Introduction

The Vocational Nursing (VN) program is a clinically intensive one year level II certificate program that offers classroom instruction and related clinical practice in four basic areas of nursing: fundamentals, medical/surgical, maternity/pediatric, and psychiatric. Supporting courses and program content include basic human anatomy and physiology, mathematics, pharmacology, nutrition, life cycle/growth and development, vocational adjustment, legal and ethical aspects of nursing practice, and nursing skills. The Vocational Nursing Program is fully approved by the Texas Board of Nursing. Upon completion of the program, the graduate will be eligible to take the National Council Licensure Examination for Practical Nurses (NCLEX-PN).

Legal Information for Prospective Nursing Students

An applicant to the Vocational Nursing Program must be potentially eligible to take the National Council Licensure Examination for PN (NCLEX-PN). The applicant who has been convicted of a felony, implicated in substance abuse, or involved in activities considered inappropriate by the Texas Board of Nursing (Texas BON) is not eligible to apply or enter the program until he or she has received a declaratory order from the Texas Board of Nursing granting permission to take the NCLEX-PN. Such an applicant should contact the Texas BON for guidance in petitioning the Board for a decision of eligibility prior to applying for entry to the Vocational Nursing Program at Laredo College. The Board's statement of eligibility or any correspondence with the BON must be submitted to the Nursing Programs Director prior to admission into the program. The student is responsible for notifying the Nursing Programs Director should the status in the criminal background check change at any period during enrollment in the program. Refer to the Board's address and phone number listed below.

Progression

Student's progress through the nursing programs curriculum according to the Vocational Nursing Program Degree Plan. For progression in the Vocational Nursing Program the student must meet all of the following criteria:

1. Abide by the Rules, Regulations, and Procedures outlined in the Vocational Nursing Student Handbook.
2. Complete all nursing courses in the required semester sequence as outlined in the Vocational Nursing Program's degree plan with a grade of C = 75% or better and meet all clinical objectives.
3. The student must maintain an Institutional and Overall grade point average of 2.5 or greater to progress to the next nursing course.
4. Complete all college support courses with a grade of C or better.
5. Declared a major with the office of admissions by completing the Declaration of Major Field of Study Form.
6. Students will be required to repeat concurrent course(s) if they are unsuccessful in a semester.

Withdrawal

A student considering withdrawal from a Nursing Course(s) should refer to the Vocational Nursing Student Handbook and make an appointment with the Course Instructor and the Program Director.

Continuation

A student requesting continuation in the Vocational Nursing Program must have an institutional and overall grade point average of 2.5 or greater. The request must be in writing and follow the Continuation Procedure outlined in the Vocational Nursing Student Handbook. Documentation of a clear/negative criminal background check must be submitted to complete the continuation process.

Attendance

The Vocational Nursing Program for lecture, lab, and clinical rotation courses require specific attendance hours in order to be in compliance with the accrediting agencies. Students who do not meet the requirements will not complete the program.

For additional information call: (956) 721-5255 or visit the Vocational Nursing Department in the College of Health Sciences 2nd Floor Room A215
Laredo College
5500 South Zapata Highway
Laredo, Texas 78046

The Vocational Nursing Program is approved by:
Texas Board of Nursing (BON)
1801 Congress Avenue Suite 10-200
Austin, Texas 78701
Phone: (512) 305-7400
www.bon.texas.gov

Note: Information regarding the Vocational Nursing Program is current at the time of publication and is subject to change without notice.

Application Deadline: Last Friday in February

Plan of Study Grid

Prerequisite Semester		Hours
PSYC 2314	Life Span Growth and Development	3
MDCA 1409	Anatomy and Physiology for Medical Assistants 1	4
	Hours	7
First Semester
VNSG 1323	Basic Nursing Skills	3
VNSG 1500	Nursing in Health and Illness	5
VNSG 1260	Clinical-Licensed Practical/V.N. Training (Fundamentals) 3	2
	Hours	10
Second Semester
VNSG 1230	Maternal-Neonatal Nursing	2
VNSG 1234	Pediatrics	2
VNSG 2331	Advanced Nursing Skills	3
VNSG 1409	Nursing in Health and Illness II	4
VNSG 1262	Clinical Licensed Practical/V.N.(Med/Surg; Maternity/Newborn; Pedi) 3	2
	Hours	13
Third Semester
VNSG 2410	Nursing In Health and Ilness III (Capstone) 2	4
VNSG 1205	NCLEX PN Review (Capstone) 2	2
VNSG 1263	Clinical Licensed Practical/V.N. (Adv. M/S) 2	2
	Hours	8
	Total Hours	38

¹

MDCA 1409 Anatomy and Physiology for Medical Assistants: Completion of BIOL 2301 Anatomy and Physiology I, BIOL 2101 Anatomy and Physiology I Laboratory & BIOL 2302 Anatomy and Physiology II, BIOL 2102 Anatomy and Physiology II Lab will satisfy this requirement.

²

CAPSTONE EXPERIENCE: VNSG 2410 Nursing In Health and Ilness III, VNSG 1205 NCLEX PN Review (Capstone), VNSG 1263 Clinical Licensed Practical/V.N. (Adv. M/S) are courses that provides a culminating learning experience that integrates and consolidates the knowledge, skills, and competencies gained throughout the student’s program of study.

³

Clinical: VNSG 1260 Clinical-Licensed Practical/V.N. Training (Fundamentals), VNSG 1262 Clinical Licensed Practical/V.N.(Med/Surg; Maternity/Newborn; Pedi), are courses that offers supervised, hands-on practice in a professional clinical setting under the guidance of faculty or clinical instructors/preceptors, where students apply discipline-specific skills and demonstrate competency required for the field.

Requirements

Complete Assessment Test requirements for placement and/or satisfy the Texas Success Initiative (TSI) requirements for entry into college level courses.

LC Pre-requisite, Institutional and Overall grade point average (GPA) of 2.5 or greater is required.  

Successfully complete Pre-Entrance Standardized Exam of 58% or better.

Students must complete the nursing courses in the required semester sequence as outlined in the Vocational Nursing program curriculum plan.

All nursing courses must be taken concurrently.

Approved by Texas Board of Nursing and Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.

Note: Information regarding the Vocational Nursing Program is current at time of publication and is subject to change without notice.

Applying for Admission into the Institution

1. Students seeking admission to Laredo College are required to submit an electronic admissions application via ApplyTexas and supporting documentation. Applicants must submit the following items for admission verification:
   1. Submit an Admissions Application
   2. Official High School Transcript, Home School Transcript, or GED Certificate
   3. Official College Transcript(s) from all previously attended colleges and universities must be submitted prior to the nursing program(s) application submission
2. The Nursing Program online application is available on the website at https://www.laredo.edu/Academic-Career-Pathways/health-sciences/certII-vn-program.html.

Program Admission Criteria

Refer to the LC Vocational Nursing website https://www.laredo.edu/Academic-Career-Pathways/health-sciences/certII-vn-program.html for instructions to schedule the ATI TEAS pre-entrance exam to be administered between November thru February.  

**Available testing days are posted on the Program website and are subject to change.**

**Please visit the Bursar's office at Fort McIntosh or South Campus to pay the non-refundable exam sitting fee of $15.00; Your entrance exam will not be scheduled without proof of $15.00 exam sitting fee payment. **

Submit your receipt to the Nursing Department located at LC South Campus COHS building, 2nd floor, A223, to schedule the ATI pre-entrance exam.  Refer to the program website or call the Nursing Department for questions at (956)721-5255.

The ATI TEAS exam scores are required to successfully submit a completed application.
Application Opens: fourth Monday in January and closes the last Friday in February.

The student seeking admission into the Vocational Nursing Program at Laredo College must meet the following requirements:

1. General admission criteria must be met as outlined in the Laredo College catalog.
2. Complete Assessment Test requirements for placement and/or satisfy the Texas Success Initiative (TSI) requirements for entry into college level courses.
3. LC Institutional and Overall grade point average (GPA) of 2.5 or greater. The student on scholastic probation will not be considered for admission.
4. Admission for the applicant who has not previously attended LC will be based on Overall GPA. The student must meet all of LC's general admission requirements. The applicant must have overall GPA of 2.5 or greater. Official transcripts must be submitted to the admissions office for evaluation of course credit prior to the nursing program(s) application submission.
5. Complete program prerequisite courses: PSYC 2314 Life Span Growth and Development, MDCA 1409 Anatomy and Physiology for Medical Assistants (or BIOL 2301 Anatomy and Physiology I, BIOL 2101 Anatomy and Physiology I Laboratory & BIOL 2302 Anatomy and Physiology II, BIOL 2102 Anatomy and Physiology II Lab). All prerequisite courses must be completed with a grade of C or better. Although the minimum passing grade for individual prerequisite is a "C", overall prerequisite grade point average (GPA) must be a 2.5. Earning all "C's" will result in a GPA of 2.0 which does not meet the requirement. Student must follow the Vocational Nursing program curriculum plan valid for the current entrance year.
6. A standardized pre-entrance exam will be administered as a component of the nursing program's application process to demonstrate proficiency.  The areas required to complete successfully include the Reading, English Language Usage, Math, and Science.  The applicant will be allowed one attempt per testing period each application cycle and is responsible for the sitting fee cost, the cost of the exam, and/or preparation materials. Review the program's website for details on testing dates available and instructions to schedule the exam.  Test scores from other nursing schools are not accepted.

Application Review Process

1. The Nursing Admissions Committee will review all applications to ensure that each application is complete, that applicants have finished all prerequisite courses, met the required GPA, and achieved a minimum score of 58% on the ATI TEAS standardized pre-entrance exam, as outlined in the Program Admission Process.
2. Once all applications are reviewed, qualified applicants will be notified by email regarding their program admission status.  A number of applicants who meet the program admissions requirements may not be admitted to the program based on space availability. Applicants will be ranked following a competitive ranking process based on points awarded for designated criteria:
   1. GPA: Applicants will be allocated points based on pre-requites, institutional, and overall GPAs. 
      Maximum of the nine points may be allocated from GPAs.
      GPA of the prerequisite courses must be completed before applying, and students taking pre-requisite courses during the spring semester are not eligible to apply. “D” course grades are not considered a passing grade.
      • Students who apply must be College Ready in Reading, Writing, and Math to be considered. Once an applicant applies, they are screened to ensure they have completed the pre-requisite courses with a 2.5 GPA or better.
        • If the pre-requisite courses were taken at another institution, official transcripts must be submitted to the LC admission office to be added to your LC student records prior to the application(s) submission. Once an applicant applies, they are screened to ensure they have completed the pre-requisite courses with a 2.5 GPA or better. 

   2. Pre-entrance standardized examination scores: ATI TEAS overall score to be considered for the VN program is a 58.00%. A maximum of 10 points from ATI TEAS Scores.  

   3. Applicants are ranked based on the total number of points allocated based on the above criteria (maximum of 19 points).

      If applicants are ranked equally, the ATI TEAS Exam cumulative score will determine the final ranking order. If further ranking is necessary, applicants will be ranked by pre-requisite GPA, followed by overall GPA as needed. 

Students who are offered conditional acceptance for the program are notified by May and must submit the required paperwork to register for the program in the fall semester. All courses are assigned.

The applicant who is not selected for admission must submit a new application during the next application period and complete all admission requirements as described in the Program Admission Criteria and Application Process.

Conditional Acceptance

A student conditionally accepted into the V.N. Program must attend a mandatory orientation with the nursing program's retention specialist to review the conditional acceptance requirements scheduled in May and with program faculty in August prior to the start of the fall semester.
The student is responsible for all fees associated with program admission requirements. Official instructions will be sent to your student's email outlining requirements for submission timelines into DISA Healthcare Technology (https://disahealthcare.com/) (previously known as Castle Branch).

1. A negative criminal background check is required by the Texas Board of Nursing. The applicant's information will be submitted to the Texas Board of Nursing. The Texas BON will notify applicants via email to schedule an appointment with Morpho Trust or IdentoGO (https://www.identogo.com/). The applicant will then be able to schedule an appointment at a live scan location in Texas through online enrollment or by phone at 1-888-467-2080 to have their fingerprints scanned and submitted to the Texas Board of Nursing.
   The applicant will receive verification from the Texas Board of Nursing of the applicant's Criminal Background Status. Documentation of a negative criminal background must be submitted to complete the application and admissions process, and prior to enrolling in any nursing courses. The applicant must receive written confirmation that they are eligible to take the NCLEX-PN exam.
2. Submit verification of physical examination by a U.S. physician or nurse practitioner.
3. Submit evidence of negative 10 panel drug screen.
4. Submit evidence of current American Heart Association BLS Health Care Provider CPR Certification.
5. Purchase student liability insurance (premium rates applicable to current academic year and paid through tuition and fees).
6. Purchase nursing uniforms and necessary accessories (rates applicable to current academic year).
7. Pay additional fees for standardized nursing examinations and computer programs (cost may vary).
8. Computer Access & Equipment: Students admitted to the program will be notified by email on computer compatibility and specs requirements.
9. Immunization - documentation must be submitted to DISA Healthcare Technology according to the due dates indicated:

• Two-step TB test upon entering, and annually thereafter, or a Chest X-Ray within 2 years, or T-Spot or QuantiFERON-TB Gold serum blood test acceptable.
• Two (2) Doses or the current titer of Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR) Series must be completed based on the series requirements.
  • Students born on or after January 1, 1957, must show acceptable evidence of vaccination of two doses of measles-containing vaccine administered since January 1, 1968.
• One dose of Tetanus-Diphtheria and Pertussis (Tdap) required within the last ten years as an adult (18 years or older).
• Influenza vaccine annually in September for fall admission and January for Spring admission..
• Initiation of Hepatitis B (HBV) vaccine series prior to direct patient contact, but series must be completed based on the series requirements (initial, one month, and four months) or Heplisav-B (2 dose requirement).
  • Serologic confirmation of immunity to the hepatitis B virus is acceptable.
• Two doses of varicella (chickenpox). 
  • Also acceptable: Titer report indicating varicella immunity.
• Bacterial Meningitis.

Texas State Law Senate Bill 62, requires students who meet the criteria below, to provide proper documentation that they have received the bacterial meningitis vaccination within the last five years and at least 10 calendar days before the beginning of the semester.

• All new or transfer students under age 22.
• All returning students under the age of 22, who have experienced a break in enrollment of a least one fall or spring term.
• Students enrolled in online courses that physically attend classes or come to campus within the semester.
• Recommended: Hepatitis A and COVID-19 vaccine.

At the discretion of clinical sites, the student or nursing program may be required to provide physical or electronic documentation to clinical sites prior to the start of the clinical experience. Program Directors/Instructors will provide direction regarding submission of documents and time frames.

The following documents may be required for submission by the student and/or faculty to the clinical site:

• A negative criminal background check completed through the Texas Board of Nursing and the local sheriff’s office.
• Negative 10-panel drug screen.
• Immunization records.
• Unexpired, valid government identification card.

Immunization Statement

Students enrolling in Laredo College programs with external learning experiences (i.e., clinical, practicum, externship, cooperative, etc.) will be required to comply with the immunization requirements and policies of the clinical/external learning sites to engage in all clinical/external learning experiences. Vaccination requirements at clinical/external learning sites are implemented pursuant to the independent authority of such facilities and are not mandated by Laredo College. Failure to meet the immunization requirements mandated by clinical/external learning sites may limit a student's ability to complete the program and/or may delay the student's graduation date. The clinical facilities approve or deny the exemptions.