DIVISION: Health Sciences
Nursing Programs
I. General admissions requirements for the Registered Nursing and Vocational Nursing Programs
- The student must formally apply to the College and is encouraged to make an appointment to see a counselor before enrolling in nursing prerequisite courses.
- The student must be a United States high school graduate or have a G.E.D. or equivalent.
- 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.
- 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
- 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.
- 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.
- Students are expected to comply with the division’s clinical uniform standards.
- 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.
- Each theory course has two corequisites, a seminar course and a laboratory course both of which must be taken concurrently with the theory course.
- 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.
- 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
- Prerequisites completed as described above.
- Students who were previously admitted to the program and are eligible for readmission.
Vocational Nursing
- New applicants to the VN program.
- Students who withdrew from the VN program a year ago and are eligible for readmission.
- Prerequisites completed as described above.
Career Ladder- LVN to Registered Nursing
- Prerequisites completed as described above and valid California Licensed Vocational Nursing License.
- 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:
- 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)
- 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)
- Demonstrate safe and effective basic procedural skills with emphasis on elderly patients. (NURS 103)
Courses
Transfer Credit: CSU
Nursing theory and concepts to promote and maintain safe, developmentally appropriate, outcome-focused health care for culturally diverse maternal, newborn clients and their families. Integrate professional nursing roles of clinician, teacher, leader, and advocate while demonstrating critical thinking and nursing process in the care of patient response to physiological and psychosocial health conditions of maternal and newborn clients. Total of 18 hours lecture.
Transfer Credit: CSU
Application of nursing theory and concepts to promote and maintain safe, developmentally appropriate, outcome-focused health care for culturally diverse maternal, newborn patients and their families. Implement professional nursing roles of clinician, teacher, leader, and advocate while demonstrating critical thinking and nursing process in the care of client response to physiological and psychosocial conditions of maternal and newborn clients. Pass/no pass grading. Total of 81 hours laboratory.
Transfer Credit: CSU
Nursing theory and concepts to promote and maintain safe, developmentally appropriate, outcome-focused health care for culturally diverse pediatric clients and their families. Integrate professional nursing roles of clinician, teacher, leader, and advocate while demonstrating critical thinking and nursing process in the care of pediatric client response to physiological and psychosocial health conditions of child and adolescent patients. Total of 18 hours lecture.
Transfer Credit: CSU
Application of nursing theory and concepts to promote and maintain safe, developmentally appropriate, outcome-focused health care for culturally diverse pediatric patients and their families. Implement professional nursing roles of clinician, teacher, leader, and advocate while demonstrating critical thinking and nursing process in the care of patient response to physiological and psychosocial conditions of child and adolescent patients. Pass/no pass grading. Total of 81 hours laboratory.
Transfer Credit: CSU
Nursing theory and concepts to promote and maintain safe, developmentally appropriate, outcome-focused health care for culturally diverse psychiatric - mental health patients across the lifespan. Integrate professional nursing roles of clinician, teacher, leader, and advocate while demonstrating critical thinking and nursing process in the care of patient response to mental health conditions. Total of 18 hours lecture.
Transfer Credit: CSU
Application of nursing theory and concepts to promote and maintain safe, developmentally appropriate, outcome-focused health care for culturally diverse psychiatric - mental health patients across the lifespan. Implement professional nursing roles of clinician, teacher, leader, and advocate while demonstrating critical thinking and nursing process in the care of client response to mental health conditions. Pass/no pass grading. Total of 81 hours laboratory.
Transfer Credit: CSU
Introduction to foundational nursing theory and concepts that integrate the nursing roles of clinician, teacher, leader, and advocate while relating the concepts of patient-centered care, teamwork and collaboration, evidence-based practice, safety, informatics, and professionalism to the foundational nursing care of adult and geriatric patients. Total of 54 hours lecture.
Transfer Credit: CSU
Introduction to foundational nursing skills and clinical reasoning that integrate the nursing roles of clinician, teacher, leader, and advocate while relating the concepts of patient-centered care, teamwork and collaboration, evidence-based practice, safety, informatics, and professionalism to the foundational nursing care of adult and geriatric patients. Pass/No Pass grading. Total of 216 hours laboratory.
Transfer Credit: CSU
Foundational nursing theory and concepts to promote and maintain safe and effective health care. Critical thinking and the nursing process in the foundational care of patient responses to physiological and psychosocial health conditions of adult and geriatric clients. Total of 18 hours lecture.
Transfer Credit: CSU
Beginning nursing theory and concepts to promote and maintain a safe, developmentally appropriate, outcome-focused health care for culturally diverse adult and geriatric medical surgical patients. Integrate professional nursing roles of clinician, teacher, leader, advocate while demonstrating critical thinking and nursing process in the care of patient response to physiological and psychosocial health conditions of adult and geriatric patients. Total of 18 hours lecture.
Transfer Credit: CSU
Application of beginning nursing theory and concepts to promote and maintain safe, developmentally appropriate, outcome-focused health care for culturally diverse adult and geriatric medical surgical patients. Implement professional nursing roles of clinician, teacher, leader, and advocate while demonstrating critical thinking and nursing process in the care of adult and geriatric patients. Pass/no pass grading. Total of 108 hours laboratory.
Transfer Credit: CSU
Beginning nursing theory and concepts including leadership, patient-centered care, safety, evidence-base practice, informatics, and communication as they apply to patients and their families at a beginning level. Exploration and analysis of current nursing research and its application to specific clinical issues or conditions. Development of educational presentations and practice of leadership and communications skills. Total of 18 hours lecture.
Transfer Credit: CSU
Intermediate medical surgical nursing theory and concepts to promote and maintain safe, developmentally appropriate, outcome-focused health care for culturally diverse adult and geriatric medical surgical patients. Integrate professional nursing roles of clinician, teacher, leader, and advocate while demonstrating critical thinking and nursing process in the care of patient response to physiological and psychosocial health conditions of adult and geriatric patients. Total of 36 hours lecture.
Transfer Credit: CSU
Application of intermediate nursing theory and concepts to promote and maintain safe, developmentally appropriate, outcome-focused health care for culturally diverse adult and geriatric medical surgical clients. Implement professional nursing roles of clinician, teacher, leader and advocate while demonstrating critical thinking and nursing process in the care of client response to physiological and psychosocial conditions of adult and geriatric clients. Pass/no pass grading. Total of 189 hours laboratory.
Transfer Credit: CSU
Intermediate nursing theory and concepts to promote and maintain safe and effective health care. Critical thinking and the nursing process in the intermediate care of patient responses to physiological, psychosocial and psychiatric-mental health conditions. Total of 18 hours lecture.
Transfer Credit: CSU
Advanced nursing theory and concepts to promote and maintain safe and effective health care with culturally diverse patients. Integrate professional nursing roles of clinician, teacher, leader and advocate while demonstrating critical thinking and nursing process in the advanced care of patient response to physiological and psychosocial health conditions. Total of 54 hours lecture.
Transfer Credit: CSU
Application of advanced nursing theory and concepts to promote and maintain safe and effective health care with culturally diverse patients. Integrate the professional nursing roles of clinician, teacher,leader and advocate while demonstrating critical thinking and nursing process in the advanced care of patient response to physiological and psychosocial health conditions. Pass/no pass grading. Total of 270 hours laboratory.
Transfer Credit: CSU
Advanced nursing theory and concepts to promote and maintain safe and effective health care. Critical thinking and the nursing process in the advanced care of client responses to physiologic and psychosocial health conditions of clients across the lifespan. Total of 18 hours lecture.
Exploration of nursing concepts and application of nursing skills essential to the function of a Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA). Emphasis on requisite nursing skills to seek employment in the direct care of patients in long-term care facilities as a Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA). Preparation for certification for Certified Nurse Assistant. Students will be eligible to take the California Department of Public Health Certified Nurse Assistant certification exam. Sixteen weeks. Pass/no pass grading. For students accepted to the Vocational Nursing program, but open to all students. Total of 72 hours lecture and 108 hours laboratory.
Foundational nursing procedural skills, therapeutic communication, and documentation skills. Development and laboratory practice of nursing procedural skills correlated with NURS 125 and 125L. Utilization of the nursing process in demonstrating critical elements of procedures. Pass/no pass grading. Total of 54 hours laboratory.
Continued development and progression in the practice of procedural skills associated with NURS 126 and 126L. Application of the nursing process in the performance of complex technical skills. Pass/no pass grading. Short term class. Total of 54 hours laboratory.
Principles of medication administration, classification of drugs, drug actions and side effects. Role and responsibilities of the vocational nurse in the interpretation of drug orders, dosage calculation, and administration of medications. Calculation of intravenous rates and management of intravenous fluids for the vocational nurse. Total of 54 hours lecture.
Introduction to principles of medication administration, classification of drugs, drug actions, and side effects. Role and responsibilities of the vocational nurse in the interpretation of drug orders, dosage calculation, and administration of medications. Recommended Pre-Algebra math skill; be able to compute basic math and do metric system conversions. Total of 36 hours lecture.
Continued studies in the administration of medications, classification of drugs, drug actions and side effects. Role and responsibilities of the vocational nurse in administration of medications. Calculation of intravenous rates and management of intravenous fluids for the vocational nurse. Total of 36 hours lecture.
Mental health nursing theory and concepts to promote and maintain safe, developmentally appropriate health care for culturally diverse psychiatric - mental health clients across the lifespan. Integrate vocational nursing responsibilities of data collection, planning interventions, reporting and documentation. Utilization of nursing process in the vocational nurse's care of client response to psychiatric-mental health conditions. Total of 36 hours lecture.
Introduction to the fundamentals of vocational nursing. Theory common to the care of medical/surgical clients. Introduction to the components of the nursing process. Concepts of communication in a multicultural environment. Total of 90 hours lecture.
Introduction and application of basic nursing skills. Application of nursing theory and the nursing process to the care of individuals in hospitals and community agencies. Pass/no pass grading. Total of 270 hours laboratory.
Introduction to the concepts of communication necessary to the care of adult and geriatric medical, surgical, and psychiatric clients at the beginning vocational level. Total of 18 hours lecture.
Progression in vocational nursing. Elaboration on concepts of safe care of medical/surgical clients. Progression in the vocational nurse utilization of nursing process for more complex client problems. Further concepts of cultural proficiency, therapeutic communication, and client advocacy. Total of 90 hours lecture.
Application of nursing theory and skills to the care of individuals experiencing complex medical/surgical conditions. Progressive use of the nursing process. Pass/no pass grading. Total of 270 hours laboratory.
Continuation and progression in vocational nursing theory and concepts common to the care of complex adult medical/surgical clients at the intermediate vocational nursing level. Total of 18 hours lecture.
Continuation and progression in vocational nursing. Nursing care of maternal-newborn, pediatric, and medical-surgical clients. Concepts of emergency and disaster nursing, community nursing, leadership and supervision. Current trends in vocational nursing, legal, ethical issues, career opportunities and job application. Preparation for vocational nursing licensure examination. Total of 108 hours lecture.
Application of nursing theory to the care of maternal-child, pediatric, and adult medical/ surgical clients. Integration of nursing process into the role of vocational nurse leader. Role of the vocational nurse in an emergency setting. Twelve weeks. Pass/no pass grading. Total of 216 hours laboratory.
Introduction to foundational pharmacological principles and dosage calculation that relate the concepts of patient-centered care, teamwork and collaboration, evidence-based practice, safety, informatics, and professionalism to the care of patients receiving medication across the developmental spectrum. Total of 18 hours of lecture.
The role of the nurse in medication administration. Focus on drug information to enhance safe and effective use of over-the-counter and prescription medications. Current issues related to drug therapy explored. Total of 18 hours lecture.
Focus on effective pharmacological and parenteral treatments to alleviate illness, relieve pain, and facilitate healing. Individualized care plan based on patient values, clinical experience and evidence-based practice. Demonstration of effective use of strategies to reduce risk of harm when administering or evaluating medication. Total of 36 hours lecture.
Focus on practicing clinical nursing skills needed to provide and manage safe nursing care of adult patients. Major emphasis on developing psychomotor skills related to vital signs, personal hygiene, asepsis, transfer and ambulation, hydration, elimination, intake/output, ostomies, wound care, comfort measures, and administration of medications. Introduces documentation of procedures and nursing care, including the use of basic technology within the healthcare setting. Pass/no pass grading. Total of 27 hours lecture.
Development and improvement of nursing knowledge, skills, and attitudes in a supervised clinical setting, based on self-evaluation and improvement planning. Focus for this course is on patient-centered care, teamwork and collaboration, evidence-based practice, safety, informatics, and professionalism. Pass/no pass grading. Total of 162 hours laboratory.
Clinical skills instruction based on up-to-date nursing knowledge and a conceptual framework of best nursing practices empower nursing students of all levels to discover what they need to know and how to engage with multidisciplinary healthcare providers. 8 weeks. Pass/no pass grading. Total 27 hours of lecture and 36 hours laboratory.
Nursing concepts, judgments, skills, and practices related to the role transition of the licensed vocational nurse to the registered nurse. Total of 27 hours lecture and 27 hours laboratory.
Provides nurses, paramedics, and other health care providers with an opportunity to become proficient in interpreting and applying basic cardiac dysrhythmias in clinical practice. Pass/no pass grading. Total of 18 hours lecture.
Intravenous therapy and blood withdrawal concepts, principles, and techniques including methods for performing IV therapy and blood withdrawal, basic IV review, and advanced theory including maintaining PICC lines, potential complications, evidence-based practice and professional standards. Emphasis is on the acquisition of venipuncture and blood withdrawal skills. Pass/no pass grading. Total of 36 hours lecture.