Nursing

The West Hills College Lemoore Associate Degree Nursing Program endorses the mission of West Hills CollegeLemoore (WHCL) which is: to serve “a diverse community of students who seek anaffordable, accessible, relevant, and rigorous education. The college communityis dedicated to student learning and achievement by providing quality coursesthat lead to certificates, associate degrees, transfer, and career pathways.”(West Hills College Lemoore 2018-2019 Catalog, p.7).

The West Hills College Lemoore Associate Degree Nursing Program adheres to this mission when offering theAssociate Degree in Nursing. The mission of the nursing program is to providean innovative, student-centered educational program that prepares diversestudents as candidates to become Registered Nurses to provide safe, quality,evidence-based nursing care in the current healthcare environment. Uponcompletion of the program, the graduate is qualified to take the NCLEX-RNexamination.

West Hills College Lemoore Nursingstudents will embody the Integrating Concepts of the National League forNursing (NLN) and develop the ability to move with grace through the manyrealms of nursing.  The students will master varied areas of knowledge andscience.  They will be prepared to operate in complex environments whilemeeting the highest standards of quality and safety.  Students will beable to work comfortably in inter-disciplinary healthcare teams.  With anawareness of their own personal and professional growingedge and learning needs, they will be able to build the relationships by which they touch and respond to those in need  in the communities they serve.

An estimated 40 RN students will complete annually.

1.  Prioritize safe,quality nursing care incorporating application of the nursing process todiverse patients across the lifespan in a variety of health care settings.

2. Exercise nursing judgment through application of criticalthinking, clinical reasoning, and evidence-based practice to promote the healthof patients in a family and community context.

3.  Participate inquality improvement processes to improve patient care outcomes.

4.  Initiatecommunication and interdisciplinary collaboration with members of thehealthcare team, patient and the patient’s support system to facilitateimproved patient outcomes.

5.  Utilize theappropriate information management systems and patient care technology tocommunicate within an interdisciplinary team, manage knowledge, mitigate errorand support decision making in the clinical environment.

6.  Analyzeprofessional identity through leadership and a commitment to caring, diversity,ethics, excellence, holism, integrity, and patient-centered care.

7.   Create a caring Culture of Health in demonstrating a spirit of inquiry and providing care tosick and well patients of all ages, ethnicities, and cultures in a variety ofcommunity settings.

The Associate Degree Nursing Program is a 4 semester/twoyear program that includes didactic and intensive clinical placements withindustry partners in our community. Students graduate with their associate degree in nursing.  Completion of the program enables the studentto take the California State Board Registered Nursing Exam (NCLEX) to obtaintheir RN license.  An RN licensure withan associate degree in nursing allows the successful student to obtainemployment in a variety of areas within the health care community.  The Associate degree RN has the ability toadvance their degree; BSN, MSN or Doctorate level while continuing employmentas an RN and expand their nursing practice, employment and income earningpotential. 

Prerequisite Knowledge and Skill includes:

• BIO032 (Human Anatomy)
• BIO035 (Human Physiology)
• BIO038 (Microbiology)
• ENG001A (Composition & Reading)
• NCLEX comprehensive testing 90% or better to ensure NCLEXsuccess.  Successful passing of clinicalrotations according to course standards and requirements.