All other information regarding the Bridge option is the same as for the Generic option except:
  1) The seven year limit regarding completion of the    Science courses is waived for LPNs, and
  2) A copy of the applicant's current LPN license must be submitted along with the completed Nursing Program application during the indicated period.

SELECTION CRITERIA
The Nursing Selection Committee will consider all eligible applicants and select the most qualified applicants for admission based on completed courses, current enrollment, and cumulative grade point average in prerequisite and program courses. Final acceptance and enrollment is based on the completion of prerequisite courses in progress with a "C" or better and the completion of other requirements in progress at the time of application. PCC reserves the right to make changes in the admission criteria, as circumstances require. Every reasonable effort will be made to communicate changes in the program to interested students.

ADDITIONAL ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
Admission requirements that are completed after the selection process has been finalized include:
   A. Physical Examination and Essential Functions
   B. Immunizations and Communicable Disease Screenings
   C. Current CPR Certification
   D. AIDS Certification
   E. Computer Literacy Certification
   F. Drug Screening
   G. Signed Affidavit attesting to the non-committance of specific criminal acts
   H. Nursing Orientation
   I. National background checks
   J. Study Skills Seminar
  The Department of Nursing provides information regarding the completion of these additional admission requirements, with the acceptance letter. Applicants with specific conviction histories or positive drug screenings may ultimately not be accepted in the Nursing Program. Specific conviction histories or positive drug screenings occurring after full admission and matriculation in the program will be addressed by department policy, including dismissal.

PROGRAM COST
The approximate cost of the nursing program is $6,000, including course-related fees, books, uniforms, and supplies. Students should also allow for the additional cost of a physical examination and immunizations.

POTENTIAL EARNINGS
Graduates of the program can expect a beginning base pay of approximately $30,000.

TRANSFER STUDENTS FROM ANOTHER NURSING PROGRAM
A student requesting transfer into the PCC Nursing Program must be in good academic standing in the program from which transfer is desired and must be eligible to continue in that program.
Transfers are accepted on a space available basis and are determined by the Associate Dean of Allied Health Programs. Students are required to make an appointment with the associate dean as the first step in the transfer process.

DEPARTMENT OF NURSING ACADEMIC STANDARDS
   1. Once a student is admitted to the program, the student must complete, with a "C" or better, each nursing course. A grade of less than "C" or a withdrawal will be considered an unsuccessful course attempt. A student who is unsuccessful in the first attempt of a nursing course will be allowed one re-enrollment in the course. Should a student be unsuccessful in the second attempt, the student will no longer be eligible to continue in the program.
   2. A student may repeat two courses with a clinical component. However, the re-enrollment process may be applied only once within the first three clinical courses.
   3. A student in the LPN - RN Bridge option who does not successfully complete a course with a clinical component will be required to enroll in the Generic option at the appropriate course level to exercise the re-enrollment process. Upon successful completion of the course, the student will remain in the Generic option through completion.
   4. If, in the professional judgment of three-fourths of the full-time nursing faculty, a student is not suitable for a nursing career as evidenced in specific documented circumstances related to the student's ability to function as a Registered Nurse, the Associate Dean of Allied Health Programs will recommend to the President that the student be dismissed from the program.
   5. When a student cannot continue in a given course(s) due to personal illness, accident or other crisis, and if the student is passing academically and clinically at the time, the student may appeal to the Associate Dean of Allied Health Programs for a withdrawal without nursing academic standard penalty.

  As a part of their pre-professional education and nursing experience, nursing students will be expected to adhere to the profession's standards of conduct as outlined in the Florida Board of Nursing Rules 64B9. Documented evidence of a student's failure to adhere to these standards in any course or course-related setting will automatically initiate review and recommendation by the Associate Dean of Allied Health Programs as to the student's continuing status in the program.

GENERIC OPTION SEQUENCE
If a student is admitted prior to completing the supporting courses, the courses must be taken as identified below or prior to the corresponding nursing courses. Unless otherwise noted, all nursing courses are typically 15 weeks in length. Please see the course description section of the catalog for specific nursing course prerequisites.

LPN - RN BRIDGE SEQUENCE
   NOTE: This program was under revision at the time of the publication of the catalog. Students interested in the LPN Bridge program should contact the Student Services Office on either campus for up-to-date information on the program.

OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY ASSISTANT
Programs: AS-5530 & AAS-5530
   The Occupational Therapy Assistant Program (OTA) is committed to provide a comprehensive/personalized academic preparation, relevant/meaningful clinical skills, and multi-faceted interpersonal skills to ensure a successful and fulfilling career within a diverse and dynamic community.
   The OTA program trains and qualifies graduates to work in the occupational therapy field. Occupational Therapy is a vital health care service whose practitioners use "occupation" (purposeful activity) as a means of preventing, reducing, or overcoming physical, social, and emotional disabilities in people of all ages. Occupational therapy assistant's train disabled individuals to adapt their job skills or daily tasks to their particular condition, and adapt the environment to maximize function.
   The Occupational Therapy Assistant Program is a limited admission 70 credit hour AS degree program. As a limited admission program, each OTA applicant must first be admitted to the college and meet pre-admission requirements. Twenty-four applicants with the best qualifications are selected during the fall selection period each year to begin work the following January. The college reserves the right to change the requirements of the OTA program.
   The program is offered on the Winter Haven campus. Most courses are offered Monday through Friday, primarily during the day hours. The program requires full time commitment throughout the year including the summer. The program also requires 14 credit hours of clinical fieldwork (Level I & II), which are completed at local facilities.

ACCREDITATION STATUS
Polk Community College has obtained "Developing Program Status" from the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) 4720 Montgomery Lane,P O Box 31220, Bethesda, MD 20824-1220, (301) 652-AOTA. Once accreditation is obtained, graduates of the program will be able to sit for the National Certification Examination for the Occupational Therapy Assistant.

WORK SITES
Typical work sites for the OTA are in rehabilitation units/centers, nursing homes, psychiatric units, mental health agencies, forensic facilities, community-based agencies, developmental disabilities agencies, pediatric agencies, schools, higher education (Community Colleges), industrial settings, low vision clinics, etc.

PROGRAM COST
The program's cost including course fees, lab fees, books, lab coats, name tags and AOTA student membership is approximately $ 4,300.

POTENTIAL EARNINGS
OTA positions may be salaried or hourly; usually 40 hours per week. According to the survey completed by the American Occupational Therapy Association, the national average hourly rate in 1997 was $14.96: the highest hourly rate was $30.76

CERTIFICATION EXAMINATION
Graduates of the program will be able to sit for the National Certification Examination for the Occupational Therapy Assistant, administered by the National Board of Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT),800 S Frederick Ave., Suite 200, Gaithersburg, MD 20877-4150, (301) 990-7979. The examination is offered in March and September, with a cost of $325 if taken within the US. After successful completion of this exam, the graduate will be a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA).

FLORIDA LICENSURE
Most states require licensure in order to practice; however, state licenses are usually based on the results of the NBCOT Certification Examination. Graduates need to apply for Florida licensure upon successful completion of the Certification Exam. Graduates must request information from the state licensing agency and complete the requirements for licensure. The current cost is $155