Nursing

Turn your people skills and interest in health sciences into a fulfilling nursing career. Earn a nursing associate degree at Aims and get a job working as a nurse at a hospital, medical office or home healthcare company.

Nurses are an integral part of healthcare teams, working with doctors and other staff to ensure that patients receive quality and compassionate care. Nurses help patients by performing physical assessments, administering medications and assisting with medical tests and wound care.

While earning an associate degree in nursing, study subjects including:

• Pharmacology
• Nursing fundamentals
• Medical and surgical nursing concepts
• Nursing specialties, including psychiatric and maternal-child

In this two-year nursing degree program, learn the scientific and practical hands-on skills required to become a registered nurse. Study theory in a classroom setting and immediately apply that knowledge in a lab setting. Get practice in applying critical thinking skills, providing patient care, and multitasking during an internship. Study the ethical standards of nursing and practice the art of communicating with patients and family members in a caring and therapeutic manner. 

The Aims nursing degree program has specific requirements and prerequisites you’ll need to fulfill before applying. 

The Aims nursing program has full approval status with the Colorado State Board of Nursing and has Continuing Accreditation with conditions by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN).

If you’d like to help people by becoming a member of a respected healthcare profession, the nursing associate degree program at Aims might be right for you.

Learn more about the Aims nursing program, talks about the challenges and rewards you’ll find as a student in the nursing associate degree program.

The nursing associate degree program at Aims combines lectures, labs and an internship to give you the medical knowledge and hands-on training that will help you start your nursing career.

In this nursing degree program, you’ll gain skills in:

• Performing head-to-toe physical assessments 
• Giving patients a variety of medications and vaccinations
• Inserting Foley catheters
• Operating various medical equipment and medical computer systems

After studying a procedure in the classroom, you’ll gain hands-on guided practice in the lab. The Aims nursing lab has many of the same instruments and equipment you’ll use in the field, and lab simulators allow you to gain hands-on practice.

The nursing degree program also teaches you essential soft skills that employers desire. Gain practice thinking quickly in high-pressure and fast-paced environments. Learn how to present a professional demeanor and remain calm in a variety of medical situations. 

In your second year, you’ll learn advanced concepts in medical and surgical nursing and pharmacology. The final semester includes a transitional capstone course in a clinical internship setting. Integrate and apply everything you’ve learned and practice managing multiple patients at once.

At the end of your second year, you’ll take a one-week seminar to prepare you for the National Council Licensure Examination - Registered Nurse (NCLEX-RN), a national certification standard. Aims Community College has a 95% pass rate for the NCLEX-RN, which is 10% higher than the national average. After completing your nursing associate degree program, you’ll sit for the exam with confidence and become a certified registered nurse. 

Aims-to-UNC Dual Enrollment Program

While you complete courses at Aims Community College, you can also earn credit in the University of Northern Colorado School of Nursing. Earn credits with more affordable Aims classes while earning a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree. 

One advantage of this program is that some facilities require enrollment in a BSN dual enrollment program to begin a clinical internship. Also, employers are expressing a preference for hiring nurses with BSN degrees. 

This program starts the summer before beginning the Aims nursing degree program, where you’ll take courses toward the BSN degree at UNC. After completing your nursing associate degree at Aims, you’ll have two more semesters of degree program coursework at UNC. Some other liberal arts coursework may also be required.