This program prepares practitioners to function with judgment and technical competence while providing nursing care to patients of all ages. Upon completion, students are eligible to write the national exam for licensure as a registered nurse. The program emphasizes self-direction and independence. Helpful aptitudes and interests include an interest in people and their welfare; a willingness to follow procedures carefully, understanding that errors may have serious consequences; and an ability to work and communicate with others, to be precise and exact, to work under pressure, and to react quickly in an emergency. Successful completion of both first semester nursing courses qualifies students to become nursing assistants.