Vocational Nursing Certificate of Completion

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The Vocational Nursing Program is a competency-based program designed to prepare Lamar State College Orange graduates to take the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-PN/VN®) to be a licensed vocational nurse (LVN). The LVN functions under the direction of a registered nurse and/or licensed physician to provide nursing care to people who are in need of medical diagnostic evaluation and are experiencing acute or chronic illness. Graduates of the LSCO VN Program are currently employed in hospitals, physicians’ offices, outpatient medical centers, long-term care facilities, and home health agencies.

The VN Program is the foundation on which the Associate of Applied Science Registered Nursing Transition Program is built. The Registered Nursing Transition Program is a competency-based program whose graduates are eligible to take the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN®) to be registered nurses (RN).

To be considered for admission to the Vocational Nursing Program at LSCO, a student must:

be accepted as a student at Lamar State College Orange;
submit Vocational Nursing Program application online from the LSCO website by the application deadline
submit transcripts of all college work to the Vocational Nursing Program;
satisfy the ATI TEAS requirements;
have a grade of “C” or better in BIOL 2401 and BIOL 2402 - Anatomy & Physiology II (Lecture + Lab) . Although completion of BIOL 1322 - Nutrition & Diet Therapy and PSYC 2314 - Lifespan Growth and Development is not required for admission to the VN Program, they must be completed with a grade of “C” or better before graduating from the VN program. However, if taken before application deadline, those grades will add points on the admission rating scale;
have a minimum grade of “C” or better in VNSG 1323 - Basic Nursing Skills and a satisfactory “S” grade in VNSG 1160 - Clinical I Practical Nurse or a minimum score of 80 on the VNSG 1323 /VNSG 1160 Basic Nursing Challenge Exam*
show proof of good mental and physical health;
show proof of completion of Hepatitis B immunization; and
show proof of clear criminal background check from the Texas Board of Nursing or have obtained a completed Declaratory Order from the Texas Board of Nursing (see program director for details).

*Experienced nurses’ aides or certified nurses’ aides (CNAs) may be exempt from the VNSG 1323 - Basic Nursing Skills and VNSG 1160 - Clinical I Practical Nurse classes by passing the Basic Nursing Challenge Exam with a minimum score of 80 percent. Students must obtain permission from the Director of Vocational Nursing Program. Students may take the challenge exam only one time. The challenge exam is given at the LSCO Testing Center. Contact the Testing Center at (409) 882-3330 for an appointment to take the exam. The cost to take the exam is $25 and to get transcripted credit is $100.

Students MUST maintain “C” or better grades in ALL courses on the degree plan and overall 2.0 grade point averages (GPAs) to graduate from the LSCO VN Program. Complete information about the Vocational Nursing Program, including admission requirements, application deadlines and current application forms, is available from the Nursing Administrative Assistant located in the Stark Nursing and Classroom Building.

NOTE: Criminal history MAY disqualify individuals from obtaining or maintaining nursing certifications even if they have completed LSCO’s VN program.

Completion of the VN Program does NOT guarantee that a graduate may take the National Council Licensure Examination for Practical Nursing (NCLEX-PN®). The Texas Board of Nursing may disqualify an applicant from obtaining licensure who has:

been convicted, adjudged guilty by a court, plead guilty, no contest, or nolo contendere to any crime in any state, territory, or country, whether or not a sentence was imposed, including any pending criminal charges or unresolved arrests (excluding minor traffic violations). This includes expunged offenses and deferred adjudications with or without prejudice of guilt. Please note that DUI’s, DWI’s, and PI’s must be reported and are not considered minor traffic violations. One-time minor in possession (MIP) or minor in consumption (MIC) does not need to be disclosed. If you have two or more MIPs or MICs you must report these to the board;
any criminal charges pending, including unresolved arrests;
been refused a license by any licensing authority or ever had a license revoked, annulled, cancelled, accepted surrender of, suspended, placed on probation, refused to renew a professional license or certificate held by you now or previously, or ever fined, censured, reprimanded, or otherwise disciplined you;
within the last five years, been addicted to and/or treated for the use of alcohol or any other drug; or
within the last five years, been diagnosed with, treated or hospitalized for schizophrenia, and/or psychotic disorders, bipolar disorder, paranoid personality disorder, antisocial personality disorder, or borderline personality disorder.

If you must answer “yes” to any of these statements, you have to undergo investigation by the Board of Vocational Nursing before you will be accepted into the Nursing Program. Answering “yes” will not necessarily keep you from acceptance into the program. Failure to answer truthfully may result in disciplinary action by the Board.

Upon acceptance into the VN Program, all students will be subject to a criminal background check.