Central Texas College, Nursing Program P.O. Box 1800 Killeen, TX 76540-1800, US (254) 526-7161
CENTRAL TEXAS COLLEGE Vocational Nursing Program
The Vocational Nursing Program is a traditional one-year credit program involving 3 semesters or 12 months of study.Upon successful completion, graduates receive a Certificate of Completion and are eligible to become candidates for theState Board Examination for licensure.
The candidate who successfully passes the State Board Examination may practiceas a Licensed Vocational Nurse. The Vocational Nursing Program is approved by the Texas Board of Nursing.
Classroom instruction is conducted on the campus of Central Texas College. Clinical instruction takes place in varioushospitals, clinics, nursing homes, and long term care facilities in Killeen, Temple, Gatesville, and Copperas Cove. Clinical hours/sites may vary as to day or evening shift.
Admission Policy Applicants for the program must follow the regular procedures for admission to Central Texas College.
In addition, the following is required of all applicants for admission to the Vocational Nursing Program: 1. Application for the nursing program. 2. Submission of high school transcripts verifying graduation or GED transcript that indicates student has earned a state equivalent high school diploma. 3. Copies of official transcripts from previous colleges attended. 4. Student must be TSI exempt or have passed the THEA (TASP), ASSET, ACT Accuplacer, or COMPASS. 5. All persons entering the VN program must take and pass the Nurse Entrance Test (NET) within three attempts with passing scores on the same exam.
Completion of the NET with minimum composite scores on math of 65% or higher on the Math section, with no more than three sections below 70% and reading score of 51% or higher on the same exam must be achieved.
AMARILLO COLLEGE Vocational Nursing Program Box 447 Amarillo, Texas 79178 Phone: 806-354-6016 FAX: 806-354-6096 School WEB Site:www.actx.edu
Nursing - Vocational Nursing Certificate Completion of the VN program of study provides graduates the opportunity to take the national licensure examination (NCLEX-PN) and apply for licensure as a licensed vocational nurse. Certain conditions, such as criminal convictions, a history of disciplinary action, a history of mental illness, and treatment and/or addiction to alcohol or dugs may disqualify graduates from licensure as vocational nurses in the state of Texas. The licensing agency for vocational nurses, the Texas Board of Nursing (BON), maintains a process whereby individuals may petition the BON to make decisions about licensure eligibility prior to entering or completing a vocational nursing program. An eligibility determination takes a minimum of 3-6 months, so individuals are strongly encouraged to petition the BON for an eligibility determination prior to enrollment in the nursing program
Students must have a ’C’ in all required courses in order to progress to the next level of the program. Any nursing course with a required concurrent clinical course is integrated and inseparable; thus a student must pass both components in the same semester in order to be eligible to enroll in the next level.
To continue in the program, a student may repeat any course or combination of concurrently enrolled nursing courses (class and concurrent clinical course) one time only, but may repeat no more than two different courses or concurrent nursing course combinations in total while enrolled in the program.
Howard County Junior College District, Nursing Program 1001 Birdwell Lane Big Spring, TX 79720, US
The Vocational Nursing Program is a 12 month Certificate Program that offers college credit. It is designed to prepare students to perform direct patient care under the supervision of a Registered Nurse and/or Physician. Students are prepared for upward mobility in a nursing career. The program is approved by the Texas Board of Vocational Nurse Examiners and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. Upon completion, students will make application to take the State Board Examination to become Licensed Vocational Nurses. Many Vocational Nursing students after passing their State Board Exam return to Howard College Accelerated (Transition) Associate Degree Nursing Program to become Registered Nurses.
Selection Pool
Following completion of the admission requirements (or proof of enrollment in summer classes) by the designated deadline of June 1, the applicant will be considered for the selection pool. All applicants to the Howard College Vocational Nursing Program who have met the requirements for admission to the college will be evaluated according to the criteria specified. Each applicant will be ranked on the basis of total points. A minimum of 18 points or 70% should be obtained for consideration of admission to the program.
If you are admitted to the VN Program, the classes you will take for the next year will all be VNSG (Vocational Nursing) classes with the exception of Microbiology, which may be taken prior to admission.
The Grayson County College Vocational Nursing program requires 46 credit hours and can be completed in 12months. The Vocational Nursing Program meets five days a week and is considered a full time program.
Students prepare for licensure by completing the course requirements asstated below. Upon successful completion of the program, graduates are awarded a certificate in vocational nurs-ing .
Graduates must subsequently apply to take the NCLEX-PN exam. If successfully completed, the graduatewill be issued a license to practice nursing as a licensed vocational nurse (LVN
Alvin Community College, Nursing Program 3110 Mustang Road Alvin, TX 77511, US (281) 756-3500
ACC’s Vocational Nursing Department offers a one year certificate program that starts in June. The program is designed to prepare the vocational nursing student to function as a vital member of the health care team. The 44-hour program is an intensive study of practical nursing, including classroom, laboratory, and clinical experiences. Graduates are eligible to take the state licensing exam to become a Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN).
Alvin Community College Video
The Vocational Nursing program costs approximately $4,000*. This investment in your future includes the ACT/SAT test fee, CPR certification requirements, all tuition and fees, malpractice insurance, books, miscellaneous supplies, uniforms, and costs related to graduation and licensure.
Advantages of ACC
Consistently high board exam pass rates. Small classes and personal attention. Very high quality nursing faculty. Hands-on clinical experience at area medical facilities.
Affordable tuition and fees – Financial assistance available to those who qualify.
All persons who have met general Vocational Nursing Program admission criteria will be eligible for admission to the LVN Program. Prerequisite course work must be complete or in process to be complete at the time of application.
Students are admitted to the Vocational Nursing program from those who submit a complete application and meet all the VN admission criteria.
Clinical agencies will require that students have a background check and drug screening completed at the student's expense before beginning clinical rotations in the agency. Background checks and drug screening may deny the student access to clinical agencies and disqualify the student form participation in the Vocational Nursing program.
Conviction of a felony or any offense substantially related to the qualification, functions and duties of a vocational nurse may constitute grounds for denial of licensure.
To assure that the health and safety of the public is protected and that the student is able to perform nursing duties, a certification of health by a physician or designee is the final selection criteria.
Students must be able to lift 50 pounds repetitively unaided.
Physical Exam: Certification of health by your healthcare provider is a final admission criterion. A complete physical examination and immunizations at the applicant's expense are required upon acceptance.
Applicants are required to have passed a health examination prior to entering the Program. If, at any time, either before or after acceptance into the program a students' physical or emotional health is such that it is a potential threat to the well being of a patient or themselves; the student may be denied access to clinical agencies. Denied clinical access will affect the student's ability to successfully participate in the Program.
Anatomy & Physiology Pharmacology Administration of Medications Legal & Ethical Responsibilities Nutrition Common Disease Processes Preventative Nursing Care Therapeutic Nursing Care Rehabilitative Nursing Care Restorative Nursing Care Nursing interventions for patient care Cultural Differences in caring for patients Psychosocial impact of disease Leadership principles
More local students will now have the opportunity to pursue careers in nursing, through Hanford Adult School programs. Hanford Adult School officials were notified this week of approval by the Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians to expand the program to 24 students per cohort, up from the previous 20 students per cohort. Cohorts start for the school's Licensed Vocational Nursing (LVN) program three times a year -- meaning that, in addition to the 120 Certified Nursing Assistants that Hanford Adult School educates each year, there will be 72 new LVNs each year.
Hanford Adult School's LVN program is a 44-week full-time program, and completion leads to eligibility for the National Council of Licensure Examination for Practical Nursing.
Expansion of the program is a positive thing for both the community and potential students. Mark Dutra, principal of Hanford Adult School, said that there are about 78 completed folders for applicants for the upcoming cohort of the program, but two-thirds of the applicants can't enter the program right away due to the capacity limits regulated by the Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians.
Acceptance into the impacted program used to be done on a lottery system, but Dutra disliked it because it did not ensure that the most qualified applicants were entering the program. So about 18 months ago, less than a year after Dutra was hired as principal, the application process switched from the lottery system to a merit-based system.
"We want to raise the bar," Dutra said. "Our theme [for Hanford Adult School] is 'Dare To Soar' and we encourage all students to do that. The top students should be in the program."
In order to be considered for the program, applicants must pass the Test of Essential Academic Skills, pass prerequisite classes, get letters of recommendation and go through an oral interview. But under the merit system, students who aren't accepted become applicants for the subsequent cohort and can receive feedback from school administrators on how to improve their chances of acceptance in the future.
"We want to make sure students are successful in the program," said Gary Marr, assistant principal for Hanford Adult School. "That's why we do all the groundwork."
But the program is not begging for more students, Dutra said. Rather, the school's officials often suggest that potential students -- especially those who might soon pursue a Registered Nurse (RN) education -- get their educations through a community college or university, because it would be more beneficial to the students in the long run, he said.
And that's the whole basis of Dutra's philosophy: what's best for the students. And he said it's what makes the program so successful. Program and school administrators count it as a loss when only 18 or 19 of the previous 20 students in a cohort successfully complete and become LVNs.
Hanford Adult School's LVN program is one of few in the state that finishes in less than one year, and doing that is more expensive for the school, more difficult to acquire clinical time and less attractive to potential faculty -- but more beneficial to students, Dutra said.
Though it may be attractive to potential students to complete the program in under a year, former program student Alfred Benavides said the compact duration makes the program fast-paced and intense. Benavides, a trustee for the Hanford Joint Union High School District who entered the LVN program in January 2007, advised potential students not to commit to the program if they have a full-time job, because the program requires at least five days a week.
But if students can commit, Benavides said the program and its director and site principal are excellent.
"It's very competitive, it's very intense," Benavides said of the program. "You really have to know your stuff. But it is regarded as one of the best jewels here in the Valley."
Benavides isn't the typical student; he is 51 years old and returning to school more than a quarter of a century after earning his bachelor degree in science from University of California at Santa Cruz. But his science background and his parents' health problems inspired Benavides to pursue a career in the medical field. Due to his and his family's health problems, Benavides did have to leave the program shortly before completion, but he plans to return to it.
Benavides said he is pleased with the program. He said the application process is fair because students need to have competence and be able to think on their feet and quickly make good decisions. His only desire would be for it to continue to expand, and maybe establish a Medical Assistant program option.
Continued expansion, even if it was just of the existing program options, would be a positive move, since the United States Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics Web site projects that 14 percent more LVNs will be needed between 2006 and 2016.
Christine Pickering, director of marketing and communications for Adventist Health's local establishments, said that between the company's three local hospitals and 15 rural health clinics, there are 40 LVNs and 69 Certified Nursing Assistants. Though the need for RNs is in highest demand -- 18 open local positions are posted on the Adventist Health Web site compared to four for LVNs and two for CNAs -- there is a shortage for other nursing positions. Pickering added that the demand for LVNs will increase as more physicians move into the area, and the demand for CNAs will increase when Hanford's new hospital opens, planned in Spring 2010.
Benavides' only other previous concern, which has since been addressed, was the lack of a continuous director of the program. The program has had several directors in the last few years. But upon Benavides' suggestion, the school district trustees raised the pay for the then open position for the program's director and Hanford Adult School was able to secure and hire Sandra Omilianowski.
Although each director had a different philosophy -- and although there have been recent complaints presented to The Sentinel in that regard -- Benavides said he believes Omilianowski is "great" and that discontinuity of direction is no longer a problem.
Dutra agreed that he believed Omilianowski would remain the director at least through the coming school year, and said he was pleased with all of the changes and expansion to Hanford Adult School's nursing programs since he became school principal.
Redlands Vocational Nursing program at the Redlands Adult School held its graduation Friday evening in the Blackstone Theater at Redlands East Valley High School. Ellen Schollenberger, the founding director for the nursing program, attended the graduation and talked about what the students go through.
She said the licensed vocational nursing program provides "experience in long-term care and acute care. They work at the VA and other various hospitals in the area."
There is one thing Schollenberger is particularly proud of.
"At the end of the program they take a national licensing exam, and our school has a 100 percent pass rate on that," Schollenberger said.
"So we have many many applications to get into our program."
Many scholarships are handed out to the graduates from the community.
"We have a good reputation," Schollenberger said. "Many community organizations give scholarships to our graduates, so we have a great deal of support within our community, which is very nice. All of our graduates are working in these various places. In Redlands Community and Beaver Clinic, their employers are always very happy."
Nursing secretary Mary Amdriz said she is happy to see the graduates reach this level in their educations.
"There's different levels of nursing, and this is kind of the middle level," Amdriz said. "The entry level is called certified nursing assistant, and then the next
level would be called licensed vocational nurse, and that's about 1,700 hours worth of training. And then it goes on to registered nurse, which is usually a four-year program." Nursing graduate Art Gaitan of Grand Terrace felt relief at the end of his training, and gave the inspirational message at the graduation.
"I feel excited," Gaitan said. "It's honestly a feeling that 18 months ago it was hard to comprehend that I would actually be here today. Going through the last 18 months has been hard and very hectic, but for the most part it's a feeling of excitement."
He went through the nursing program because it led to a way to serve as the military has served.
"I would have to say the bedside care was the best part of the program, especially at the VA hospital," Gaitan said. "It was just being able to give back to some of the men. Both of my grandfathers and my father served in the service, and I feel like this is a small way I could give back to them."
Nursing graduate Karen Katuls of Redlands is 51 now, and finally saw her dream from when she was 18 years old come true.
"It's amazing, it's incredible, it's a mid-life dream," Katuls said. "It was time for me to finish school."
She was impressed with the teachers' dedication.
"The teachers' dedication to make sure we get through and get everything done is amazing," Katuls said. "They didn't want us to rest because they wanted us to be the best we could possibly be, and they pushed us no matter how young, how old, how slow, how fast and made sure we got what we needed."(source)
