LVN Thirty(30) Unit Option

Thirty (30) Unit LVN Option per California Board of Registered Nursing Guidelines (No BSN Degree Earned)

Background

Licensed vocational nurses who do not wish to complete the course work for a Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing but wish to take the NCLEX-RN examination to be licensed as a Registered Nurse in California must follow the guidelines set forth by the Board of Registered Nursing, Effective 1997: Section 1429

Preparation Required for Licensed Vocational Nurses

• “A licensed vocational nurse shall be eligible to apply for examination for licensure as a registered nurse under this chapter provided, they have successfully completed the approved curriculum in a school accredited by the board and meets all other requirements as outlined in section 1429”.

• Additional education required of licensed vocational nurse applicants shall not exceed a maximum of thirty (30) semester or forty-five (45) quarter nursing course units.

• These nursing courses shall be taken in an accredited school and shall be beyond courses equivalent to the first year of professional nursing courses.

• These nursing courses shall include:

  • Nursing intervention in acute, preventive, remedial, supportive, rehabilitative, and teaching aspects of nursing.

  • Theory and courses with concurrent clinical practice shall include advanced medical-surgical, mental health/psych nursing, pediatrics, and obstetrics nursing.

CSUSB Department of Nursing Policy for the Thirty-Unit Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN) Option

1. The burden of responsibility to qualify to take the examination for registered nurse licensure rests on the licensed vocational nurse.

2.  California LVNs are required to obtain objective counseling from the nursing department chair or designee to clarify that the LVN 30-unit Option does NOT lead to a degree. LVNs that complete the Option may sit for the NCLEX-RN examination and if successful may be licensed in the state of California with a “non-graduate license.” There may be no reciprocity for licensure in any other state. LVN candidates, during the objective counseling session, will be asked to sign a statement acknowledging item 2 above. The statement will be placed in their student file in the Department of Nursing.

3. These students are to apply for admission to the University as “No Objective” candidates; they will not enter as nursing majors. Students are not required to complete the lower division general education requirements, pre-requisite nursing core courses, or additional preparatory courses in the major.

4. Students qualifying for admission to designated nursing courses will be considered along with all other qualified applicants on a space-available basis as the program is impacted.

5. Once the courses designated are completed, the Department of Nursing’s Admission Coordinator will complete the California Board of Registered Nurses’ “Individual Candidate Roster” form, the “Candidate Worksheet” showing any course waivers of equivalency, and their request for transcripts. Students completing this option will not be graduates of the University’s nursing program and are not eligible to receive the DON nursing pin.

   1. Students desirous of enrolling to take the courses designated by the Department of Nursing are required to meet all prerequisite requirements. In compliance with Public Law 1435.5, a maximum of forty-five quarter units obtained by successful completion of the following nursing courses are required and include:

      Course Prefix	Course Title	Units	Comments
      BIOL 2230	Human Anatomy & Physiology I for Allied Health Majors	4 units	Equivalent course may be transferred in or may exercise the Challenge option.
      BIOL 2240	Human Anatomy & Physiology II for Allied Health Majors	4 units	Equivalent course may be transferred in or may exercise the Challenge option.
      BIOL 2200	Microbiology for Allied Health Majors	4 units	Equivalent course may be transferred in or may exercise the Challenge option.
      NURS 3082	Pharmacology & Therapeutics for Nursing Practice	3 units
      NURS 4415	Psychiatric & Mental Health Nursing Practice	5 units	Includes a clinical component
      NURS 4833	Nursing Care of Adults & Older Adults II	7 units	Includes a clinical component
      NURS 4840	Leadership & Management in Nursing	3 units
      	Total	30 units

      Courses approved by the BRN on Spring 2024.