GENERAL PROGRAM INFORMATION

The Vocational Nursing Program is a 12-month program that prepares students to give direct patient care under the supervision of a registered nurse or a physician.

• Is El Centro College an accredited institution?
• Is the Vocational Nursing program accredited?
• What are the courses like?
• Where may I take support courses besides El Centro College?
• May I transfer credit from a college or university outside the United States?
• What if I have coursework more than 10 years old?
• Is there a time limit on Science and Math coursework?
• Is there any provision for credit by examination or other alternatives to repeating a course?
• What if I plan to transfer to a four-year institution?
• How do I get to the clinical sites?
• Does El Centro College have on-campus housing?
• Do I need a physical examination prior to entering the program?
• What if I become ill during the program?
• Do I need to be CPR certified?
• Do I need liability insurance?
• What are the physical demands and other requirements of the profession?
• What about drug testing or background check?
• How large is the class size?
• Are there any Board examinations?
• What are the requirements for licensure of persons with felony convictions?
• Are there any courses I should take in high school to help me prepare?
• Whom do I contact for more information?

The Vocational Nursing Program is a 12-month, 54-credit hour curriculum leading to a certificate of completion.

The courses are offered during daytime hours only. Vocational Nursing courses are completed in two 16-week academic semesters and two 5-week summer semesters. Each course involves 28-35 hours of class and clinical experience every week. A student will need to plan 2-3 hours of studying and preparation time for each hour of class and clinical experience. The demands of nursing courses suggest that students may not be able to work full time while enrolled in these courses.

Students are encouraged to take the required general education "support" courses (i.e., Biology 1472, HPRS 1204, HPRS 2300) prior to entrance into the Vocational Nursing Program, particularly if the student works or has significant family responsibilities. Many students find that completing the support courses first enables them to complete the program successfully while maintaining other responsibilities.

The program's clinical experience requires that students be physically able to care for sick patients. This involves lifting, moving, bathing, and transferring patients into and out of bed. Students will be exposed to patients with infectious diseases.

The curriculum pattern of the Vocational Nursing program is available to view online.
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Support courses completed at colleges and universities outside the DCCCD must be approved for transfer credit prior to the semester in which the course is required as stipulated in curriculum outline.
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Consideration of courses for transfer credit from colleges and universities outside the United States will be limited to science and math coursework completed less than five years prior to program admission.

Before foreign credentials will be considered for transfer credit, the student must arrange the evaluation of transcripts and related documentation by a professional evaluation agency. After the professional evaluation is complete, the student must then submit the original documentation and a certified English translation to the Health Occupations Admissions Office. The student is responsible for all costs of the evaluation and translation of foreign credentials.

Evaluations of foreign credentials completed by individuals or professional evaluation agencies are subject to review and approval by the Director of Admissions and Registrar.
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Applicants with coursework more than ten years old who wish to have that transcripted work ignored under the "Academic Fresh Start" provision should petition the Registrar in writing for that consideration. If approved, the transcript need not be submitted, however, a copy of the Registrar's letter granting the "Academic Fresh Start" consideration should be submitted with the Echocardiology program application.

NOTE: Transcripted coursework ignored under "Academic Fresh Start" cannot be used to claim exemption from TASP requirements.
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All science, math, and nursing courses submitted for program credit must be completed no more than five years prior to program admission to the program. In certain circumstances a waiver of the time limit may be considered.

Students who wish to petition for the five-year waiver must present official transcripts, course descriptions as necessary, and a letter of petition documenting how they have updated or refreshed their knowledge in the particular science or math course in question (i.e., working in a healthcare field with specific duties indicated utilizing algebra in their current employment arena, etc.).

The letter should also cite specific experiences and indicate individuals for references as needed (i.e., employers, instructors, etc.). Students petitioning for a five-year waiver for college algebra must also provide current assessment test scores with the petition. Please refer to assessment test details on the Admission Requirements webpage.

All of the above materials must be submitted to the Health Occupations Admissions Office at El Centro College for processing. Once the review has been completed, the student will be notified in writing of the outcome of the review.
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CLEP, DANTES, and Credit by Examination may also be completed in lieu of repeating a course. CLEP, DANTES, and Credit by Examination are available to a student enrolled at a DCCCD campus, but may not be requested for courses in which the student is currently enrolled.

Credit for a CLEP, DANTES, or Credit by Examination will be considered only if a documented letter grade or numerical score is presented for evaluation. For more information regarding the acceptance of CLEP, DANTES, and Credit by Examination, please contact the Health Occupations Admissions Office.

The CLEP exam for English 1301 is not accepted by the Dallas County Community College District, however, credit for previous work may be considered. For more information concerning English 1301 credit, contact the Communications/Math/ Developmental Studies Division at El Centro College.
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Students enrolling in this program who plan to transfer to a four-year institution should consult an advisor or counselor regarding transfer requirements and the transferability of these courses to the four-year institution of their choice.
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Students are responsible for providing their own transportation. It is necessary to consider transportation costs to the college, as well as hospitals throughout the city. Students are responsible for any parking fees.

El Centro students enrolled in at least 6 credit hours during the Fall and Spring semesters and at least 4 credit hours during Summer semesters are eligible for a free DART bus and light rail pass during those semesters.

Clinical rotations vary from among the facilities listed below:

No, El Centro College is located in the heart of downtown Dallas. Students are responsible for providing their own housing.
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A pre-entrance physical examination and immunization record form will be sent with acceptance letters. Results of the medical examination must be reported on the designated program medical examination form which is submitted at the registration seminar for that accepted class.

The form documents a medical history, physical examination, and current record of the following immunizations:

• Tuberculin skin test within the last 6 months (if positive, chest x-ray required within last 2 years)
• Tetanus/diphtheria current within 10 years
• Measles/mumps/rubella ("MMR") including 2 doses of measles vaccine required either separately or in combination (MMR)
• Hepatitis B series
• Varicella disclaimer

Students must have completed the first injection of the Hepatitis B series prior to registration for the Vocational Nursing program and are responsible for submitting documentation verifying subsequent completion of the second and third injection to the Health Occupations Admissions Office. Health situations (i.e., pregnancy, allergies, and nursing mothers) that may prohibit the use of the hepatitis B vaccine must be documented by a physician, and a waiver signed by the student.

You may visit a private physician, clinic, health maintenance organization, or medical center for the medical examination. The immunizations are available for students through the El Centro College Health Center for a reduced cost. Please call 214.860.2113 to make an appointment. Chest x-rays and physical exams are not provided at the El Centro College Health Center.
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Students who must be absent from clinical experience due to a physical or mental illness, surgery, or pregnancy will be required to obtain a written physician release before returning to the clinical setting. A maximum of three days of clinical experience can be missed in a semester. The student will be dropped from the course if absences exceed the three-day clinical day limit. Students anticipating surgery or delivery of a baby, and who will require a longer recuperation period before a physician release can be obtained, are urged to wait to enroll in the program.
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All Health Occupations students pay liability insurance fees for coverage in the clinical setting. Students are not allowed in the clinical setting if their tuition and fees have not been paid.

The student blanket professional liability policy covers students while they are participating in clinical activities that are a part of, and a requirement of, the student's curriculum. The student professional liability insurance does not cover students when employed in the hospital. The student liability insurance policy expires upon date of graduation.
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The nursing program's clinical experience requires that students be physically able to care for sick patients. This involves lifting, moving, bathing, and transferring patients into and out of bed. Students will be exposed to patients with infectious diseases.

Because vocational nurses deal with the public, a neat, well-groomed appearance and a courteous, pleasant demeanor are needed. They must be good at putting patients at ease, listening to patients, and explaining physician instructions. Conscientiousness and respect for the confidential nature of medical information are required.

Other requirements include:

• Emotional stability for full utilization of his/her intellectual abilities.
• Able to work accurately and safely under stress, e.g., work under time constraints; read and record numbers accurately; perform repetitive tasks; concentrate in distracting situations; and make subjective evaluations and decisions where mistake may have a high impact on patient care.
• Able to adapt to changing environments
• Able to prioritize tasks.
• Able to communicate effectively in written and spoken English in order to transmit information to members of the health care team.
• Ability to make a correct judgment in seeking supervisory help and consultation in a timely manner.
• Possess attributes that include integrity, responsibility, and tolerance.
• Show respect for self and others
• Work independently as well as with others
• Project an image of professionalism.

Latex Advisory: Latex products are used in health care professions. They occur with universal precautions and in environments such as, but not limited to, Health Occupations classrooms and labs, hospitals, nursing care facilities, laboratories, clinical areas, and medical/dental offices. Individuals with latex allergies should seek expert advice from their health care provider to receive information necessary for an informed decision regarding their exposure to latex in the health care professions.

All clinical facilities require all students attending their facility have a current Drug and Background Screen. The prescreening requirements are the same as those required of employees. All screens must be conducted after admission to the clinical program, but within 30 days prior to the start of the agency rotation. Verification of the satisfactory results must be received by the participating hospital prior to the student's rotation start date, and will be honored by all hospitals for the duration of the student's enrollment in the clinical program if the participating student has not had a break in the enrollment at the college.

The student is solely responsible for payment of all fees at the time of the screens (approximately $80). All reports and findings from the Background and Drugs screens will be reported directly to El Centro College Health Occupations Administration. The results of the screening can prevent clinical placement.

The rationale for the screening is that of due diligence and competency assessment of all individuals whose assignments bring them in contact with patients or employees. Competency extends beyond technical skills to an individual's criminal and substance abuse history. This approach ensures uniform compliance with Joint Commission standards pertaining to human resource management.

The drug screen follows National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) guidelines and screens for ten substances as designated in the Substance Abuse Panel 10 ("SAP 10"). These substances are:

SAP 10 test results which fall outside of any of the acceptable ranges are considered positive test results and are automatically sent for a separate confirmatory test by a Gas Chromatography Mss Spectrometry (GCMS) method. If these results remain positive, the test results are sent to a Medical Review Officer ("MRO") which will entail an additional cost of $25 - $75 to the student. The MRO will then contact the student to determine if there is a valid prescription for the drug in question. If a valid prescription exists and is verified, the test result will be deemed to be negative and acceptable.

Note: A clinical agency reserves the right to remove a student from the facility for suspicion of substance use or abuse, including alcohol. The clinical agency will notify the El Centro College Health Occupations administration to facilitate immediate removal of the student and request that the student submit to a repeat drug screening procedure at the student's expense on the same day of removal from the clinical agency. Failure to comply will result in immediate expulsion from the clinical agency. Further, regardless of testing or test results, the agency reserves the right to expel any student form their facility. The agency will provide El Centro College Health Occupations administration with written documentation of the student's behavior(s) by tow or more agency representatives.

The criminal background check reviews a person's criminal history seven (7) years previous to the date of program application. The check will include all cities and counties of the person's residency during that time period. The following histories will disqualify an individual from consideration for a clinical rotation:

• Felony convictions
• Misdemeanor convictions or felony deferred adjudication involving crimes against persons (physical or sexual abuse)
• Misdemeanor convictions related to moral turpitude (prostitution, public lewdness/exposure, etc.)
• Felony deferred adjudication for the sale, possession, distribution, or transfer of narcotics or controlled substances
• Registered sex offenders

Exceptions:

• If a licensing/registry body approves the individual to take the licensing/credential exam, the individual may participate in the clinical rotation
• The college may request an exception form the first clinical agency for a student with a felony deferred adjudication and no alternate recourse through a licensing/registry Updated and Maintained byity. Following approval from the first clinical agency, the student may progress as stated above.

Note: Should a student accepted to a health occupations program be prohibited from attending a clinical rotation experience due to findings of a criminal background check and/or drug screening, the student may be dismissed form the health occupations program.

For more information regarding the criminal background check and drug testing requirements, please contact Ms. LaCheeta McPherson, Associate Dean of Allied Health by phone at 214.860.2271 or e-mail (mlm5544@dcccd.edu).
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Graduates of the program take the NCLEX-PN licensure examination. To be eligible to write the NCLEX-PN licensure examination, students must show proof of high school graduation or completion of the General Education Development (GED) certificate.
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For further information, contact Fran Warrick, Vocational Nursing Program Coordinator by phone (214.860.2288) or e-mail (FMW5548@dcccd.edu), or the Board of Vocational Nurse Examiners (512-305-8100).
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Some courses that you will find helpful are:

We have a list of contacts available.

You may also download an information packet. The file is in PDF format and requires Acrobat Reader software, downloadable free from www.adobe.com.

NOTE: The El Centro College Health/Legal and Continuing/Workforce Education Division reserves the right to make changes in program enrollment capacity. Program guidelines are subject to change. Students are advised to obtain the latest program information from the Health Occupations Admissions Office (Room A-140).