LVN to RN Upward Mobility Program

Essential Functions Required of All Nursing Students

Motor Capability

1. Move from room to room and maneuver in small places.
2. Transfer patients who may require physical assistance.
3. Guard and assist patients with ambulation.
4. Lift and carry up to 50 pounds and exert up to 100 pounds force for push/pull.
5. Squat, bend/stoop, reach above shoulder level, kneel, use standing balance, and climb stairs.
6. Use hands repetitively; use manual dexterity.
7. Adjust, apply, and clean therapeutic equipment.
8. Perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
9. Travel to and from academic and clinical sites.
10. In the average clinical day, students sit 1-2 hours; stand 6-7 hours, travel 1-2 hours.

Sensory Cabability:

1. Coordinate verbal and manual instruction.
2. Assess a client 10 feet away to observe client's posture and respond to treatment.
3. Respond to a timer, alarm, or cries for help.
4. Monitor vital signs.
5. Auditory, visual, and tactile ability sufficient to assess patient status and perform treatments (Example: color changes in skin, hear heart and lung sounds).

Communication Ability:

1. Communicate effectively in English with patients, families, and other health care providers, both verbally and in writing (Example: explain treatment procedures, teach patient and families, document in medical records).
2. Effectively adapt communication for intended audience.
3. Interact, establish rapport with individuals, families, and groups from a variety of social, emotional, cultural, and intellectual backgrounds.
4. Assume the role of a health care team member.
5. Function effectively under supervision.

Problem Solving Ability:

1. Function effectively under stress.
2. Respond appropriately to emergencies.
3. Adhere to infection control procedures.
4. Demonstrate problem solving skills in client care (measure, calculate, reason, prioritize, synthesize data).
5. Use sound judgment and safety precautions.
6. Address problems or questions to the appropriate person at the appropriate time.
7. Organize and prioritize tasks.
8. Follow policies and procedures required by clinical and academic settings.

All prerequisites must be completed and posted to the appropriate Official College Transcript before submitting an application to the Associate Degree Nursing Program. Prerequisites “in progress” are not accepted.

• Demonstrate reading proficiency per Sierra College graduation requirements.
• Complete the following courses:
  • English 1A: Composition and Literature
  • Psychology 100: Introduction to Psychology [NOTE: If completed prior to Fall 2011, Psych 1 will be accepted]
  • Human Development 1
  • *Bio Science 4 or 8A/B: Microbiology
  • *Bio Science 5 or 7A/7B: Anatomy
  • *Bio Science 6: Physiology
  • *Nutrition 10: Fundamentals of Human Nutrition
• One of the following math courses:
  • Math A: Elementary Algebra
  • Math D: Intermediate Algebra
  • Math 12: College Algebra
  • Math 16A or 16B: Calculus Life and Social Sciences
  • Math 29: Pre-Calculus
  • Math 30: Calculus I
  • Math 31: Calculus II
  • Math 42: Business Calculus
  • Completion of one year (two semesters) of Algebra II or Integrated Mathematics III or higher level mathematics in high school with grades of “C” or better.
  (*) Indicates course must be completed within seven (7) years of admission into the Associate Degree Nursing Program.

Advisory: Statistics courses at any level do not meet the math prerequisite.

Co-Requisites

• Comm 1: Fundamentals of Public Speaking
• Soc 1: Introduction to Sociology OR Anth 2: Cultural Anthropology
• NRSR 17: High-Risk Pediatric Nursing

Advisory: Co-Requisites must be completed before the student enters the last semester of the Associate Degree Nursing Program. Courses must be completed with a grade “C” or higher.

Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS)

Only students selected for enrollment are eligible to take the TEAS assessment. The only score accepted for enrollment in the Sierra College Associate Degree Nursing Program is the score students achieve when completing the test at Sierra College after receiving an offer of provisional acceptance into the program. Students must achieve a cumulative score of 67% to maintain provisional acceptance into the program.

Applications for the LVN to RN Upward Mobility Program are accepted each spring semester beginning April 1^st until April 30^th (or the last business day prior) at 4:00 p.m. Only complete application packets are evaluated for potential admission. A complete application packet consists of the following:

• Completed, signed Program Application.
• Official College Transcripts for all prerequisite courses completed at colleges INCLUDING SIERRA COLLEGE.
• Official Transcripts for all colleges referenced in the Program Application.
• Official High School transcript ONLY if using high school math to meet math prerequisite.
  • Note: Do not have transcripts sent to the Nursing Office. Transcripts must be included in the application packet.
• Official course descriptions for all courses referenced in the application completed at colleges OTHER THAN SIERRA COLLEGE.
  • Note: Courses referenced are all prerequisite courses and any course documented on the application to meet the qualifying requirements.
• Copy of DD214 if a veteran.
• Verification of reading competency by course, assessment, or Bachelor’s Degree from a regionally accredited educational institution.
  • Students may download assessment results from mySierra.
  • If assessment is completed at another institution, contact the Assessment at Sierra College (916-660-7430) for an equivalency form.
    • Sierra College Assessment Reading Competency Form
  • Copy of current and active LVN license
  • Letter from employer on company letterhead verifying six months of employment providing direct patient care in a skilled nursing or acute care environment within the previous two years.

  Advisory

  Official Course Descriptions must be from the College Catalog. The course descriptions must state the name of the college, the year and semester in which the course was completed as documented on the Official Transcript. Course descriptions submitted without the above “official” information are not accepted. College schedules, counseling notes, and/or course information typed on a sheet of paper by the applicant are not accepted.

  LVN to RN Upward Mobility Program

  LVNs wishing to obtain licensure as a Registered Nurse through the upward mobility option must meet the following criteria to be considered for admission.

  • minimum of six months full-time experience providing direct patient care in the acute care or skilled nursing care settings within two years prior to application submissions;
  • active, unrestricted California LVN license;
  • meet the program prerequisite and admission requirements as well as the above mentioned clinical experience;
  • upon admission, the student must complete the NRSR 23 and 24 sequence, and the remaining required program and general education courses. LVNs interested in pursing an Associate Degree Nursing and taking National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) to be a Registered Nurse may be admitted to the Upward Mobility program on a space available basis. Readiness/Assessment testing is required.

  Please allow 6 weeks from the close of the acceptance period (April 30) for this process to be completed and results communicated via the email address provided on the application. Please be sure the email address is legible.

  Application:

  LVN to RN
  LVN to RN doc

How many applications do you receive, and how many students are selected?
For the past 3 years we have received 25-50 applications for the LVN to RN Upward Mobility Program. The number of applicants selected is based on space available in the third semester of the Associate Degree Nursing Program.

Do I need to take the CPR course before applying to the program?
No. We no longer require CPR as an application requirement.

I have one pre-requisite course left to take. Can I still apply to the program?
No. All prerequisite courses must be completed and posted to the appropriate transcript prior to applying for the program.

Do I have to have my Communication Studies and Sociology/Anthropology courses completed before I apply?
No. Communication studies and Sociology/Anthropology are co-requisites to third semester of the nursing program. This means you may take these courses concurrently with nursing courses in the third semester or before completion of the fourth semester. This must be completed in order to meet the requirements for the NCLEX-RN licensure examination.

I took my pre-requisites at another college. You are asking for course descriptions for those courses. How do I obtain the course descriptions?
Official college course descriptions may be obtained by photocopying the college catalog for the year and semester the course was completed. Official college catalogs with course descriptions may also be available online through the institution’s website.

I am confused about Math D being required in Fall 2009. Can you explain this?
We recommend you see an academic counselor for all graduation requirements.

I see that the science courses and Nutrition cannot be more than seven years old when I begin the program. One of my courses is older than seven years. Do I need to retake the course?
We recommend that you see an academic counselor regarding course repetition and/or course challenge process.

I took my Anatomy and Physiology at a school where the courses were combined for two semesters. At Sierra they are offered separately. Am I still eligible to apply?
Yes. We accept equivalent course work. Two semesters of combined Anatomy and Physiology is equivalent to two semesters of separate course work.

Some of my pre-requisites are upper division from a four-year university. Is this okay?
We will accept upper division coursework to satisfy prerequisites. Students using upper division coursework to satisfy prerequisites will not receive units for the upper division courses and they may need to complete coursework to satisfy graduation requirements. We recommend that these students see an Academic Counselor for guidance.

Is it okay if I turn my application in late? I have a really good reason.
No. All applications must be received by the due date/time. Postmarks are not acceptable.

I was not accepted into the nursing program. Will my application materials be returned to me?
No. Once application materials are submitted, they become the property of the college and are not returned to the student.

I applied last semester and was not admitted. Will I have a better chance when I apply this semester?
Qualified applicants for the LVN to RN Upward Mobility Program not selected due to randomization must submit a complete application each application cycle.

My employer wants to write a letter of recommendation for me to get into the nursing program. Should I enclose that with my application?
Our method is random selection. Letters of recommendation are not considered. We request that you not enclose any in your application packet.

I see that your mailing address is in Rocklin. I thought the nursing department was in Roseville.
We are located in Roseville on Sunrise Avenue. We are part of Sierra College, so our address is 5000 Rocklin Road, Rocklin, CA 95677. We receive our mail through the campus mailroom. It takes several days to receive our mail from the Rocklin campus. Mail addressed to the Roseville address is not delivered to us.

I have LVN work experience in corrections. Does this meet the 6 months of experience requirement?
No. To qualify for admission to the LVN to RN Upward Mobility program you must have 6 months of experience in Skilled Nursing or Acute care nursing within the previous 2 years.

I attended several colleges. Do you need all the transcripts or just those where I took pre-requisites? How do I get them to you?
You must submit official transcripts from all colleges attended in the completion of your pre-requisite courses and all colleges referenced in your application. All official transcripts must be submitted in the application packet. Official transcripts sent directly to the nursing department are not accepted.

Can you tell me why I was not accepted into the nursing program?
Each applicant will be notified of the results of the random selection.

May I use my TEAS V test results from another college?
In the past we have accepted only those results achieved through TEAS testing at Sierra once a student was selected for enrollment. Effective Fall 2012 we will accept TEAS V results taken at another institution achieved within one year of enrollment into the program. The official TEAS results from Assessment Technologies Institute must be included in the nursing application packet.

When should I expect to hear the results of the selection process and how will I be notified?
Students are notified via e-mail using the e-mail address clearly documented on their application. It takes approximately 6 weeks after the close of application acceptance to complete the selection and notification process.

Four-Day Mandatory Orientation

2012 dates not yet set

Roseville Gateway Campus - Rooms 107 & 125
333 Sunrise Avenue, Roseville

If you do not attend the four-day Orientation, we will assume you are no longer interested in joining our program and your position will be forfeited.

Please reserve Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday June 20–24, 2011 from 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. for a mandatory Program Orientation for all incoming Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) and LVN to RN Upward Mobility students, and Alternates.

The Program Orientation provides an opportunity to ask questions concerning books, uniforms, schedules, etc., about your class. The TEAS will be administered on June 20th. Additional assessment testing and general information sessions will be held on the following days.