Registered Nursing

Completion of the Associate Degree Nursing Program qualifies the student to take the National Council of State Boards of Nursing Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN). Upon passing the Exam, registered nurses are eligible to work in a variety of settings within the health care system as entry level staff nurses. The curriculum, approved by the California State Board of Registered Nursing, consists of both nursing and related general education courses, plus additional general education degree requirements. The nursing courses include theory classes and supervised concurrent clinical practice in local health care agencies. Clinical practice may occur days, evenings, nights and weekends and is assigned by nursing faculty. At the expense of the student, a physical exam and proof of freedom of communicable disease and/or immunizations for the protection of the student and patients are required upon admission and prior to the first day of class. Students must also purchase an approved uniform and instructional materials required to achieve program objectives, maintain Basic Life Support training certification from the American Heart Association designated for Healthcare Providers and be responsible for transportation to and from clinical facilities. Drug testing and background screening are required. Readiness/assessment testing may be required. Completion of the most current version of the Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS) with a cumulative score of 62% or higher is required. In order to receive complete and accurate information concerning the nursing programs, students are urged to first read the information on the Sierra College website carefully and then seek further information or clarification from the nursing department or counseling staff as necessary. Students must fulfill the nursing program requirements with grades of C or better, complete a minimum of 60 degree-applicable semester units (12 of which must be completed at Sierra College) with a grade point average of at least 2.0 and complete one of the following general education patterns- Sierra College Associate Degree Requirements (Local General Education), or California General Education Transfer Curriculum (Cal-GETC).