Nursing Associate of Science Degree

This degree program is designed to prepare students to become Registered Nurses who provide nursing care to assist patients in attaining their maximum level of wellness. Graduates are eligible to apply for their Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) and take the National Counsel Licensure Examination – RN (NCLEX-RN). The program is accredited by the California State Board of Registered Nursing and the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN).

Accepted Students are admitted in the Fall and Spring semesters. Students must complete required prerequisites to apply. Applicants must pass a background check, drug screen, and meet the health requirements prior to entry. California law allows for denial of the RN license based on any conviction or legal action related to nursing practice.For further information, go to: www.rn.ca.gov. SBVC reserves the right to deny students entry based on background check and drug screen.  

REQUIRED PREREQUISITE COURSES:

A.      A minimum of 2.5 GPA in the following GE courses:

B.      Freshman Composition,  ENGL 101 with a grade of Cor higher

C.      Intermediate Algebra, MATH 095 or  MATH 096 or higherwith a grade of C or higher

D.      Elementsof Public Speaking,  COMMST 100 or 100Hor  Interpersonal Communication,  COMMST 111 with a grade of C or higher

E.       Introduction to Sociology, SOC 100 or 100H or Cultural Anthropology, ANTHRO 102 with a grade of C or higher

F.       Humanities-6 units 3 max from applied area- See SBVC GE courses for more information

Science courses listed below must be completed with a grade of C or higher and a minimum  G.P.A. of 2.75 in  the four courses:

·        Human Anatomy and Physiology, BIOL 250 & 251 or BIOL 260 & 261 

·        Microbiology, BIOL 270

·        General Psychology, PSYCH 100 or PSYCH 100H

All courses must meet the cumulative 2.5 GPA to apply

Note: BIOL 261 (or BIOL 250 &251) and BIOL 270 must be taken within 5 years of application to the program;Online sciences will not be accepted. BIOL- 250 & BIOl-251 must be completed at the same institution.

APPLICATION TO THE NURSING PROGRAM

Applications to the nursing program may only be submitted when all program prerequisites have been completed and met GPA requirements. Admission to the program is competitively based on a points system. Applications must be received only during August 1st-September 1st (spring semester) or January 2 – February 2 (fall semester).Applications are available online during the application periods. Incomplete applications will not be accepted. The HESI Exam is by invitation only.

Submit the following to the Health Science Division Office, HLS 101:

A.      Application

B.      Online

C.      Evaluation of Prior college credit

D.      Unofficial Transcripts (SBVC students ONLY)

E.       Social security card or TAX ID number – copy made by Nursing office

Submit the following to Admissions and Records:

A.      Official college transcripts from all colleges or universities attended except for SBVC Transcripts must be issued within the last 6 months and document that the program prerequisites have been completed

B.      International transcripts must be evaluated for equivalency

C.      High school completion or equivalent (transcript, G.E.D. or the California State High School Proficiency Exam or a degree from a U.S. accredited institution

D.      International students need their high school equivalency evaluated by outside agency

SELECTION PROCESS

Applicants will be selected based on a multi-criteria selection process (point system).  Selected applicants will be invited back to take the HESI exam that will determine entry into the nursing program. Entrance to the nursing program is limited to students who have completed all prerequisites, met all GPA requirements, taken the HESI exam, and been accepted into the nursing program.

LVN to RN PROGRAM

Applications will be admitted via the same point system that Generic ADN students are admitted, although in a different pool. Applicants will be required to adhere to all of the same regulations set forth by the multi-criteria point system. All prerequisites are required to be completed prior to submitting an application. Potential LVN applicants will also be sent a Health Education Systems, Inc. Exam (HESI-A2)invite. Please note that the application periods will be the same as the ADN application.

REQUIREMENTS FOR LVN TO RN:

A.      Completed all Prerequisites. (Same as the RN program)

B.      One year full-time work experience as an LVN

C.      Current California LVN license.

D.      Letter of verification- letter verifying employment as an LVN

E.       Detailed Résumé summarizing work experience as an LVN (employer, type of patient care unit, month/year starting and ending dates).  

LVN to RN courses upon entry:Complete each of the following courses with a 78% or higher:   NURS 130 (includes challenge exams to determine eligibility to enter the following courses NURS 250, 251, 260, and 261).

A 30-unit completion option is available to Licensed Vocational Nurses per the California BRN code of Regulations 1429. However, it is important to note that LVNs choosing to take the 30-unit option can never be qualified as graduates of the SBVC ADN program and will permanently be referred to as having attained a Nursing Non-Degree/Non-Graduate Status. This option is recognized only in the State of California. 

To graduate with an Associate of Science degree with a major in nursing, complete each of the following courses with a 78% or higher along with the general education breadth requirements.(The Prerequisites that are required)

San Bernardino Valley CollegeNursing Program is submitting a major curriculum revision. The new curriculumwill incorporate Quality Safety Education in Nursing (QSEN), Joint CommissionNational Patient Safety Goals, the Nursing Process, and recommendations fromthe Institute of Medicine (IOM) Future of Nursing report as the unifying themeto guide the curriculum change. Geriatrics, pharmacology, and ethics isintegrated throughout the new curriculum.

QSEN is used as the organizingframework in the new curriculum to guide faculty with the challenge ofpreparing future nurses with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes (KSAs)necessary to continuously improve the quality and safety of the healthcaresystems in which they work. The Program Learning Outcomes (PLO's) arereflective of the phases of QSEN and they are; provide safe quality patient centerednursing care, integrate evidence-based practice to deliver optimal patientcare, function effectively as an active member of the inter-professional teamto provide and improve patient outcomes, utilize critical thinking principlesto provide optimal patient outcomes and continuous quality improvement, serveand provide ethical leadership for the healthcare needs of our diversecommunity, integrate nursing informatics and trends in technology to enhanceteam communication and the delivery of safe optimal care. Additional PLO'sinclude the graduate to be prepared to function as an entry-level registerednurse, and be prepared to continue their education and participate inprofessional development and pursue lifelong learning.

The new curriculum is driven bythe PLO's and are reflected in the Student Learning Outcomes (SLO's) and End ofProgram Learning Outcomes. The PLO's encompass the core values (curriculumthreads), the Mission Statement, and Philosophy that the faculty determinedwere the core of the program. The SLO's lead to the curriculum content, assistin assessing new professional standards, facilitate faculty in identificationof content to be removed or changed, and also guide the instruction methodologyand evaluation process. The curriculum is leveled and will follow in the simpleto complex format.

PROGRAM LEARNING OUTCOMES

Upon completion of the Associate Degree Nursing Program at SanBernardino Valley College the graduate will:

1.   Provide safe qualitypatient centered nursing care. 

2.  Integrate evidence-based practice to deliveroptimal patient care.

3. Functioneffectively as an active member of the inter-professional team to provide andimprove patient outcomes.

4. Utilize critical thinking principles to provide optimal patient outcomesand continuous quality improvement.

5. Serve and provide ethical leadership for the health care needs of ourdiverse community.

6.   Integrate nursinginformatics and trends in technology to enhance team communication and thedelivery of safe optimal care.

7.   Function as an entrylevel Registered Nurse.

8.  Be prepared to continue their education, participate in professionaldevelopment, and pursue lifelong learning.