NURSING, (REGISTERED) – ASSOCIATE IN SCIENCE DEGREE

The Registered Nursing Program at Los Angeles Trade-Technical College materialized in 1970 as a result of community interest and the desire expressed by many Licensed Vocational Nurses to continue their nursing education toward Registered Nurse status. In 1989 another option to the program was added and the first non-licensed candidates were admitted to the program, thereby, allowing program admission by both licensed and non-licensed candidates. Candidates holding a current California Vocational Nurse license and are graduates of an accredited Vocational Nursing Program will be placed in the third semester of the Registered Nursing Program once a comprehensive test is successfully achieved in Basic Medical-Surgical Nursing. Candidates who are not successful in this test will be placed in the second semester of the nursing program. Candidates from non-accredited Vocational Nursing Program and/or candidates who challenged the Vocational Nursing examination (NCLEX) will also be placed in the third semester of the program once a comprehensive test and a clinical rotation are successfully completed.

The 30-unit option is also available for current license vocational nurses. Candidates who choose this option will not be a graduate of the Registered Nursing Program at Los Angeles Trade-Technical College. Also several states in the U.S. will not recognize nurses who take this option as a Registered Nurse. Additional information about the 30-unit option is available in the Nursing and Health Occupations Department.

The Nursing Curriculum combines nursing and general education courses with selected laboratory experiences during which students provide nursing care to clients in hospitals and other health care facilities including outpatient care settings. Nursing courses include medical-surgical nursing, nutrition, geriatric nursing, maternal child health nursing, psychiatric nursing, pharmacology and nursing management and leadership with a preceptorship. Once admitted the program is designed to be completed in four semesters for non-licensed candidates and two or three semesters for licensed candidates. Some students may take longer to fulfill all requirements depending on individual circumstances.

Applicants must meet health and other requirements mandated by the program and affiliating hospitals/clinic prior to entry. Transportation to and from the college for theory classes and to the various clinical facilities for affiliation rotation is required. Rotations may include day, evening and night shifts. Student must have dependable transportation and child care at all times.

Potential candidates for the nursing program are admitted in the Fall and Spring of each school year. Candidates must enter the program with an overall 2.0 grade point average. A "C" grade or better in prerequisite courses and courses taken while in the program is required in nursing. Should the number of qualified applicants exceed the number of available openings, a system will be used that allows applicants with the highest grades in the prerequisites to be accepted first. Qualified applicants remaining will be accepted first the following semester.

Students enrolled in the Registered Nursing Program may challenge any course in the program in sequence except RN50 (Bridging course) for licensed vocational nurse candidates. Credit by examination guidelines in the college catalog must be followed. A course outline of course being challenged will be provided prior to the challenging examination. The assigned instructor of the course being challenge will also make a contract with the student regarding date and time of examination. The grade received on the exam will be the grade placed on the student’s transcript.

Students who have been admitted to the program and/or not successful in a nursing course and need to repeat a course, the guidelines are listed in the Student Nurse Handbook must be followed. This Handbook is given to each new entering nursing student each semester.

Program flyers with prerequisites and admission information may be obtained from the Counseling Office or the Nursing and Health Occupations Department, Room A-347.

The Board of Registered Nursing, Board of Vocational Nurse and Psychiatric Technicians and Department of Health Services may deny license or certification on such grounds as: being convicted of crime, acts of dishonesty, fraud or deceit, etc. Persons impaired by alcohol, drug abuse and emotional illness are expected to voluntarily seek diagnosis and treatment for any suspected illness.

Upon successful completion of the program, graduates are eligible to apply for the State Board of Registered Nursing licensing examination (NCLEX).

The program is approved by the Board of Registered Nursing and accredited by the National League for Nursing.

PREREQUISITE COURSES

A grade of "C" or better must be obtained in all prerequisite courses. High school graduate, G.E.D., U.S. university degree or A.S./A.A. degree is required. Foreign education will be considered once foreign transcripts are evaluated.

UNITS

HOC 1 Survey of Health Occupations

Module A Skills Assessment 1

Module B* Reading Remediation 1

Module C* Math Remediation 1

Module D* Study Skills 1

BIOLOGY 20 Anatomy & Physiology 8

MICRO 1 or 20** Introductory Microbiology 5/4

PSYCH 1 General Psychology I 3

PSYCH 41 Life Span Psychology: From Infancy

to Old Age 3

ENGLISH 101 College Reading & Composition I 3

CHEM 51 or 65 Introductory Chemistry (One of the

prerequisites to Microbiology 1. R.N.

candidates are to take Chemistry as

the prerequisite)

REGNRSG 50*** Orientation to Registered Nursing

(For LVN candidates only) 2

REGNRSG 62 Nutrition (LVN candidates EXEMPT) 3

Health (2 units) is waived for Nursing students.

*Only if advised

**(4 units) will meet program entrance requirements. However, students may require additional units of microbiology when transferring to some university programs

***Must be taken prior to entering the program but not to be taken more than two semesters prior to entry

REQUIRED COURSES & A.S. DEGREE COURSES

FIRST SEMESTER UNITS

REGNRSG 60 Basic Nursing Practice 6

REGNRSG 67 Nursing History, Ethics & Issues 1

REGNRSG 63 Pharmacology 3

SECOND SEMESTER UNITS

REGNRSG 61 Medical-Surgical Nursing 6

HISTORY American Institutions & U.S. History 3

POL SCI

SOCIOLOGY 1 Introduction to Sociology

ANTHRO 102 Human Ways of Life: Cultural

Anthropology 3

SPEECH 101 Oral Communications I 3

THIRD SEMESTER UNITS

LVN candidates will enter the program in this semester if successful in designated tests plus successful completion of Sociology 1 or Anthropology 102, History 11 or 12 or Political Science 1 and Speech 101 with a grade of “C” or better. If candidates are not successful in designated tests, he/she will be placed in the second semester taking RN 61 (Medical-Surgical Nursing).

REGNRSG 64 Maternal Child Health Nursing 6

REGNRSG 65 Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing 3

REGNRSG 68 Geriatrics Nursing 2

HUMANITIES (1 course meeting graduation requirements) 3

FOURTH SEMESTER UNITS

REGNRSG 66 Advanced Nursing Practice 3

REGNRSG 69 Nursing Management & Leadership

(Preceptorship) 3

PHYS ED 1

MATH (Requirement may be met by taking and 3

successfully passing the LATTC Math

Competency Exam or completion of a

College Elementary Algebra course)

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TOTAL UNITS 46

Nursing courses must be taken in sequence and completed with a grade of “C” or better. Associate in Science degree courses may be taken prior to semesters indicated or taken during the semester indicated (sequence).

RECOMMENDED ELECTIVES UNITS

REGNRSG 185 Directed Study (CAI) 1

REGNRSG 285 Directed Study (A-V/Skills Practice) 2

REGNRSG 385 Directed Study 3

30-UNIT OPTION (Associate in Science Degree not required)

This is a mandated option by the Board of Registered Nursing for Licensed Vocational nurses. Candidates selecting this option will not be graduates of Los Angeles Trade-Technical College Registered Nursing Program and may not purchase the nursing pin. Candidates are exempt from taking Modules B, C, and D, if they do not successfully complete Module A.

PREREQUISITE COURSES UNITS

A grade of “C” or better must be obtained in all prerequisite courses. High school graduate, G.E.D., U.S. university degree or A.S./A.A. degree is required.

PHYSIOLOGY (Biology 20 (combined A&P)-

8 Units will also be accepted) 4

MICRO 20 General Microbiology 4

REGNRSG 50* Orientation to R.N. 2

HLTH OCC 1A Survey of Health Occupations - Skills

Assessment 1

*Must be taken prior to entering the program but not to be taken more than two semesters prior to entry.

REQUIRED COURSES

SECOND SEMESTER UNITS

REGNRSG 61 Medical-Surgical Nursing

(this course may be challenged) 6