Current Program

The Registered Nursing (RN) program 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. Students enroll in the RN program to obtain a degree, to meet transfer requirements and for retraining or upgrading employment skills. In recent years several factors have affected the program, including changes in the environment and population, changes in economic conditions and the college's budget conditions, changes in students' basic skill levels, changes in technology and the increasing use of technology in the classroom and in the workplace, and changes in facility needs at the college.

Degrees and Certificates - An Associate in Science degree is offered.

Personnel - Currently the program requires the following
faculty and staff: five full-time faculty members, two part-time
faculty members, one full-time classified employee and one student employee.

Teaching Methodologies - Currently lecture, lecture/lab, lecture/demonstration, large lecture/study groups and lab instruction are the primary teaching methods employed in the program. Some self-paced, service based learning and computerized instruction is also used.

Technology - At the present time, no online or distance learning technology is utilized in the program.

Equipment - Items in need of immediate repair or replacement include training dolls used in nursing instruction, blood pressure cuffs and sphygmometers, training beds and filing cabinets. The program also needs more computers and more technological models to teach subjects such as patient assessment, vital signs and breath sounds. There is an immediate need for a copier in the Nursing department.

Facilities - The condition of the current facilities is poor, with classrooms and lab spaces inadequate for teaching most of the time. Rooms need air conditioning, and buildings need hot running water and working restrooms.

Future Program

In the next ten years, the program will need to adapt to meet changes in technology, teaching methods, curriculum development, student academic preparation, college recruitment strategies and facilities. It is expected that in the mid term (five years) and long term (ten years), program enrollment could increase at the same rate as the overall college enrollment depending on faculty and availability of clinical placements. See Program Projections.

Degrees and Certificates - No additional degrees or certificates are planned.

Personnel - See Projected Faculty and Staff Needs.

Teaching Methodologies - In the future, more self-paced and computerized instruction is expected to be used, as well as online and distance learning methods. Several courses lend themselves to distance learning systems.

Technology - In the future, more computerized instruction and the offering of online courses will require upgrades in program technology.

Equipment - In the mid term (five years), new computers with current software applications, new telephones and new hospital beds will be needed to keep up with changes in technology in the medical field. Labs will need updated equipment and supplies. An emergency notification system (such as an overhead pager) is needed.

Facilities - Within the next five years, classrooms will need new desks, chairs, projectors and projection screens. With an increase in enrollment, at least three large lecture rooms will need to be added to accommodate additional students. Offices (with privacy for counseling students) are needed for all staff. Two additional classrooms and two additional labs are needed. At least one conference room for meetings and/or study are needed. More space is needed to accommodate growth in the program, and it would be best if the Nursing/Health Occupations division had its own building with its own separate classrooms for greater visibility as well as security.

Staff Development - Staff need in-service training opportunities to work in hospitals to keep updated on the latest technology in patient care, as well as training opportunities to learn distance learning methodologies, including developing online classes to replace existing lecture components.

Special Recommendation

Future growth of this program is dependent on program review results, faculty interests and the availability of clinical placements for students.