Vocational Nursing- Associate of Science

The Vocational Nursing (VN) Program is a comprehensive, competency-based program designed to prepare students for entry-level practice as Licensed Vocational Nurses (LVNs) in a variety of healthcare settings. Grounded in a novice to expert framework, the curriculum supports students’ progressive development from novice learners to competent, practice-ready professionals. Instruction is structured to build clinical reasoning, technical proficiency, and professional behaviors across a continuum of learning experiences, from foundational to advanced levels of care.
The program emphasizes safe, patient-centered, and evidence-based care across the lifespan, with focused instruction in medical-surgical, maternal-child, mental health, geriatric, and community health nursing. Through didactic content, clinical simulation, supervised patient care, and structured remediation, students integrate knowledge, skills, and attitudes essential for vocational nursing practice.

The curriculum is aligned with the Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN) competencies, ensuring that students develop expertise in patient-centered care, teamwork and collaboration, evidence-based practice, quality improvement, safety, and informatics. Emphasis is placed on ethical practice, cultural competence, leadership, and interprofessional collaboration to meet the diverse and evolving needs of patients and communities.

Graduates of the program are eligible to take the National Council Licensure Examination for Practical Nurses(NCLEX-PN) and are prepared to provide high-quality care as contributing members of the healthcare team. The program meets the standards established by the California Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians (BVNPT) and supports student success through a combination of academic rigor, hands-on training, and individualized support.

Length of completion: 24 months total (4 semesters / 2 academic years, full-time at 12 units per semester)

Preadmission Requirements:

1. Active Certified Nursing Assistant certification (Program Available at Crafton Hills College)

Crafton Hills College Certified Nursing Assistant

2. Active Acute Care Nursing Assistant certification (Must Complete ACNA program at Crafton Hills College)

Crafton Hills College Acute Care Nursing Assistant

 

Major/Program Requirements:

Career and Academic Pathways

Required courses

AH 102	Nursing Pharmacology	3.00
VNUR 010	Fundamentals and Mental Health	13.00
VNUR 011	Medical/Surgical Nursing 1	13.5
VNUR 011L	Medical/Surgical Nursing 1 Lab	0.5
VNUR 012	Medical/Surgical Nursing 2	13.5
VNUR 012L	Medical/Surgical Nursing 2A Lab	0.5
VNUR 013	Maternal/Child Nursing	9
	Total Credit Hours:	53

A student receiving a degree in the field will be able to:

1. Provide safe, patient-centered, evidence-based nursing care to individuals and families across the lifespan under the supervision of a licensed physician or registered nurse.
2. Function as a competent entry-level nurse vocational nurse, accepting accountability and responsibility for the ethical and legal principles defined in the Vocational Nurses Code of Ethics and Practice Act.
3. Function as a leader, employing leadership principles in various settings for diverse patients as a competent entry-level vocational nurse.
4. Assimilate caring behaviors that support patient-centered care and demonstrate respect and sensitivity to others as a competent entry-level vocational nurse.
5. Foster collaborative relationships with the healthcare team to improve patient outcomes as a competent entry-level vocational nurse.
6. Integrate clinical thinking principles using clinical reasoning and clinical judgments necessary to provide safe patient care as a competent entry-level vocational nurse.
7. Integrate nursing informatics and technology to enhance patient care and decision-making as a competent entry-level vocational nurse.