Registered nurses have many duties, including caring for patients, communicating with doctors, administering medicine, and checking vital signs. Accounting for the biggest healthcare job in the U.S., nurses play a vital role in medical facilities.
Increasingly, nurses are seeking the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) credential that is now required by many employers. The A.A. Nursing pathway prepares students to apply to LSSC’s A.S. Nursing (RN) program (and later the College’s RN-BSN program) or transfer directly to a BSN program at a state university.
Students who seek an A.S. Nursing (RN) from Lake-Sumter State College should enroll in this program to complete prerequisite courses prior to applying to the ASN program.
The A.A. degree also prepares students for transfer as juniors to a Florida public university; however, students need to be aware of specific courses required for acceptance into most majors. With careful selection, these courses may be used as either general education requirements or as electives. The A.A. degree guarantees admission to a Florida public university but not necessarily to an upper division, limited access program, which may have additional requirements.
Degree Information
Program Costs
Tuition costs for programs and courses at the associate's degree level are $109.73 per credit hour. Additional costs will include textbooks, materials, and course fees. Learn more about our tuition & fees.
Scholarships
Scholarships are available to all eligible students each semester from the LSSC Foundation. Visit the Foundation Scholarships page to learn more.
Students graduating from high school and enrolling at LSSC may qualify for other scholarships offered through the State of Florida. You will be notified of your eligibility after you apply to the College.
Financial Aid
There are many options to finance your education. You may be eligible for Federal Grants, Work-Study, State Grants, Federal Loans, and Institutional Scholarships. For more information and how to apply, please visit the Financial Aid page.
A student must have a high school diploma or GED to apply to Lake-Sumter State College.
Application Process
Degree Planning
Check your DegreeWorks to track your progress toward completing your degree and program.
This A.A transfer plan will prepare you to transfer to bachelor's programs in: Nursing. The A.A. degree prepares students to transfer to a Florida public university as a junior to complete a bachelor's degree. During their two years at Lake-Sumter State College, students take the same courses that they would take as a freshman or sophomore at a university.
Note: Students can also enroll in the A.A. Nursing Transfer Plan to take prerequisite courses before enrolling in the A.S. Nursing program at Lake-Sumter State College.
Jobs/Career
- Registered Nurses
Job Outlook (FL)
Statewide, the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (FLDEO) predicts 5% job growth in Registered Nurses through 2023. This includes all 67 of Florida's counties.
In Central Florida, FLDEO predicts a 15.8% growth rate in Registered Nurses through 2029. For this data, Central Florida includes Lake, Orange, Osceola, Seminole, and Sumter Counties.
Salary Data (Florida)
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics 2021 wage data, the median salary for Registered Nurses is $74,000 in Central Florida. Across Florida, the median salary is $72,000. For this data, Central Florida includes Lake, Orange, Osceola, and Seminole Counties.
Career Report
To learn more about this career, visit the My Next Move career site. My Next Move is an interactive tool for job seekers and students to learn more about their career options. My Next Move has tasks, skills, salary information, and more for over 900 different careers. My Next Move is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor.
For additional assistance with choosing a career, make an appointment with LSSC's Career Development Services office.
In addition to the two required Area I: Communications courses, A.A. students must select two additional courses to complete the remaining 6 credit hours of the 12-credit hour Writing Emphasis or "Gordon Rule" Writing (GRW) requirement. Courses used toward the satisfaction of this 12-credit hour Writing Emphasis (GRW) requirement must be passed with a grade of “C” or higher.
Check DegreeWorks or your semester-by-semester plan for more information on which courses to take to fulfill this requirement.
All A.A degree seeking student must satisfy the foreign language requirement prior to graduation by:
Option 1) Completed and passed two years of one language in high school.
OR
Option 2) Complete and pass the second course of one foreign language sequence at the college level
OR
Option 3) Take a CLEP exam and submit qualifying test scores
Any credit hours obtained at the college level may be included in the Program Electives component of the AA degree.
The State of Florida requires students entering a Florida College System (FCS) or State University System (SUS) institution to demonstrate competency in civic literacy by the time they graduate, pursuant to s. 1007.25(5), Florida Statutes. Beginning with the 2021-2022 academic year, newly enrolled students must demonstrate competency through completion of a civic literacy course and by achieving a passing score on the Florida Civic Literacy Examination (FCLE).
Check your DegreeWorks or the Florida Civic Literacy Requirement page for more information.