Description:

The Associate Degree Nursing Program at Golden West College provides a four-semester, collegiate-level course that prepares students for the RN licensing examination and transfers to Baccalaureate Nursing programs. An established curriculum of nursing courses, general education courses and nursing pre-requisite courses offered by the Nursing Department and other departments on campus complete the degree track for nursing students.

The curriculum allows for matriculation using a ladder concept for Licensed Vocational Nursing to Registered Nursing. A separate course, Nursing 190, is required of entry-level students who are Licensed Vocational Nurses. The students who successfully complete Nursing 190 then enter the third semester Nursing course.

Elective Nursing courses augment the Core-Nursing Program. Nursing 009 is an elective Introduction to Nursing course. Nursing 205 is a Student Work Practicum course offered during winter intercession and summer. Nursing 070-Beginning Arrhythmia and Electrocardiogram Interpretation and Nursing 220-Physical Assessment for Nurses are offered to nursing students and Registered Nurses in the community for college credit or professional continuing education units. LEARN 920-4 is an extended supervised lab experience for nursing students who wish to spend more time in our state of the art multimedia lab with supervision and instruction from nursing faculty.

The Nursing Department participates in outreach activities both departmentally and campus-wide. Currently nursing students are placed in 59 hospitals and outpatient facilities located in both Los Angeles and Orange Counties. Planning, collaboration and evaluation are ongoing between the faculty and the agencies to meet the student and the community needs.

The GWC chapter of the National Student Nursing Association, NSNA, has become a leading student activity on campus with the Faculty Advisor receiving the GWC Outstanding Advisor two years in succession. Students and the Faculty Advisor have and continue to hold State and National seats in this professional organization. NSNA provides leadership opportunities for the nursing students at state and national conventions and in community service projects for the Orange-Los Angeles County area.

The Director of Nursing and the Department Chair represent Golden West College at local, regional, state and national nursing meetings and organizations year round. These include task forces that combat the nursing shortage and advise the Board of Registered Nursing (BRN).

Highlights:

• Students can now learn with the use of human patient simulators in Nursing’s state of the art  Human Patient Simulator Center . Simulators include: Metiman, Sim Man, Thora Chest, BP Simulator and Meti Peds. 
• The Nursing Program’s pre-requisites, co-requisites and core curriculum align with those required by the CSU’s and other institutions of higher learning.  This alignment advance places the student to proceed with higher level courses and requirements.
• The Nursing Program contracts with Assessment Technologies Institute (ATI) to provide students with a comprehensive assessment and review package that enriches students along the learning continuum.
• Golden West College ’s Nursing Program doubled its enrollment through participation in the Chancellor’s grant for Nursing expansion and innovation.
• Golden West College had the first Career Ladder Program for LVNs and it is the first such program to utilize Human Patient Simulators for the application of theory to clinical practice.
• For the last year, the average student pass rate on the National licensing exam (NCLEX) has been above 94%.

For the last three years, all graduates who passed licensing exam are employed full-time as Registered nurses.

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