Licensed vocational nurses (LVNs), care for the sick, injured, convalescent, and disabled under the direction of the physicians and registered nurses. Most LVNs provide basic bedside care. They take vital signs such as temperature, blood pressure, pulse, and respiration; prepare and give injections and enemas; apply dressings; and monitor catheters. LVNs observe patients and report adverse reactions to medications or treatments. They collect samples for testing, perform routine laboratory tests, feed patients, and record food and fluid intake and output. They help patients with bathing, dressing, and personal hygiene, keep them comfortable, and care for their emotional needs. In states where the law allows, they may administer prescribed medicines or start intravenous fluids.

Employment Characteristics

Licensed vocational nurses hold about 684,000 jobs. Twenty-nine percent of LVNs work in nursing homes, 28% work in hospitals, and 14% in physicians’ offices and clinics. Others work for home healthcare services, residential-care facilities, schools, temporary- help agencies, or government agencies.

Growth Rate

Employment of LVNs is expected to grow 10% to 20% by 2010 in response to long-term care needs and the general growth of health care. Nursing homes will offer the most new jobs for LVNs as the number of aged and disabled persons rises. Employment of LVNs this decade is expected to grow 36% or more in home healthcare services. This is in response to a growing number of older persons with functional disabilities, consumer preference for home care, and technological advances, which make it possible to offer complex treatments at home.

Earnings Potential

The median salary for a typical certified nursing assistant (CNA) in Los Angeles is $27,685 whereas a typical licensed vocational nurse (LVN) earns $42,365. (Source: Salary.com; October 2006)

Approvals

Homestead Schools, Inc. has been approved to operate a vocational nursing program by the Bureau for Postsecondary and Vocational Education and the Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians.

Bureau for Private Postsecondary and Vocational Education
1625 North Market Boulevard, Suite S-202
Sacramento, CA 95834
(916) 574-7720

Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians
2535 Capitol Oaks Drive, Suite 205
Sacramento, CA 95833-2945
(916) 263-7800

Program Objectives

The purpose of this program is to provide students with the didactic theory and clinical experiences necessary to function as a graduate vocational nurse in the health-care field. In order to accomplish this goal, the student will:

1. Become familiar with the roles and responsibilities, duties, clinical skills, and supervisory experiences necessary of the licensed vocational nurse.
2. Become familiar with and demonstrate the legal limitations and accountabilities within the scope of practice as defined in the Vocational Nursing Practice Act.
3. Develop communication, interpersonal, analytical and critical thinking skills and be able to implement them while carrying out the responsibilities of the licensed vocational nurse.
4. Become familiar with the health-care resources for a diverse ethnic community.
5. Demonstrate an understanding of the employment opportunities available in the field of nursing.

Equipment 

Throughout the training, program students will use various types of equipment, such as anatomical torso and organ models, basins, computers, crutches, glucometers, hospital beds, anatomical mannequins, posey restraints, skeletons, sphygmomanometers, stethoscopes, thermometers, wheelchairs, and walkers.

Class Size and Length

Our next vocational nursing classes start in January 2008. We’ll have a day class (9 a.m.- 3 p.m.) and an evening class (4 p.m.-10 p.m.) with clinical training at different hours, including on weekends. Class sizes vary from 15 to 30 students. The length of the program is 1549 hours with 589 hours of theory and 960 hours of clinical training; this is equivalent to approximately 48 weeks.

We also offer a part- time VN program of 18- month duration. This allows you to keep your present job while training for vocational nursing.

Click here for the accelerated vocational nursing program ("Challenging the Board")

Curriculum Content

• Vocational nurse program will include theory and correlated clinical experience.
• The curriculum will develop the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to care for patients of all ages in current health-care settings.
• Curriculum content will be taught in a sequence that results in students’ progressive mastery of knowledge, skills and abilities.
• The curriculum content will include:
  1. Anatomy and physiology
  2. Nutrition
  3. Psychology
  4. Normal growth and development
  5. Nursing fundamentals
  6. Nursing process
  7. Communication
  8. Patient education
  9. Pharmacology, which will include:
     1. Knowledge of commonly used drugs and their actions
     2. Computation of dosages
     3. Preparation of medications
     4. Principles of administration
  10. Communicable diseases, which will include but not be limited to Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)
  11. Gerontological nursing
  12. Rehabilitation nursing
  13. Maternity nursing
  14. Pediatric nursing
  15. Leadership
  16. Supervision

Program Hours

Admission Requirements

The vocational nursing program requires applicants to meet certain qualifications before admission into the program.  Its purpose is to maintain a high standard with entry-level students and maintain a lower attrition and failure rate.

 Each applicant must meet the following criteria:

• At least 17 years of age.
• Must visit the school to enroll.
• Must provide proof of 12^th grade education or its equivalent. A high school diploma or GED certificate is acceptable. Foreign graduates should have their high school and college transcripts evaluated for US 12^th grade equivalency by known credentials evaluating agency in the US.
• Pass an appropriate validated and standardized screening test for Essential Academic Skills (Math, Science & English-3 hrs.) and Self-Assessment (1 hour).
• Required passing score is 50% National Percentile.
• Complete an application for enrollment and submit letters of recommendation (3).
• Verification of education completed with official (sealed) transcripts sent from the institution directly to Homestead Schools for credit granting.  Transfer credit shall be given for related courses completed within the last five years.
• Submit a complete physical examination report (and record of required immunizations) signed by a physician/nurse practitioner attesting to candidate’s fitness to function in a clinical setting.
• Submit copy of a current CPR card.
• Complete the pre-requisite course:  Anatomy and Physiology, and General Psychology.  (Normal Growth & Development has been integrated into the program.)
• Take a placement interview.

Graduation Requirements

A diploma will be awarded upon successful completion of all courses of the vocational nursing program with a grade of 75% or better and all other curriculum requirements, including the comprehensive term exam administered each term for the vocational nursing program.  Students must also meet all applicable clinical, administrative, clerical, classroom and laboratory skill proficiency standards, and must satisfactorily perform the applicable clinical or practical or hands-on portion of their training.

General Requirements for Licensure

• Minimum age – 17 years;
• Completion of the 12^th grade of schooling or its equivalent;
• Graduation from an accredited or approved vocational nursing program or its equivalent;
• Successful completion of a written examination titled the National Council Licensing Examination for Practical (Vocational) Nursing (NCLEX) or the National League for Nursing Test Pool Practical Nursing examination (NLN);
• Provide the Board with a social security number prior to scheduling for examination;
• Have committed no act which, if committed by an L.V.N., would be grounds for disciplinary action; and
• After successful completion of the examination, the applicant must submit an initial license fee;
• Graduation from a California accredited school of vocational nursing. Accredited programs offer a course of instruction that is minimally 1,530 hours in length.  Required curricular content includes anatomy and physiology; normal growth and development; psychology; nutrition; pharmacology; nursing fundamentals; medical/surgical, obstetrical, pediatric, gerontological and rehabilitation nursing theory and supervised clinical experience.

Cost of the Program

Vocational nursing program is of one-year duration. The cost of the program is $22,500. As a member of the first batch of students to our VN program, you’ll receive:

• All the prescribed text books you need for the entire duration of the program;
• Equipment for the skills lab and clinical experience;
• A nice, smart-looking uniform to go with your new career.

We offer installment payment program:

We’ll do everything we can to accommodate your specific circumstances.

Start Date

We have new full time and part time classes starting every couple of months.  Call us today and find out about the next class.

Racially Nondiscriminatory Policy

Homestead Schools, Inc. admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.