Registered Nursing Program Prerequisites

1. Completion of ANAT V01 Human Anatomy (Units: 4) with a minimum grade of C.
2. Completion of PHSO V01 Human Physiology (Units: 4) with a minimum grade of C.
3. Completion of MICR V01 General Microbiology (Units: 4) with a minimum grade of C.
4. Completion of CHEM V20 Elementary Chemistry (Units: 4)+CHEM V20L Elementary Chemistry Laboratory (Units: 1), or CHEM V30 Chemistry for Health Sciences (Units: 4)+CHEM V30L Chemistry for Health Sciences Laboratory (Units: 1), or a higher-level chemistry course with laboratory (5 semester units) with a minimum grade of C, or one year of high school chemistry with a minimum grade of C.
5. Completion of MATH V44 Elementary Statistics (Units: 4) and (optionally) MATH V44J Just-in-Time Support for Elementary Statistics (Units: 2), or a higher-level mathematics course (4–6 semester units) with a minimum grade of C.
6. Possession of a current California CNA certification.

Potential and current applicants are requested to attend a Pre-nursing Workshop. These sessions are given bimonthly. Information covers general campus information and provides specific information about the selection requirements of the nursing program. Contact the College Counseling Office for the workshop schedule.

Nursing Program Requirements

Procedures for Applying

Applications will be accepted twice yearly. Admission is subject to available openings. The Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) program is impacted and generally has a waiting list.

Application deadlines: August 31 and February 28.

1. Complete all prerequisites to apply (mathematics, chemistry, anatomy, physiology, microbiology, and current California CNA). Students may not apply if any prerequisite is still in progress.
2. Submit an application to the college (new students only). Applications are available online.
3. Submit official transcripts from all non-VCCCD regionally accredited colleges/universities attended. These must be on file with the Ventura College Admissions and Records office before completing step 4. Transcripts from Ventura College, Moorpark College, or Oxnard College are not required.
4. Complete the Nursing Application Appointment Pre-screening Form (on the nursing website) to be reviewed for eligibility. Students will be notified by phone or VCCCD email within 3 business days from receipt of the Pre-screening Form regarding eligibility and next steps.
5. Submit an application to the ADN program.

Admission Requirements

Qualifying Requirements

Step 1:

Students must be in good academic standing (not on academic probation) to be eligible for application to the nursing program at Ventura College.

1. One of the following must be completed before applying to the program:
   1. A minimum of 12 semester units of completed college coursework with an overall GPA of 2.5, or
   2. The equivalent, consistent with Board of Registered Nursing requirements (see a college nursing counselor for details).
2. All of the following must be completed:
   1. Official transcripts from all regionally accredited colleges attended must be on file at Ventura College before applying for the August 31 or February 28 application deadlines to be considered. (Official transcripts from Ventura College, Moorpark College, or Oxnard College are not required.) Official high school transcripts will be required only if the Chemistry prerequisite is being fulfilled with a high school Chemistry course.
   2. An application to the Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) program must be on file with the Counseling Office at Ventura College by August 31 or February 28 to be considered.
   3. An application to Ventura College must also be filed for the appropriate semester (new students only).
   4. It is the applicant's responsibility to check with the transcript clerk in the Office of Admissions and Records to see that their official transcripts are on file at Ventura College.
   5. The applicant certifies the accuracy and completeness of the statements and information noted on the VC nursing application. The applicant understands that enrollment or eligibility in the Ventura College nursing program may be subject to termination if there has been a willful misrepresentation of the information submitted. The applicant authorizes the use of this information by appropriate Ventura College personnel to evaluate the qualifications for application to this program.

Step 2:

All of the following must be completed before applying to the program. (Ventura College courses are listed with the comparable courses from Moorpark College (MC) and Oxnard College (OC).)

1. Anatomy: college anatomy with laboratory (4 semester units), with a minimum grade of C: ANAT V01 (MC: ANAT M01; OC: ANAT R101). Note: Enrollment in either BIOL V01+BIOL V01L or BIOL V03 is strongly recommended before or concurrently with ANAT V01 to improve performance in both ANAT V01 and the TEAS test.
2. Chemistry: one year of high school chemistry or one semester of college chemistry with laboratory, with minimum grades of C: CHEM V20+CHEM V20L or CHEM V30+CHEM V30L or higher-level course (MC: CHEM M11 or CHEM M12; OC: CHEM R104 or CHEM R110).
3. Mathematics: completion of a statistics or higher-level course, with a minimum grade of C: MATH V44 (the support course MATH V44J is optional) (MC: MATH M15 or MATH M15H; OC: MATH R105 or MATH R105H).
4. Microbiology: college bacteriology/microbiology with laboratory (4 semester units), with a minimum grade of C: MICR V01 (MC: MICR M01; OC: MICR R100+MICR R100L).
5. Physiology: college physiology with laboratory (4 semester units), with a minimum grade of C: PHSO V01 (MC: PHSO M01 or PHSO M01H; OC: PHSO R101).
6. GPA in the core biological sciences (anatomy, microbiology, and physiology) must be at least 2.5. There may be no more than one repeat or withdrawal ("W") in any of the core biological science courses.
7. CNA: current certification as a nursing assistant (CNA) in California or the equivalent.
8. Testing: attainment of the "success score" on the state-mandated diagnostic assessment test, which is the Test of Essential Academic Skills (ATI TEAS). The ATI TEAS exam may only be taken twice maximum. If not successful on the first attempt, the prospective applicant must remediate. The Ventura College nursing program uses the first successful ATI TEAS exam score for the multi-criteria admission priority calculation.

Step 3:

One of the following additional courses must be completed before entering the nursing program, or it may be completed concurrently with the first-semester Nursing Science course (NS V10):

• Human growth and development across the lifespan: CD V03 or PSY V05 (MC: PSY M07; OC: PSY R108).

Step 4:

Additional courses required for those enrolled in the ADN program are listed below.

With the exception of human growth and development across the lifespan (see Step 3 above), students may complete these additional courses before or after acceptance into the nursing program. The School of Nursing recommends that students complete as many courses as possible before acceptance. These Ventura College courses are listed with the comparable courses from Moorpark College (MC) and Oxnard (OC) College.

1. AES V11 or ANTH V02 or SOC V01 or SOC V02 or SOC V03 (MC: ANTH M02 or SOC M110 or SOC M110H or SOC M115 or SOC M150; OC: ANTH R102 or ANTH R102H or SOC R101 or SOC R101H or SOC R102 or SOC R103).
2. PSY V01 (MC: PSY M01 or PSY M01H; OC: PSY R101 or PSY R101H).
3. ENGL V01A (pre-transfer courses may not be substituted) (MC: ENGL M01A or ENGL M01AH; OC: ENGL R101 or ENGL R101H).
4. COMM V01 or COMM V10 (MC: COMM M01 or COMM M01H or COMM M07; OC: COMM R101 or COMM R107)
5. Ventura College general education courses from the following areas:
   1. American history and institutions, Area B1 (three units)
   2. Humanities, Areas C1 and C2 (six units)
   3. Physical Education/Kinesiology, Area E2 (one course)

All applicants must contact a college nursing counselor for specific information regarding the ADN program.

Admission Process

The nursing program will admit a minimum of 75% of students based on enhanced admission criteria.

1. All students will be added to an existing waitlist.
2. The nursing program will screen and rank-order all students on the wait list based on a multi-criterion screening.
3. Seventy-five percent (75%) of the students with the highest scores from the multi-criterion screening will be admitted first to the nursing program.
4. Twenty-five percent (25%) of the entering class will be admitted based on their position on the wait list.

Enhanced criteria will include:

• GPA in science courses (anatomy, microbiology, and physiology) and lack of repeats in these courses. The first passing grade is the one use to calculate the science GPA, even if the course was repeated and a higher grade was earned;
• academic degrees, diplomas, or relevant certificates held by an applicant; relevant work or volunteer experience;
• life experience or special circumstances of an applicant, including but not necessarily limited to the following: disabilities, low family income, first generation of family to attend college, need to work, disadvantaged social or educational environment, difficult personal and family situations or circumstances, refugee or veteran status, proficiency or advanced-level coursework in languages other than English, and assessment/readiness test results (TEAS score).

To be included in the August applicant pool:

1. The application must be submitted by August 31.
2. ATI TEAS results must be submitted electronically through ATI or on file by August 31.

To be included in the February applicant pool:

1. The application must be submitted by February 28.
2. ATI TEAS results must be submitted electronically through ATI or on file by February 28.

Each qualified applicant, when selected, must decide either to enter the class, remove their name from the eligibility list, or request a deferment. Applicants may defer entry one time only. Those qualified applicants who are not selected due to limited openings may retain their names (in the order assigned by a random draw) on a waiting list. These applicants will be included in the next-semester admission process as described above. Students who choose not to enter when selected or after a second deferment must reapply and receive a new random number assignment.

Transfer Students

Transfer students may be accepted as space permits. Credit for nursing courses taken at another institution will be evaluated on an individual basis.

LVN-RN Advanced Placement Program

The Advanced Placement program is for students who currently possess an LVN license. The School of Nursing also provides opportunities for licensed vocational nurses (LVN) to advance on the career ladder with vertical mobility providing education leading to eligibility for registered nurse licensure. To be eligible for this program, a candidate must be an LVN who is currently licensed in California. Interested candidates should contact the nursing counselor for challenge requirements and applications.

Offered is an Associate Degree in Nursing with a program of clinical components in which the student cares for patients in the acute care and community settings. Upon completion of the Associate Degree program in Nursing, students will be eligible to take the NCLEX-RN examination leading to licensure as a Registered Nurse. The student must have fulfilled all requirements as defined by the California State Board of Registered Nursing. A licensed Registered Nurse (RN) may seek employment in an entry-level staff nurse position in a variety of healthcare settings. An additional 30-unit option is available to LVNs.

Transfer requirements may differ.
See a college counselor or consult assist.org.

A college-level physical science course must be completed to fulfill graduation requirements at Ventura College (see AA/AS GE Requirements, Area A2). Students who apply a high-school chemistry course toward satisfaction of the nursing program's chemistry prerequisite will need to complete another physical science course, which may include one of the chemistry courses listed above.

No Certificate of Achievement is awarded in Nursing.

Eligible candidates may challenge the Health Science Division for advanced standing.

Highly Recommended Courses

In addition to the required courses listed above, it is highly recommended that students who seek to enhance their chances of successful completion of the Associate in Science in Nursing degree take the following courses: NS V07 and BUS V27A. Although these supplemental courses may be of value to the student, please note that these courses do not satisfy the requirements for this degree.

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

• Provide safe, quality, culturally appropriate patient-centered care to patients, families, and groups supported by evidence-based clinical decisions and patient preferences in a variety of settings.
• Communicate effectively with patients and members of the inter-professional health care team to provide and coordinate safe, quality, patient-centered care.
• Demonstrate leadership and system management knowledge and skills in the delivery of quality health care to patients while contributing to the effectiveness and efficiency of the work unit.
• Integrate established regulatory (California Nurse Practice Act), legal and ethical principles into standard-based personal nursing practice.