Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

Nursing, associate degree

In PCC’s Nursing program, you will learn the knowledge and skills required for an entry-level nursing job. Our program is designed to prepare you to be licensed as a registered nurse (RN). RNs deliver nursing care in a variety of health care settings.

The Oregon Employment Department forecasts Portland area nursing employment will increase 20.5% through 2027.

Why choose Nursing at PCC?

Over 95% of Portland Community College nursing graduates passed the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses in each of the three most recent years. See our student achievement data for details.

Award information

Degrees and certificates by number of terms to complete

Award	Length (attending full-time)	Financial aid eligible	Currently accepting students?
Associate Degree: Nursing	2 years		Limited entry, see how to apply to Associate of Applied Science: Nursing

Learn more about Nursing and all 2 awards available »

What will you learn?

PCC’s nursing program is designed to develop a variety of medical, technical, and clinical judgment skills such as:

• Analysis
• Communication
• Counseling
• Evaluation
• Intervention
• Intravenous therapy
• Medication administration
• Physical assessments
• Planning
• Sterile techniques
• Supervision
• Teaching

Courses

Course listing for the 2025-2026 catalog year.

Plan of Study Grid

Pre-Program Requirements		Credits
BI 231	Human Anatomy & Physiology I 1	4
BI 232	Human Anatomy & Physiology II 1	4
BI 233	Human Anatomy & Physiology III 1	4
BI 234	Microbiology 1	5
FN 225	Nutrition 1	4
MTH 95 or MTH 98	Intermediate Algebra 1 or Math Literacy II	4
PSY 215	Human Development 1	4
WR 121	Composition I (WR121=WR121Z) Z	4
WR 122	Composition II (WR122=WR122Z) Z	4
General Education: 2 Social Science courses		6
Any Lower Division Collegiate course		2
First Term
NRS 110	Foundations of Nursing- Health Promotion	9
NRS 232	Pathophysiological Processes I	3
Second Term
NRS 111	Foundations of Nursing in Chronic Illness I	6
NRS 230	Clinical Pharmacology I	3
NRS 233	Pathophysiological Processes II	3
Third Term
NRS 112	Foundations of Nursing in Acute Care I	6
NRS 231	Clinical Pharmacology II	3
General Education: 1 Arts and Letters course		3
Fourth Term
NRS 221	Chronic II	9
Fifth Term
NRS 222	Acute Care II	9
Sixth Term
NRS 224	Integrative Practicum I	9
	Total Credits	108

¹

These courses must be completed within seven years prior to application for the Nursing AAS program. Any MTH course for which MTH 95 or MTH 98 is a prerequisite will satisfy the MTH 95/MTH98 requirement.

Z

This course is part of Oregon Common Course Numbering. The following courses are equivalent:
WR 121 and WR 121Z
WR 122 and WR 122Z 

What will you do?

As a nurse, your responsibilities will vary depending on where you choose to work. Your exact job activities will vary from day to day, depending on the type and condition of the clients under your care. However, each day will call for careful observation, decision-making, and problem-solving. Providing nursing care is both challenging and rewarding.

Who will hire you?

There are hundreds of nursing employers in the Portland area:

You will be able to work just about anywhere your imagination takes you. Nurses are found in cities, rural areas, overseas, in the armed forces, at home, in institutions, and in industry.