1. What nursing programs are offered at LSC-Montgomery?

• Associate Degree (RN) program – two tracks are offered at LSC-Montgomery; grade point average of 2.5 or higher is one of the program admission requirements. The Associate Degree Nursing programs are approved by the Texas Board of Nursing and accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN): http://www.acenursing.org/.
  • Basic Track program – two-years in length (4 semesters) is designed for the entry level pre-licensure student and uses the cohort model of class scheduling requiring full-time enrollment.  Students move as a group through the designated nursing courses in sequencev 
  • Transition program – one-year in length, the program is designed to provide a pathway from Licensed Vocational Nurse or Licensed Paramedic to Registered Nurse (RN) with the merger of these articulating students with the second-year Basic Track students  

2. Can I become a nurse in the state of Texas if I have been convicted of a felony?

The Texas Board of Nursing (Texas BON) may refuse to admit persons to its licensure examination OR may refuse to issue a license or certificate of registration to any individual with lack of fitness to practice by reason of mental or physical health or intemperate use of alcohol or drugs that could potentially result in injury to patients or the public. The Board may also refuse to grant licensure to any individual with a history of a conviction. An individual enrolled or planning to enroll in a nursing program who has reason to believe that he/she may be ineligible may petition the Texas BON for a declaratory order for eligibility. Contact the Texas Board of Nursing at http://www.bon.state.tx.us/ for additional information. The Declaratory process may take six (6) months to one (1) year to complete.

All accepted and alternate candidates/students will undergo a DPS and FBI background check via the BON before their admission to the nursing program is finalized.

A person who feels that he/she might have a background issue is strongly advised to begin the Declaratory Process with the Texas BON as soon as possible. A person does not have to be a current nursing student or an applicant to the nursing program to begin the Declaratory process. The process is as follows:

• Any student with a positive criminal background, history of mental illness within the last five years, or chemical dependency within the last five years must contact the Director of Nursing at the campus of their first choice.
• The Director of Nursing will email the student a FERPA form
• Students will download, sign, and email the form back to the Director with the requested information, including full name, DOB, current physical address, social security number, and personal email address.
• The signed FERPA form provides Directors with the permission to send personal information to the TBON for the initial background check.
• After Lone Star College submits your name to the BON on a roster, the TBON will send you an initial outcome letter detailing the next steps in the DO process.  Students are advised to gather official legal/medical documents that may be requested by the TBON to expedite the process.
• Students should allow 30 days for the TBON to respond after the initial review.
• Once this roster is sent to the BON, the Nursing Director is no longer a part of the process and the student will be dealing solely with the BON and its agents.
• In-depth reviews are conducted by the Enforcement Department of the TBON and the cost to the student is $150.  Students can expect to receive an outcome letter approximately 90 days after an in-depth review or a request for an in-person interview at the Board of Nursing in Austin.

3. How do I get started?

The Department recommends viewing and Information session video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gi1PKSb_UI  or attending a virtual information session. These sessions are designed to answer the most frequently asked questions and discuss the differences between the nursing programs and tracks. Please see more information about online nursing sessions here: https://www.lonestar.edu/nursing-dept-montgomery.htm

4. How do I apply to one of the nursing programs at LSC-Montgomery?

Each nursing program has a designated application period.  The form “Steps to Apply” for the separate nursing programs are available for download on the Document Section of the Nursing Home Page, or available on campus in Building B, suite 120.  This form provides information on requirements for application and the dates applications will be accepted for the individual nursing programs. 

5. Which hospitals/clinics do LSC-Montgomery nursing programs use for student clinical rotations?   

The Lone Star College System has affiliation agreements with many local hospitals and clinics in the Houston area.  LSC-Montgomery attempts to schedule student rotations with neighboring hospitals and clinical sites in close proximity to the college, such as Conroe Regional Medical Center, Memorial Hermann The Woodlands, St. Luke’s Hospital The Woodlands, Huntsville Memorial Hospital, and Houston Methodist The Woodlands; however, to achieve a learning environment in some specialties, the programs do utilize clinical sites throughout the Houston area.

6. What is the approximate cost of each nursing program?

Approximate program costs can be found here:  https://www.lonestar.edu/nursing-program-costs.htm . Please note that costs may change due to changes in tuition, fees, or other required supplies and equipment.

7. What is the time period of each nursing programs?  

• Transition Program – length of the program is three semesters, merging with the second-year Basic Track students, full-time day classes, beginning the month of June with completion the following May 
• ADN (Basic Track) Program – a two-year program, full-time day classes from June to May 

Nursing Students generally attend class 4-5 days a week, including one 10-12 hour day at an affiliated clinical site. Class is for three hours, two days a week with an exam every other week. First year students will attend skills lab two afternoons a week for three hours the initial Fall and Spring semesters.

Nursing programs follow Lone Star College System holiday and break schedule  

8. Can I work while in the nursing program?

Full time employment while in the nursing programs is discouraged due to the volume of program content; however, some students do work.  Students must pass each individual course required in the nursing program and maintain satisfactory scores in pharmacological math in order to proceed to the next semester. 

9. How much study time is required?

Students are generally expected to study 3 hours per week per credit hour. While in the Nursing program, students are enrolled in 8-10 credit hours each semester, which will require a time commitment of approximately 24-30 hours of studying and homework per week.  

10. Is financial assistance available?

LSCS continues to seek ways to help students manage the cost of education.  Each year, federal, state, and endowment funds are allocated to LSCS to be awarded to eligible students.  See an Advisor or Counselor for more information.  

11. What are the required science courses?

• BIOL 2401 AND BIOL 2402 are prerequisite courses for the Transition program, students are encouraged to have BIOL 2420 completed prior to entering the program
• BIOL 2401 is a prerequisite for the Basic Track ADN program; completion of BIOL 2402 and BIOL 2420 are encouraged.
• Please Note:  Biology courses have to be less than five (5) years old at the time of application
• There are options for students who need to refresh a Biology course that is too old.  See insert link to document for more information.

12. How many students are accepted in the LSC-Montgomery nursing programs? 

• Transition program– accepts 20 students each year with a start date in June
• Basic Track ADN– accepts 50 students each year with a start date in July/August

13. How will I know if I have been accepted into the program?

Students will be emailed with either a program acceptance from one campus or a denial email from our System Office approximately 2-4 weeks after the closure of the application period. ONE acceptance or denial email will be sent. Emails will NOT be sent from each individual campus.  

14. Does the program have a wait list?

Generally we receive 2-3 times as many applicants as we have open spaces in a program. Students are selected based on an objective application point system. Student with the highest scores fill the open spaces and there is no permanent wait list maintained. However, after all open spots are filled across the campuses, the next 30-50 qualified applicants in the applicant pool will be placed on an alternate list in the order of their application score. These students may be offered a position at one of the Campuses if an opening becomes available prior to the program start date. There is no guarantee of placement for students on the alternate list.

15. Can I become a nurse in the state of Texas if I have a disability?

LSCS is dedicated to providing the least restrictive learning environment for all students.  The College System promotes equity in academic access through the implementation of reasonable accommodations as required by the Vocational Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title V, Section 501-504 and the American with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) which will enable students with disabilities to participate in and benefit from all post-secondary education programs and activities.  

The Texas Board of Nursing does not have statements or policies that specifically address students with disabilities in nursing education programs. Texas Board of Nursing Rules §214 and §215 require that the curriculum for a nursing education program be designed so that graduates are able to demonstrate the appropriate Differentiated Essential Competencies (DEC) for Graduates of Texas Nursing Programs: Vocational (VN), Diploma/Associate Degree (DIP/ADN), Baccalaureate Degree (BSN).

Any graduate from an approved vocational or professional nursing education program may apply to take the NCLEX Examination in Texas and for licensure.  Eligibility for licensure in Texas as a nurse is determined on an individual basis.  Eligibility questions on the application by NCLEX Examination do not address general physical disabilities, (i.e., blindness, loss of hearing).

Once licensed as a nurse, it is the nurse, taking into consideration client/patient safety, who must determine which client/patient care assignments can be accepted that are commensurate with the nurse's educational preparation, experience, knowledge, and physical and emotional ability.

For more information, please see the Texas BON website here: https://www.bon.texas.gov/faq_education.asp.html#t7