Nursing

DIVISION: Health Sciences

Nursing Programs

I. General admissions requirements for the Registered Nursing and Vocational Nursing Programs

1. The student must formally apply to the College and is encouraged to make an appointment to see an Academic Counselor before enrolling in nursing prerequisite courses.
2. The student must be a United States high school graduate or have a G.E.D. or equivalent.
3. The student must have and maintain a current American Heart Association AHA CPR/Basic Life Support Card for health care providers and Nursing Malpractice Insurance while in a nursing program.
4. Students who have completed previous college nursing coursework and are requesting advanced placement must provide transcripts, a copy of course syllabi and/or catalog descriptions and a letter of clinical safety signed by previous Nursing Division Dean/Director.  A petition for advanced placement must be filed in Student Services. If the petition is approved, an examination in theory and lab skills may be administered. A grade of C or better must be achieved on this examination.    

II.    Other Requirements

1. Admission to and continuation in a nursing program requires the student to maintain a grade of C or better in all required nursing courses (prerequisites, requisites, and corequisites) and a GPA of 2.5 in prerequisites.
2. Once accepted into a nursing program, the student is required to submit evidence of health documented by a recent physical examination (within the last year), with the required immunizations and/or titres.
3. Students are expected to comply with the division’s clinical uniform standards.
4. Students must provide their own transportation to all on- and off-campus clinical sites. Assignments are scheduled between the hours of 6:30 a.m. and 11:30 p.m. daily, including Sat and Sun.
5. Each theory course has two corequisites, a seminar course and a laboratory course both of which must be taken concurrently with the theory course.
6. Nursing students must have the ability to communicate safely and effectively in a health care setting. To enhance success in a nursing program, students who have English as a second language are encouraged to enroll in SPCH 003, 010, and MA 115.
7. The California Board of Registered Nursing and the California Board of Vocational Nurses and Psychiatric Technician Examiners are required to protect the public by screening applicants for licensure to identify potentially unsafe practitioners. The law provides for denial of licensure for crimes or acts which are related to nursing qualifications, functions and/or duties. Program applicants who have questions related to eligibility for licensure may contact the Health Sciences Division for referral to the appropriate licensing board.

III.    Selection of Students

All eligible applicants who meet the above requirements and course prerequisites will be selected according to the following criteria:

Basic RN Program

1. Prerequisites completed as described above.
2. Students who were previously admitted to the program and are eligible for readmission.

Vocational Nursing

1. New applicants to the VN program.
2. Students who withdrew from the VN program a year ago and are eligible for readmission.
3. Prerequisites completed as described above.

Career Ladder- LVN to Registered Nursing

1. Prerequisites completed as described above and valid California Licensed Vocational Nursing License.
2. Students who were previously admitted to the program and are eligible for readmission.

The Division of Health Sciences will inform RN, LVN to RN, LVN and approved CNA candidates of the results by mail approximately six to eight weeks after the application deadline.

Program Outcomes

The PCC Nursing Program’s outcomes reflect standards of competency as delineated by the California State Boards of Nursing and the Department of Health Services. SLOs are synthesized in all courses as noted:

1. Apply theoretical knowledge and concepts of nursing roles through foundations of nursing care, beginning nursing care, intermediate care, and advanced nursing care, ending with the program outcomes of advocate, clinician, critical thinker, leader and teacher. (NURS 050/050L, 051/051L, 052/052L, 053/053L, 125/125L, 126/126L, 127/127L)
2. Communicate theoretical knowledge and concepts of nursing roles through foundations of nursing care, beginning nursing care, intermediate care, and advanced nursing care, ending with the program outcomes of advocate, clinician, critical thinker, leader and teacher. (All NURS courses)
3. Demonstrate safe and effective basic procedural skills with emphasis on elderly patients.  (NURS 103)