Nursing Program

Enrollment in the nursing program is open to persons regardless of sex, age, marital status, disability, ethnic group, religion or national origin. Persons with previous nursing education and/or experience may be considered for advanced placement and will be evaluated on an individual basis.

The program is a two-year (four-semester) program as long as the student stays on track. Graduates of the program are eligible to take the California State Board licensure exam for Registered Nurses.

The NCLEX pass rates for our graduates are consistently above the state and national average.

Quick Links

• Nursing Program Application
• Information Sessions

 

The nursing program consists of the generic program, the Advanced Placement program (LVN-RN), and the 30-unit option program. Individuals entering the program as an entry level nursing student are admitted into the generic program.

The Advanced Placement track is available for individuals with a current California License Vocational Nurses (LVNs) license. Individuals eligible for admission consideration are admitted into the Upward Mobility track (LVN to RN).

The program also offers the 30-unit option track, a non-degree track. Individuals interested in exploring admission to this track of the nursing program should contact the nursing director. Additional information for either of these programs can be found under the program tabs to the left.

Quick Links

• Generic Nursing Program
• Information Sessions
• Program Application
• Entrance Requirements
• Nursing Degree
• Degree Overview
• Courses Offered
• Advanced Standing
• 30-Unit Option
• Nursing Student Handbook

 

NURS 143 and NURS 144

Effective spring 2018, all potential applicants interested in applying for admission to the generic nursing program are required to have completed NURS 143 (formerly NURS 145) - Introduction and Preparation for Nursing (generic student only) and NURS 144 (formally NURS 48) - Dosage Calculations prior to applying. NURS 143 and NURS 144 must be taken at El Camino College or Compton College. Applicants applying for admission consideration into the Upward Mobility (LVN-RN) component of the nursing program are not required to take NURS 143 (formerly NURS 145) - Introduction and Preparation for Nursing.

New Prerequisite Courses

Effective fall 2018, the nursing department completed a major curriculum change, which included adding two new prerequisite courses to the generic component of the nursing program.  MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY 1 or equivalent and PSYCHOLOGY 116 or equivalent. Upward Mobility (LVN-RN) track of the Associate Degree Nursing program are only required to take MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY 1.

Effective fall 2019, both Medical Terminology and Psychology 116 must be completed prior to applying for admission consideration into the nursing program.

Students who have taken an infant, child and adolescent development psychology course it must be coupled with a psychology course that addresses adulthood and aging psychology in order to meet the life span development requirement for the nursing program.

Listed below are courses that may be used to substitute for Psychology 116 - Life Span Development.

• Introduction to Developmental Psychology
  Topics include a variety of issues associated with developmental psychology, such as intelligence and personality, as well as social, emotional and cognitive development. Students often examine these issues in age groups ranging from infancy to advanced adulthood.
• Infant, Child and Adolescent Development
  These age groups can be addressed together as one course or in several courses that treat each group separately. Instruction in infant development examines topics such as learning, perception and personality. Issues of childhood development often include biological, social and familial influences on language, learning and emotional expression. Adolescent development topics can include social cognition, peer group relationships and the transition from childhood to adulthood.
• Issues of Adulthood and Aging
  Students examine the changing roles adults experience in their family, workplace and social groups as they reach middle age and as they proceed on to an advanced age. A course in gerontology can be offered separately to address issues specific to the elderly, such as changes in health and levels of self-sufficiency. These intermediate-level courses focus on the psychological effects these changes have during these later periods in life.
• Theories of Lifespan Development
  Instruction in current developmental psychology theories often includes an examination of how such theories have changed over time. This course is usually offered near the end of a student's studies. Students often discuss issues such as gender, cultural influences, nature vs. nurture and sexuality, as well as the effects of major life events on a person's psychological development and how these issues factor into lifespan development research.

Since many lifespan development programs focus on research career tracks, students often take a psychology course called “Research, Statistics and Analysis.”  This course focus is in research methodology, which include instruction in statistical analysis and experiment design.

Research instruction also often addresses experiment parameters, such as determining the number of experiment participants, as well as factors that affect the final analysis of the experiment's outcome, such as variance and validity. This course does not meet the requirement to substitute for Lifespan Development focus or rigor and does not meet the nursing program requirement.

 

The Nursing Department is located in the Math, Business and Allied Health (MBA) Building room 417.

The MBA Building is located directly behind the Police Department on the corner of Crenshaw and Redondo Beach.

 

The expenses for the first semester nursing student average $5000 or more.

Students in need of financial assistanceshould immediately contact the college Financial Aid Office at 310-660-3493 located in the Student Services Building room 248.

Scholarship information from various agencies, companies, etc., will be available for nursing students once admitted to the program.

The entire program expense is approximately $8000.

At the completion of the program, the cost for the Board of Registered Nursing application, licensure exam, interim permit, and Live Scan is approximately $500 or more.

 

Students admitted to the nursing program are required to complete all health screening requirements at least 4 weeks before the start of the program but no earlier than three months prior to the start of the semester; thereafter this is an ANNUAL requirement. 

Student must provide evidence of immunity by submitting titers results for the following immunizations: 

• Measles, Mumps, Rubella, and Varicella titers are ANNUAL requirements
• 2-step or Annual Tuberculous Skin Test (TST)
• QuantiFERON-TB Gold (QFT) or Interferon-Gamma Release Assays (IGRAs) blood test is required ANNUALLY
• Tetanus, Diphtheria, and Pertussis (whooping cough)
• Tdap is given only once during your lifetime; a booster shot of the Td vaccine every 10 years is required thereafter.
• Students must provide evidence of receiving the two or three series Hepatitis B vaccine and Measles (Rubeola), Mumps Rubella, and Varicella vaccine in addition to verification of a positive titer to identify immunity.
• Influenza (flu) vaccine is an ANNUAL requirement during the flu season (September through March). 

 

Students admitted into the nursing program are required to complete a Background Check and Drug screen upon entrance into the program and each semester thereafter.

The Joint Commission requires any health care facility that requires health care providers, students, and volunteers involved in patient care to complete a criminal background check prior to conducting patient care.

Students are required to sign a consent form each semester to release information related to the drug screen and background check.

Students arrested while enrolled in the nursing program are considered to have an open criminal court case. Individuals known as child, spouse or elder abuser, or known drug dealers will not be allowed to enroll in the nursing program.

Students convicted of a misdemeanor or felony are required to disclose this information to the Director of Nursing or the Director’s designee prior to acceptance to the nursing program as well as on the application to take the RN licensure exam. A conviction may affect eligibility for admission as well as the ability to take the NCLEX-RN exam. Students who have concerns about these circumstances should contact the Board of Registered Nursing (916-322-3350) or www.rn.ca.gov before starting the nursing program.

 

The California Board of Registered Nursing (BRN) protects the public by screening applicants for licensure in order to identify potentially unsafe practitioners. The BRN may deny applications for permanent licensure, interim permits, and temporary licenses if the applicant has been found guilty of dishonesty; fraud or deceit; felony; child abuse; sex offender crimes; acts involving narcotics; dangerous drugs or devices; assault and/or battery; and other crimes.

Applicants who have questions regarding limitations related to licensure should contact the California Board of Registered Nursing. Applicants are advised to explore other career opportunities prior to investing substantial time in a nursing program if it appears that a prior serious act or conviction may jeopardize licensure.

The California Board of Registered Nursing is located at 1747 North Market Boulevard, Suite 150, Sacramento, CA 95834.