Palomar College’s
Registered Nursing
Program
Our Program and Philosophy
• The goal of the program is to prepare students to take the
National Council Licensing Examination for Registered Nursing
(NCLEX-RN)
• Palomar College has two Associate Degree options available in
nursing. The Associate in Arts (AA) in Nursing and the
Associate in Science (AS) in Nursing. The nursing coursework
required for both is identical except the AA degree requires
additional general education units in American History and
Institutions.
• Nursing is a dynamic, evolving discipline that involves
application of knowledge from the arts and sciences as well as
technical skills.
Accreditation
• Palomar College’s Registered Nursing (RN) Program is
approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing (BRN)
and the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing
(ACEN). It is also accredited by the Accrediting Commission for
Community and Junior Colleges of the Western Association of
Schools and Colleges.
• The ACEN supports the interests of nursing education, nursing
practice, and the public by the functions of accreditation.
Accreditation is a voluntary, self-regulatory process by which
nongovernmental associations recognize educational
institutions or programs that have been found to meet or
exceed standards and criteria for educational quality.
Our Story
• Palomar Community College has the longest outstanding
Registered Nursing Program in the County!
Registered Nursing Application
Information
• July 25-August 29, 2016
• Admission to our generic RN program is based on points given
in a review, using a multi-criteria screening tool, which
includes the
• Science coursework GPA
• A fixed set of general education coursework GPA
• Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS) score
• U.S. academic degrees
• Work/volunteer experience in healthcare field
• Second language proficiency.
** Please note There is no wait listing used for generic applicants.
Required Coursework
• Math Coursework
• Intermediate Algebra – Math 56 or 60 or higher such as Statistics
• Science Coursework
• Online lab science coursework is not accepted
A minimum of 2.5 GPA is required for eligibility
The three core sciences are lecture and lab equivalent to 4
semester units
• Anatomy – ZOO 200
Taken within the last 10 years
• Physiology – ZOO 203
Taken within the last 7 years
• Microbiology – MICR 200
Taken within the last 7 years
TEAS V Exam
• TEAS V Exam
Successful completion of the TEAS Requirement must be met before
applying. The exam can be repeated once, if you fail to get a
composite score of 62% or higher. However, your first score is the
one used to award points on your application.
• For a second TEAS V attempt to be valid, the following guidelines
apply:
• If unsuccessful the first time, you must complete remediation and
provide documentation of such. After one year from the first exam,
you can retest. The second test score will be used to award points.
• If successful the first time, but you want a higher score, you must
wait three years from the first exam and then you can retake the
exam. The second score will be used to award points.
• ATI Testing
Fixed Set General Education
Courses
• All “fixed set” general education courses must be completed
and a grade issued before you submit your application (with
the exception of Humanities) to qualify for the additional
points. All classes below are required for the associate’s
degree.
• Psychology
• Sociology
• English Composition
• Speech
• Humanities (required for the associate degree, not used for
application points)
**Please note to meet with a counselor for more information
Admission Point Criteria
• Admission Point Criteria
Clinical Agency Requirement
• Students must complete a background check and drug screen
prior to participating in clinical experiences at health care
facilities. The results of this background check and drug screen
will be investigated and reviewed by each clinical agency prior
to any clinical rotation throughout the program.
• Background Information
LVN to RN Program
• The LVN to RN Program is available to those who have a
current and active California LVN license in good standing,
have graduated from an accredited LVN/LPN program, and
have passed Nursing 110, LVN-RN Transition (Palomar College
only) within two years of applying.
• The program is a one year commitment. LVN courses taken in
the Nursing Program are Nursing 217 & 218. Nursing 203 is
also required and offered only to LVN students accepted into
the nursing program.
• LVN to RN Application
Finances
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Save a lot of money verse attending a 4 year university
The program costs roughly around $5,500 (total of 2 years)
Strongly encourage students to apply for financial aide
“BOG” (Board of Governors Fee Waiver) can save a student up
to $1,400
• Scholarship opportunities for each semester up to $1,000
Hire Rates
• Facilities are ACTIVELY hiring RN’s
• Students are statistically being hired within 4 months of
graduating our program
2 Year Commitment
• Monday through Saturday
• Lab, Lecture, and Clinical Hours
• Course Description
• Fundamentals, Med-Surg, Obstetrics, Pediatrics, Psychology, and
Geriatrics (N117, N118, N217, N218)
• No flexibility to the program
• Your personal life works around your school life
Further Questions?