registered nurse programs in california

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registered nurse programs in california


HERE ARE THE 10 BEST CALIFORNIA BOARD OF REGISTERED NURSING APPROVED RN (ADN) PROGRAMS IN CALIFORNIA FOR 2022

1) Los Angeles Harbor College, Wilmington

Los Angeles Harbor College (LAHC) is part of the Los Angeles Community College District. The college offers two different nursing programs. The first is the standard ADN program in California that is designed for high school graduates, and the second is the LVN to RN program, which assists those who are already licensed as LVNs into furthering their education and nursing credentials. LAHC offers advanced placement for members of the military, as well.

The ADN program at LAHC offers concurrent classroom and clinical experience in a variety of local hospitals and clinics. Students may participate in clinicals at Kaiser Medical Center, Providence Little Company of Mary, Torrance Memorial Hospital, and Harbor UCLA, to name a few. The program is four semesters in length and takes two years to complete. During the course of the program, you will participate in a variety of discussions in small groups and gain simulated laboratory experience.

The curriculum includes courses such as Nursing Process, Communication in Nursing, Nursing Process & Practice in the Care of the Adult Clint, Nursing Process & Practice in the Care of Children, an Introduction to Leadership & Management, and more. You may also apply for the Family Nursing Scholarship Program, which is unique to the Los Angeles Community College District, until 2024. This scholarship covers not only the cost of your education, but also the cost of supplies and licensure fees.

2) Saddleback College, Mission Viejo

Saddleback College is part of the South Orange County Community College district, and it offers a top notch ADN program. Saddleback College truly focuses on the student by offering not only education, but also guidance, counseling, child care, a student health center, financial aid, tutoring, and an excellent career center.

Saddleback College’s ADN program takes four semesters to complete, and you will be required to work two to three unpaid 12-hour shifts alongside an assigned RN during the evening hours. This will help you obtain your 240 required clinical hours. Classroom coursework includes Pharmacology, Fundamentals of Aging, Nursing Process, Mental Health Nursing, Medical-Surgical Nursing, and more.

Once you complete this accredited nursing program, you will be eligible to sit for the NCLEX-RN examination. Per the school’s Nursing Student Achievement Data from the 2015-2016 academic year, 85% of all graduates obtained a job in the nursing field after graduation.

3) Monterey Peninsula College, Monterey

Monterey Peninsula College (MPC) trains nurses at the Maurine Church Coburn School of Nursing. Here, you will earn an Associate of Science degree that successfully prepares you in the field of nursing. The ADN program is offered in partnership with Montage Health, the Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula. MPC provides a combination of both classroom and clinical training to prepare you for your career.

This program takes four semesters to complete, and you will take courses such as General Human Anatomy, Lifespan Development, Interpersonal Communication, Applied Foundations of Learning, and more. Out of 73 total units spread over the course of four semesters, four of these units are your clinical rotation. You will work alongside an assigned nurse to complete Supervised Nursing Skills Labs.

You will learn to collaborate with other healthcare professionals to provide effective care to patients in various settings, to act as a patient advocate, and to provide direct patient-centered care based on evidence and facts. Completing the MPC ADN program in CA prepares you to sit for the NCLEX-RN exam and work as an RN in an entry-level position.

4) Grossmont College, El Cajon

Grossmont College is located in El Cajon, California, and their ADN program prepares men and women alike to pass the licensure exams and begin their careers in a variety of unique healthcare settings. Grossmont is also home to a chapter of the California Nursing Students’ Association (CNSA), and you can find regular meetings on campus. The CNSA hosts regular nursing resource fairs and other events at Grossmont, as well.

This ADN program is a two-year, four-semester program. Per the Grossmont website, you should be prepared to dedicate 40 hours each week to classroom study and clinicals. You will take courses like Human Anatomy, Human Physiology, Paramedical Microbiology, and Neurologic and Psychiatric Nursing, just to name a few. You will need to complete a total of 72 units to earn your degree. Three of these units are electives in a Humanities course of your choosing.

At Grossmont, 80% or more of students who enroll in the ADN program complete it within six semesters. Job placement rates are 75% within the first 12 months, and for those who successfully take the program and obtain their licensure, 25% enroll in an advanced degree program within one year.

5) Hartnell College, Salinas

The RN program at Hartnell College is one of the most lucrative ADN programs in California. Groups such as the NAACP and UCSC have lauded Hartnell College’s nursing programs for promoting underrepresented students and minorities.

This program takes two years to complete and consists of four semesters of study combined with clinical experience. To pass this program, students must take and pass 44.5 units of study. Unlike many colleges that push clinical experience to the very end of the program, Hartnell has students participate in four levels of Supervised Nursing Skills Practice – one level each semester. This combined approach to classroom and clinical learning has been proven to improve students’ ability to retain information learned in the classroom and translate that information into the real world.

Courses include Nursing Theory, Clinical Reasoning, Pharmacology, and more. Upon completing the program, students can communicate effectively with patients, their families, and other medical personnel, utilize critical thinking skills to provide the best possible nursing care throughout the human lifecycle, make ethical decisions when planning patient care, and demonstrate competency in nursing skills at the entry level.

6) Santa Barbara City College, Santa Barbara

The School of Nursing at Santa Barbara City College (SBCC) offers several unique opportunities for those interested in a nursing career, including an outstanding ADN program. This program is four semesters in length and will take you two years to complete. The curriculum is structured in such a way that it meets standards set forth by the Massachusetts Nurse of the Future and Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN).

Courses you will take during the program include Foundations in Nursing, Pharmacology, Medical-Surgical Nursing, Gerontology, Community Health Nursing, and more. You will also be required to participate in clinical rotations which allow you to test your knowledge in a real-world setting. These skills and clinicals are designed to maximize the number of students who pass the NCLEX-RN examination upon receiving their associate degrees.

More than 85% of the students who begin this program successfully compete it. What’s more, 91% of those who receive their degrees from SBCC are gainfully employed as RNs within one year of graduating.

7) Riverside City College, Riverside

The Riverside City College (RCC) School of Nursing’s ADN program requires four semesters and an intersession. There are 74 total units to complete, and the school does require science prerequisites in anatomy, physiology, and microbiology. RCC offers a pre-nursing workshop designed to introduce new students to the industry every two weeks throughout the academic year, and all students who are interested in nursing programs are encouraged to attend.

During your course of study, you will take courses such as Foundations of Nursing. Chronic Illness, Acute Maternal-Child Specialty, Pathophysiology, Pharmacology, and clinicals each semester. Unlike other ADN programs in CA, RCC makes some of these clinicals elective. All students must participate in the required clinicals to receive their degrees and sit for the NCLEX-RN exams, but in this case, students are given the opportunity to participate in extra clinical hours if they so choose.

Due to the required intersession at RCC, the program length is five semesters, which means the program takes 2.5 years to complete. By the end of the program, you will be prepared to provide quality patient care using evidence-based practices, provide leadership in a wide range of healthcare settings, collaborate and communicate effectively with others, and employ the latest technology to communicate, reduce risk, prevent errors, and support decision-making.

8) Santa Monica College, Santa Monica

At Santa Monica College (SMC), students who are interested in obtaining their ADN can participate in a Nursing Program Information Session. These sessions are open to potential SMC students, but you must register for them in advance. Although Santa Monica College itself does not offer a BSN program, its curriculum is designed to support an ADN to BSN bridge program, and students are encouraged to further their education.

Coursework is combined with supervised tutorials and simulated labs across four semesters. Aside from the required coursework, you may also choose to participate in optional counseling courses to help you improve your study skills at the college level and enjoy success as a nursing student. You will also have access to Supervised Tutoring, which is a more personalized approach to learning and can help you better understand the core concepts taught in your courses.

More than 90% of SMC graduates are gainfully employed in the nursing field within one year of receiving their degrees. SMC transfers more students to University of California campuses than any other college in the US, and it has done so for more than 26 years in a row. Many of these students are nursing students pursuing their BSN or MSN degrees.

9) Palomar College, San Marcos

Palomar College in San Marcos, California offers a highly-rated Nursing Education Program that takes a holistic approach to learning. The program available here focuses heavily on ethics and the ability to think critically, which are both crucial in any nursing career. Unlike many of the other schools, Palomar College offers two different associate degree options for nursing students – an Associate in Science in Nursing (AS) and an Associate in Arts (AA) in nursing. These programs are mostly identical, but the AA program requires additional units in American History and Institutions.

Courses include Nursing Foundations and several levels of generic Nursing courses designed to provide students with all the information they need to not only pass the NCLEX-RN examination, but to enjoy a successful career. These courses are combined with clinicals designed to provide real nursing experience in a supervised setting. If you are interested in attending Palomar College’s Nursing Education Program, Informational Meetings are held in the spring of each year.

By the end of your studies, you will be able to make complex decisions, adapt to varying situations, collaborate with others, serve as a patient advocate, and utilize technology to provide outstanding and ethical patient care. Palomar College focuses on evidence-based nursing directed toward disease prevention, the promotion of wellness, and even hospice care.

10) Moorpark College, Moorpark

Moorpark College is a member of the Ventura County Community College District that was ranked the fourth best community college in the United States in the March 15 Huffington Post. Moorpark College takes a unique approach to the ADN program by allowing you access to a variety of elective courses approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing. These courses, including electives like Sex, Gender, and Culture and Peoples and Cultures of the World, are far more diverse than many other schools can offer.

Required courses for this program include Biology, Pharmacology. Physiology, Infant/Toddler Care, Nursing Science, and clinical labs. You might also choose to participate in Holistic Healthcare Practices courses if you choose to pursue a career in holistic medicine. You will also have the option to participate in four levels of nursing skills labs that are not required for graduation but recommended by Moorpark College.

Completing this program will teach you how to apply safety and technical skills on the job, think and reason critically, communicate with others in a healthcare setting, organize your time and set clear priorities, and perform all of the duties essential to your career as an RN.

top nursing schools in california

Top 10 Nursing Schools in California

1. California State University, Bakersfield

Annual In-State Tuition: $7,498 | NCLEX Pass Rate: 97.92%

Traditional: Yes

Online: No

Accelerated: Yes

Bridge: Yes

California has a plethora of incredible state schools, and residents can take advantage of low in-state tuition. California State University, Bakersfield is no exception. Located roughly midway between Los Angeles and San Francisco, Cal State Bakersfield has the feel of a college town. The nursing program offers plenty of options for undergraduate students, from a traditional BSN to a 15-month RN-to-BSN. Like most California schools, Cal State Bakersfield has a high NCLEX pass rate and is a nationally recognized university. 

2. California State University, Fullerton

Annual In-State Tuition: $6,979 | NCLEX Pass Rate: 96.55%

Traditional: Yes

Online: No

Accelerated: Yes

Bridge: Yes

Located just north of Anaheim is another excellent school in the CSU system, California State University, Fullerton. Home to nearly 40,000 students, this ethnically diverse school has a low in-state tuition rate and a great location. Nursing students interested in a BSN have two main options: a direct-entry BSN and traditional BSN. The direct-entry BSN is for incoming freshman, and you’ll being your nursing degree your freshman year. The traditional CSUF pathway is for current students that want to become RNs. The CSUF pathway only admits 5-10 students per year, so this is a tougher program to enter. 

3. University of California, Irvine

Annual In-State Tuition: $11,442 | NCLEX Pass Rate: 91.07%

Traditional: Yes

Online: No

Accelerated: Yes

Bridge: Yes

Considered by U.S. News & World Report as one of the nation’s top public schools, the University of California, Irvine is an all-around high-quality school. UC Irvine has also been recognized for its commitment to diversity, and graduates tend to have higher salaries than the national average for recent grads. The main undergraduate nursing program – a traditional BSN – also boasts high graduate employment and salaries, but only 2.5% of all applicants are admitted. If students are lucky enough to count themselves among those selected, they’ll be set up for an incredibly successful nursing career.

4. California State University, Long Beach

Annual In-State Tuition: $6,850 | NCLEX Pass Rate:  99.25%

Traditional: Yes

Online: No

Accelerated: Yes

Bridge: Yes

California State University, Long Beach is home to beautiful beaches and beaches, along with one of the top nursing programs in the state. CSULB’s nursing program has a lofty goal of becoming the premier nursing program, so nursing students can rest assured that they’re getting one of the best educations available. The main focus of the nursing school are the traditional BSN and MSN, the first of which has three different track options: a traditional track, an RN-BSN track, and an accelerated option. The NCLEX pass rate of the recent graduating class speaks to the student outcomes.  

5. California State University, Los Angeles

Annual In-State Tuition: $6,782 | NCLEX Pass Rate: 97.4%

Traditional: Yes

Online: No

Accelerated: Yes

Bridge: Yes

Los Angeles, one of the largest metropolitan areas in the nation, is home to various hospitals where California State University, Los Angeles nursing students can complete their clinicals. Of the nursing programs offered, the accelerated BSN for non-RNs is perhaps the most interesting. Intended for current bachelor’s degree holders and recent grads, this program can take as little as 15 months to complete. By the end of the program, students will be ready to take the NCLEX-RN – something which most grads pass on their first try. 

6. University of California, Los Angeles

Annual In-State Tuition: $11,442 | NCLEX Pass Rate: 95.56%

Traditional: Yes

Online: No

Accelerated: No

Bridge: No

One of the most recognized institutions in the world, the University of California, Los Angeles. So, it should come as no surprise that UCLA is also home to one of the top nursing schools in California. Most students are going to be interested in earning their BSN before anything else, although the master’s and doctoral level degrees offered by UCLA are among the top in the state, too. The price is higher than other state schools, but in-state students will still pay a low tuition rate. 

7. California State University, Sacramento

Annual In-State Tuition: $7,392 | NCLEX Pass Rate: 98.53%

Traditional: Yes

Online: No

Accelerated: Yes

Bridge: Yes

Located in the state capitol, California State University, Sacramento is one of the most diverse schools in the nation. Students come from across California – and the US – to study at Sac State. One of the university’s top draws is the BSN program, perfect for incoming freshmen that don’t have any nursing experience. An RN-BSN program is also available for current nurses that want to complete a degree. Along with other state schools, Sac State is an excellent value for California residents, and they boast one of the highest NCLEX pass rates on this list.

8. San Diego State University

Annual In-State Tuition: $8,136 | NCLEX Pass Rate: 93.91%

Traditional: Yes

Online: No

Accelerated: Yes

Bridge: Yes

San Diego State University, home of the Aztecs, has been educating students since 1897. Now home to more than 36,000 students, SDSU has entrenched itself as one of the top public schools in California. The nursing school at SDSU has four main programs: BSN, RN-BSN, a master’s in nursing (MSN), and an LVN-RN. Nursing students at SDSU also have the rare option of studying abroad! With the low in-state cost, high NCLEX pass rate, option to study abroad, and the chance to live in San Diego, this is a school that will be on most students’ lists. 

9. University of California, San Francisco

Annual In-State Tuition: $60,482 | NCLEX Pass Rate: 95.83%

Traditional: Yes

Online: Yes

Accelerated: Yes

Bridge: No

Yes, the in-state tuition at the University of California, San Francisco is incredibly high considering out-of-state students will be required to pay a higher rate. However, that’s the cost of studying at one of the nation’s best nursing schools. UCSF’s most interesting nursing track is the accelerated MSN. This three-year program is for current bachelor’s degree holders, and the bachelor’s degree can be in any field. Keep in mind that the tuition rate can change depending on which nursing option you choose. 

10. California State University, Stanislaus

Annual In-State Tuition: $7,644 | NCLEX Pass Rate: 98.21%

Traditional: Yes

Online: Yes

Accelerated: Yes

Bridge: Yes

California State University, Stanislaus has two campuses – one in Turlock and the other in Stockton. Of course, not all students will study on campus. Through the nursing school, four BSN options are available: an RN-BSN, an LVN-BSN, an online RN-BS, and a traditional BSN. When it’s time for clinicals, CSU Stanislaus states that students will be placed “as far south as Madera and as far north as Stockton.” This is meant to give nurses extra exposure and more experience. Of course, the low tuition and high NCLEX pass rate are reasons to look at CSU Stanislaus, too.

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