Vocational Nursing at SRJC
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SRJC offers one of the top Vocational Nursing (VN) programs in California and the nation. Initiated in 1955, the program has graduated over 1,000 plus nurses and has enjoyed an outstanding working relationship with numerous clinical agencies in our community. A key strength of our program is the diversity of both the student population and the clinical experiences. Students obtain clinical experience in a variety of settings – medical/surgical, maternal/child, pediatric, mental health, gerontology, rehabilitation, skilled nursing, and community-based nursing practice. The instructors bring a balanced and varied nursing expertise to the classroom, skills lab and clinical areas. Many of our clinical instructors are nationally certified nurses in their fields of expertise.
The Vocational Nursing (VN) Program takes three semesters to complete (Fall and Spring - no summers) during which time students attend classes and clinical (lab) approximately 32 hours per week. Most weeks have 4 days of required attendance, but some have 5 days required. In addition to pre-requisite and co-requisite courses, students complete 665 hours of theory and 1101 hours of clinical/lab during the VN program which are required and approved by the program’s accreditation organization – the Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technician (BVNPT).
• In addition students should plan to spend 25-30 hours per week studying.
• Study groups are highly recommended.
• Clinical rotations take place on day and evening shifts, week days and weekends some semesters.
• During any given rotation, a student may need to be in clinical as early as 6:30 AM or as late as 10:30 PM.
• Theory days begin at 8:00 AM, and may last until 4 PM.
• For increased program success, it is advised that students seek financial aid and limit working hours outside the program.
The Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN – called LPN – Licensed Practical Nurse in all other 49 US states) is an important member of any health-care team. Under the supervision of a doctor or a registered nurse, the LVN provides personal nursing care, such as administering oral and injectable medications, performing therapeutic interventions and treatments, using specialized equipment and instruments and gathering data essential to the care of patients in a variety of health care settings. The LVN functions under the rules and regulations of the California Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians (BVNPT). See: http://www.bvnpt.ca.gov for more information.
Past LVN graduates have done exceptionally well in the state licensure exam, NCLEXPN, and have found gainful employment in many areas of nursing including: hospitals, urgent care, skilled nursing facilities, clinics, home care, hospice care, developmental care homes, psychiatric facilities, Kaiser, and the California Prison System to name a few.
The Vocational Nursing (VN) Program takes three semesters to complete (Fall and Spring - no summers), during which time students attend classes and clinical (lab) approximately 32 hours per week. Most weeks have 4 days of required attendance, but some have 5.
- In addition students should plan to spend 25-30 hours per week studying. Study groups are highly recommended.
- Clinical rotations take place on both day and evening shifts, week days and weekends some semesters. During any given rotation, a student may need to be in clinical as early as 6:30 AM or as late as 10:30 PM.
- Theory days begin at 8:00 AM, and may last until 4 PM.
Obtaining an RN, BSN or MSN
The VN faculty at SRJC encourage all nursing students seeking upward career mobility to pursue advanced education after completion of the LVN program. At SRJC LVN students have the option of the VN major or a certificate program. The VN major completes an AS Degree and is recommended for students seeking upward career mobility. Advanced nursing degrees provide additional employment opportunities for nurses including positions in management, education, clinical nurse specialist, clinical nurse leaders, nurse anesthetists, and nurse practitioners.
Career Ladder Program SRJC
Vocational Nursing to Nursing (ADN) options exist for Licensed Vocational Nurses who wish to become RNs. There is a Career Ladder program available to eligible LVN graduates at SRJC. Eligible candidates would complete a bridging course or equivalent in Spring. Those students who successfully complete the course join the NR 75 C and NR 75D courses to complete their ADN program. For more information see this website: http://online.santarosa.edu/presentation/page/?28904, contact a Health Science counselor for an appointment at: 707-527-4451 or contact Katherine Caddes, Assistant Director, ADN program at kcaddes@santarosa.edu.
College Network and other Programs:
Other colleges and universities also offer options for the LVN to BSN. Many of our students are working successfully with the College Network System, which is a partnership consortium between Indiana State University and Sonoma State University. Students can complete the needed pre-requisites at SRJC or online and complete course work to earn their BSN or even MSN through this program. See contact information below for College Network or speak with a Health Science counselor.
The College Network® partners with leading universities to offer associate's, bachelor's and master's degree programs designed for busy nurses. Our online Comprehensive Learning Modules™ will allow you to complete your general education and elective courses with very little interruption to your career or family life. Your credits from these courses can then be transferred to one of our partner universities, or thousands of schools nationwide, where you will complete your degree.
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Associate's Degree Programs Available:
LPN/LVN to RN
Bachelor's Degree Programs Available:
LPN to Bachelor of Science in Nursing
RN to BS in Nursing
Master's Degree Programs Available:
RN to MS in Nursing
MS in Nursing
VN PROGRAM PHILOSOPHY
The faculty of the Vocational Nursing program support the primary Mission of Santa Rosa Junior College. Of principal educational importance is the development of intellectual curiosity, integrity and accomplishment in an atmosphere of academic freedom.
The VN Faculty believe that their primary function is to develop a foundation of basic nursing knowledge and skills, thereby, providing a framework for students’ ability to deliver safe, competent patient care. The VN faculty emphasize nursing knowledge and skills to deal with the primary, secondary, and tertiary aspects of nursing. This enhances the maintenance of health and the prevention of disease, while considering the basic needs, of each individual; physical, psychological, and socio-cultural.
The VN Faculty believe that experiences acquired through the curriculum will enable the graduate to continue self-development and are important components of the learning process. Selected guided learning experiences are provided at clinical facilities where the students can apply relevant knowledge and develop critical thinking and technical skills. The Faculty’s goal is the development of intellectual curiosity, critical thinking skills, and professional integrity in order to foster a successful vocational nursing career. (Approved by BVNPT Accreditation Process Fall 2007)
The VN Faculty’s teaching methods are based on key concepts from learning theories, Blooms taxonomy with an emphasis on higher level, development of critical thinking and problem solving, the Nursing Process and Dorothea Orem’s Self-Care Nursing Theory framework that:
1. Individual characteristics affect a person's learning.
2. Theoretical concepts and associated skills are learned more readily when they are related to career goals.
3. Constructive feedback from instructor, peers, and clinical facility personnel contributes to the learning process.
4. Repetition and recall of newly learned behaviors at spaced intervals strengthen and maintain these behaviors.
5. Active participation in goal setting, problem solving, conflict management, and self-evaluation is essential to the learning process.
6. Learning is facilitated when the student has an opportunity to set realistic goals, to apply theoretical knowledge, and discover relationships in a variety of clinical settings.
7. Instructor and clinical facility role models assist the learner in the acquisition of professional behaviors and values.
8. Integration of Dorethea Orem’s Self-Care Nursing Theoretical Framework.
VN PROGRAM MISSION STATEMENT
Sonoma County Junior College District's Mission is to promote student learning throughout our diverse communities by increasing the knowledge, improving the skills and enhancing the lives of those who participate in our programs and enroll in our courses.
Consistent with the District Mission, the Mission of the Santa Rosa Junior College Vocational Nursing Program is to prepare nurses for entry to practice as professional vocational nurses. The standard of nursing care provided by our graduates will be characterized by application of theoretical knowledge for patients of all ages and in multiple settings. Our graduates will demonstrate caring, cultural sensitivity, and acceptance of ethnic, race, religious, gender, age, and lifestyle differences in their practice. They will be self-directed, responsible, resourceful, and resilient professional nurses. (Approved by BVNPT in Accreditation Process Fall, 2007).
In accordance with the mission statement of Santa Rosa Junior College, the faculty of the Licensed Vocational Nursing Program set the following directives as primary to their implementation of this mission and as a statement of purpose for instructors in this program.
Institution of Higher Education
The Vocational Nursing program provides a basic foundation for both the practice of vocational nursing and advancement within the nursing profession. Students are assessed on an ongoing basis and referred to appropriate college-based programs to enhance the successful completion of their goal.
A Teaching Institution
The VN Faculty see themselves as role models of the teaching-learning process through the ongoing continuing education; and through facilitation of continual independent learning. Because society and the health care environment are in a process of continuous change, the VN Faculty recognize the need for ongoing curriculum changes to keep current with technological shifts.
Acknowledging the variety of settings in which health care takes place, and the many methods used in its delivery, the VN Faculty expose students to a wide array of the community's diverse health care services.
A Unique Environment
The VN Faculty see this vocational program as making an important contribution to this community by preparing highly competent nurses to work within its health care systems. The VN Faculty seek to fulfill community needs through an ongoing communication process of professional advisory committees and through personal contact between faculty and representatives of the institutions served. The VN Faculty believe in the role-modeling process of exhibiting professionalism and respect for human dignity in the classroom and clinical settings.
