Nursing Programs

Nursing Services and Support Occupations is a three-phase program that is based on the Health Science and Medical Technology industry sector of the California Career Technical Education Model Curriculum Standards.

The first phase is the nursing assistant course, which is over the mandated 160 hours by the California Department of Public Health. This combined lecture/lab course teaches the student the theory and clinical skills needed to work with residents/patients in a skilled nursing facility or rehabilitation facility. It is designed to provide the student with the knowledge and skills necessary to perform basic care services for a patient in an acute care setting or a resident in a long-term care setting. Students who successfully complete the course can sit for the California State Certification as a Nurse Assistant. First Aid certification through the American Heart Association is included in this portion of the course.

The second phase of the course emphasizes instructions in acute care for the certified nursing assistant in an acute care facility. The course provides a comprehensive review of nursing assistant skills with emphasis on acute care units, such as medical, surgical, pediatric, obstetric, and orthopedic. The certified nursing assistant will have the opportunity to be trained in various departments of the acute care facility within their scope of practice. Students are prepared for certification in Basic Life Support Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) through the American Heart Association.

The final phase of the program is the combined lecture/lab course for home health aide, which teaches the student the theory and clinical skills needed to work with clients in the home care setting. Upon successful completion of this portion of the program, the instructor will submit the names of eligible students to the California Department of Public Health for certification as a Home Health Aide (California Department of Public Health makes the final decision in all certification eligibility).