcohol at the clinical site or any College facility and institution; violation will result in dismissal from the program. Drug testing is to ensure that students do not compromise the well-being and safety of patients/clients, and others.
 
Students are required to obtain a 9-Panel substance abuse drug screening at admission, as required by clinical facilities and based on reasonable suspicion of violation. Additional screenings may be required in the event a nursing student interrupts their program for a semester or longer. The College reserves the right to require an additional screening during the program at the college’s discretion.
 
The 9-Panel drug screening must include:
  • Cocaine (COC)
  • Amphetamine (AMP)
  • Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)
  • Methadone (MTD)
  • Opiates (OPI)
  • Phencyclidine (PCP)
  • Barbiturates (BAR)
  • Benzodiazepine (BZD)
  • Propoxyphene in human urine 
Criminal Background Check
All students entering the Associate Degree in Nursing and Basic Nurse Assistant Training programs are required to undergo a criminal background check. Illinois State prohibits healthcare employers from knowingly hiring, employing or retaining any individuals who have been convicted of various criminal offenses in a position with duties involving direct patient care or the care of residents in long-term care facilities. Also prohibited is hiring these same individuals in positions that provides access to the medical, financial, or living quarters of a patient or long-term resident (225 ILCS 46.25).
 
Instituto College has affiliate agreements with clinical agencies and other healthcare institutions to provide clinical experiences for nursing students as part of the nursing curriculum. As a nursing student, you must adhere to the following regulations:
  1. Submit to a criminal background check 30 days prior to entering into the program and as required.
  2. Students may be asked to submit to a criminal background as specified by a clinical agency to continue their clinical rotation at that particular clinical site.
    • Some clinical sites may also request an expanded criminal background check, which may conflict with the student’s original background check result. The expanded criminal background check will be at the student’s expense.
    • Review Illinois State Law225 ILCS 46/25 and Ill. Adm. Code 955 Section 955.160 for disqualifying conditions related to expanded criminal background check.
Students may be unable to participate in clinical experiences based on information obtained from the criminal background information. If a clinical placement is not obtained, students may be dismissed from the nursing program.
 
Students are responsible for the cost of these services. Background checks and drug screens must be completed and results submitted within 30 days of the start of class.