Nursing - Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN) to Registered Nurse (RN) Option (AS Degree S0957)

Technology and Health Division
Degree S0957
The Mt. San Antonio College LVN to RN Nursing Program is approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing. The program is designed to prepare students to give direct nursing care to clients in various practice settings. The program consists of coursework in nursing, science, general education, and clinical nursing practice at local hospitals and health agencies. Graduates of the program receive an Associate in Science Degree in Nursing and are eligible to take the NCLEX-RN examination leading to licensure as a Registered Nurse.
The Licensed Vocational Nurse is provided career mobility in the Nursing Program. Enrollment in the Mt San Antonio College LVN to Registered Nursing Program is open to persons regardless of sex, age, marital status, disability, ethnic group, religion, or national origin. The Licensed Vocational Nurse may choose between earning an Associate in Science Degree in Nursing or completing the LVN 30-Unit non-degree Option which will not lead to a certificate or a degree.

Prerequisite Courses

The following prerequisites must be completed prior to applying to the Nursing - LVN to RN Option. These courses cannot be in progress. 

Request for Equivalency

Request for equivalency for core sciences: Courses must meet or exceed the 4.0 semester unit minimum with a laboratory component, as required by the California Community College Chancellor’s office. If you are uncertain whether a course taken inside or outside the California Community College system is equivalent to the Mt. SAC course, please contact the Counseling Department.

ADN General Education Requirements

All courses below must be completed with a grade of “C” or better. A “C- (minus)“ from other institutions for course majors is not accepted. Due to the intensity of the program, students are highly encouraged to complete general education prior to admission into the program.

¹

Must be completed before NURS 6.

²

Must be completed before NURS 5.

Additional General Education and Graduation Requirements

Students will be required to complete additional areas of general educations to earn an associate’s degree including:

• Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning General Education Area
• Arts and Humanities General Education Area
• Social Political and Economic Institutions - History or Political Science General Education Area
• Ethnics Studies General Education Area
• Physical Well-Being graduation requirement
• Reading Competency graduation requirement

International Coursework

Coursework completed in another country may be accepted to satisfy requirements for graduation. A recognized International evaluation service must evaluate international transcripts. All evaluated International Transcripts (regardless of whether the courses are accepted for Mt. SAC equivalency) must be included in the online Nursing Application. If you are selected as a candidate for the Nursing Program, please submit an official, sealed copy of the International Evaluation during your counseling appointment.

High School Education or Equivalent

Nursing Applicants must provide proof of graduation from:

1. An accredited high school in the United States by transcripts or diploma or;
2. Documentation of a passing score on the General Education Development (GED) exam or;
3. Associate degree, or Baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution of higher education in the United States or;
4. Official evaluation of international diploma/degree

Other Program Requirements

• Meet the minimum physical and mental qualifications to perform essential nursing functions (see Essential Functions).
• Criminal background check and drug screening must be completed prior to any clinical placement or patient contact.
• A physical examination, including specific immunization is required of all candidates prior to the beginning of nursing classes.
• Current Health Care Provider CPR certification 

Non-course Requirements

1. An overall grade point average of 2.5 for the Human Anatomy, Human Physiology and Microbiology prerequisite courses with no grade less than a “C” for each course and no more than one repetition of any one of these courses. A “C- (minus)“ from other institutions for course majors is not accepted.
2. Science courses (Human Anatomy, Human Physiology and Microbiology) cannot be older than 7 years at time of application.
3. All courses for the major must have no grade less than a “C” for each course to meet the graduation criteria. A “C- (minus)“ from other institutions for course majors is not accepted.
4. Cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.5 for all college coursework completed.
5. Eligibility for MATH 110 or MATH 130.
6. High school graduation or GED or academic degree from an accredited college/university in the United States.
7. A physical examination, including specific immunizations is required of all candidates prior to the beginning of nursing classes.
8. Current Healthcare Provider CPR certification.
9. Criminal background check and drug screening must be completed prior to any clinical placement or patient contact.
10. Nursing 70: Role Transition must be completed with a credit grade prior to entrance into the program. (NURS 70: Role Transition – Due to the clinical component of NURS 70, applicants must submit their names to the Nursing Office for approval prior to enrollment in this course. Applicants must have completed all prerequisite courses prior to taking NURS 70. Applicants must provide proof of current Vocational Nurse License, physical, CPR card, Background Check, and drug testing prior to the start of class).

Required Courses

Students must develop an education plan with a counselor or educational advisor to complete college academic requirements for the AS degree. Contact the Counseling Department at (909) 274-4380 to schedule an appointment.

NOTE: Applicants planning to continue their education and enter a baccalaureate program in Nursing will need to meet with a counselor or educational adviser to discuss transferability of courses.

Nursing Website (http://www.mtsac.edu/nursing/)

Selection Process

Students applying for admission to the LVN to RN Option Nursing Program are required to see either a counselor or educational advisor to verify their eligibility to enter the Nursing program.

Procedure

Students must complete all course prerequisites prior to requesting an appointment for certifying readiness to enter into the Nursing program. Once eligibility has been established and the Admission Assessment Test has been passed, students will enter on a first come first served basis.

The Eligibility Appointment:

1. Once a student has completed all course prerequisites, they may request an appointment with a counselor or educational advisor to complete the career mobility eligibility form.
2. Students who have completed coursework at other colleges must bring the following information to their eligibility appointment:
   1. Official transcripts of all college work completed at all colleges.
   2. If the prerequisite courses were completed at another college, a course description and a copy of the course syllabus should be included in the documentation for eligibility.
   3. Students completing college coursework outside of the United States will need to have their transcripts evaluated by an approved international transcript evaluation agency and must bring the final evaluation to their appointment (students may be able to obtain a list of agencies from the Admissions & Records Office).
   4. Due to specific college deadlines for International Student application, please inform the Counseling/Educational Advisor that this applies to you.
   5. All students will need to bring official proof of high school graduation, GED, or college graduation from an accredited institution in the United States.

Students should also be aware that once they have been admitted to the LVN to RN Option Nursing program and before beginning the clinical portion of the program, they will need to be able to pass a criminal background check, including screening by the Office of Inspector General for welfare or Social Security fraud, as well as testing negative for drug use.

ALL APPLICANTS ARE REQUIRED TO MEET THE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS FOR SUCCESS IN THE NURSING PROGRAM.

Physical Demands:

• Perform prolonged, extensive, or considerable standing/walking, lifting positioning, pushing, and/or transferring patients
• Possess the ability to perform fine motor movements with hands and fingers
• Possess the ability for extremely heavy effort (lift/carry 50 lbs. or more)
• Perform considerable reaching, stooping, bending, kneeling, and crouching.

Sensory Demands: 

May be corrected with adaptive devices.

• Color vision: the ability to distinguish and identify colors.
• Distance vision: the ability to see clearly 20 feet or more
• Depth perception: the ability to judge distance and space relationships
• Near vision: the ability to see clearly 20 inches or less
• Hearing: able to recognize a full range of tones

Working Environment:

• May be exposed to infectious and contagious diseases, without prior notification
• Regularly exposed to the risk of blood-borne diseases
• Exposed to hazardous agents, body fluids, and wastes
• Exposed to odorous chemicals and specimens
• Subject to hazards of flammable, explosive gases
• Subject to burns and cuts
• Contact with patients having different religious, culture, ethnicity, race, sexual orientation, psychological and physical disabilities, and under a wide variety of circumstances
• Handle emergency or crisis situations
• Subject to many interruptions
• Requires judgment/action which could result in death of a patient
• Exposed to products containing latex

English Language Skills:

Although proficiency in English is not a criterion for admission into the nursing program, students are encouraged to be able to speak, write and read English to complete classes successfully and to ensure safety for themselves and for others. 

Regarding Licensure

The California Board of Registered Nursing (BRN) protects the consumer by screening applicants for licensure in order to identify potentially unsafe practitioners. The BRN may deny applications for interim permits, temporary licenses, and permanent licensure, if the applicant has been found guilty of dishonesty, fraud or deceit, felony child abuse, sex offender crimes, acts involving narcotics, dangerous drugs or devices, assault and/or battery, and other crimes. Applicants who have questions regarding limitations related to licensure, should contact the California Board of Registered Nursing at (916) 322-3350 or access its website at www.rn.ca.gov (http://www.rn.ca.gov/).

Contact:
California Board of Registered Nursing
1747 North Market Boulevard, Suite 150
Sacramento, CA 95834
(916) 322-3350
www.rn.ca.gov (http://www.rn.ca.gov/)

Program Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this program, a student will be able to:

• Successfully complete the Role Transition course to be accepted into the Nursing Program in the second semester.

Review Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) for this program