Nursing, Associate In Science Degree

San Joaquin Delta College offers a state and nationally accredited associate degree in nursing (ADN) program. The ADN program prepares graduates to be eligible to take the National Council Licensing Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN). Following licensure, graduates are qualified to provide patient care in a variety of health care settings within the Registered Nurse scope of practice. A San Joaquin Delta College certificate is awarded upon successful completion of the program. The program is approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing and accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC), 61 Broadway, New York, NY 10006.

Lodi Memorial Hospital, St. Joseph's Medical Center, San Joaquin General Hospital, Doctor's Hospital Manteca, Kaiser Manteca and Sutter Tracy Community Hospital are among the local health care facilities providing clinical training sites as well as assistance in clinical instruction.

Admission Information

Information concerning requirements and prerequisite verification process for the Associate Degree Nursing Program (Registered Nurse), may be obtained from the Family, Consumer and Health Science Division Office, Shima 114, the Nursing Department, Locke 213, or online at nursing.deltacollege.edu.

Admission

Admission requires 1) successful completion of prerequisite courses prior to submitting a Prerequisite Verification packet to the program; 2) completion of health and safety requirements including medical exam, immunization, malpractice insurance and professional level CPR;and 3) background clearance for criminal history.

Currently 80 students are admitted each Fall and Spring semester. Admission is not guaranteed.

Prerequisite Course Information

Nursing program prerequisites include:

  • English 001A (Written Communication);
  • FCS 006 (Nutrition); and,
  • Biology 022 (Introduction to Medical Microbiology); or,
  • Biology 023 (General Microbiology); and,
  • Biology 031 (Human Anatomy); and,
  • Biology 032 (Human Physiology).

The science courses have a prerequisite of Chemistry 3A which requires completion course of Math 80 with a grade of "C" or better. Applicants who have completed at least two semesters of high school chemistry with a grade of "C" or better, and Algebra 1 in high school, with a grade of "C" or better, may have met these requirements. Please see a college counselor to discuss this option.

Prerequisite Verification Procedure

  1. Candidates must be admitted to San Joaquin Delta College or submit an application for admission, prior to submission of a Prerequisite Verification to the nursing program. Candidates should check to make sure that their Delta College application is current prior to submitting a Prerequisite Verification for the program.
  2. All candidates must satisfy the College assessment placement test requirements for coursework completed at colleges other than SJDC.
  3. Official college transcripts for all college coursework must be submitted with the nursing Prerequisite Verification. Transcripts must be presented in official, sealed envelopes from the originating college or university.
  4. Candidates must complete all prerequisite courses (or equivalent) with a grade of "C" or higher. All prerequisite courses must be completed prior to submitting a Prerequisite Verification to the program.
  5. Prerequisite courses completed at U.S. regionally accredited colleges and universities other than San Joaquin Delta College must be comparable in theory and laboratory content, and hours of instruction to Delta College courses. Official transcripts for prerequisite courses taken at other colleges and universities must be submitted with the Prerequisite Verification to the nursing program along with course outlines and descriptions. Course outlines may be obtained from the college catalog or web site where the course was taken. Determination of course equivalency will be completed by the college evaluators. All courses must be completed with a grade of "C" or better prior to submitting a Prerequisite Verification to the program.
  6. Prerequisite Verification submission deadlines are as follows:

    September 1 to October 15 for entry into the spring semester

    February 1 to March 1 for entry into the fall semester

  7. Prerequisite Verification packets and additional required documents must be submitted to Admissions and Records, Holt Center, Room 101 during the identified submission period. Prerequisite Verifications will NOT be accepted at any other times. Late Prerequisite Verification packets will not be accepted.

Selection Procedure

The following process is used to select students for the program:

  1. Four statistically validated criteria include:
    1. College GPA which includes all lower division college coursework (Col GPA);
    2. English 1A grade (Eng GPA)*;
    3. Cumulative GPA of all core biology courses: Anatomy, Physiology, and Microbiology (Bio GPA)*;
    4. Number of repetitions of core biology courses-(Bio Reps) D, F, W or I grade.
  2. Each criterion will be entered into the formula below:

    exp(-1.3907+.3465(ColGPA)+.3139(EngGPA)+.267 (BioGPA)-1.0279(BioReps))

    (1+exp(-1.3907+.3465(ColGPA)+.3139(EngGPA)+.267 (BioGPA)-1.0279(BioReps)))

    *The first grade indicating successful completion (with a "C" or better) of the course will be utilized.

  3. The numerical value obtained by use of the formula will be utilized for competitive ranking candidates.
  4. Seventy-five spaces will be allotted to candidates with the highest numerical values who provide documentation of residency within the college district for a minimum of one year and one day prior to the first day of the term of entry into the program (fall or spring). The remaining 25% of spaces will be allotted to remaining candidates with the highest numerical values without consideration of residency.
  5. If more than one candidate has the same numerical value, the date and time when the complete Prerequisite Verification was submitted to the Office of Admissions and Records will be utilized to determine ranking order.
  6. Studies to identify any disproportionate impact are ongoing. In the event it is verified that disproportionate impact exists; a minimal cut-score for acceptance of Prerequisite Verifications will be established. All Prerequisite Verifications with a numerical value at or above the cut score will be accepted. The allotment of spaces will be based on date of submission with seventy-five percent of the candidates verifying residency and twenty-five percent accepted without determination of residency. Admission will be based on date of submission.

Criminal History Background Clearance

All students tentatively admitted to the associate degree nursing program must obtain background clearance for criminal history prior to final acceptance into the program. Candidates who cannot obtain clearance cannot be placed in the clinical training sites and are therefore unable to meet program objectives. Information regarding the process and screening criteria is available in program information documents available in the nursing department and division offices and on-line at nursing.deltacollege.edu. Disclosure forms and detailed information including applicable fees are made available to candidates upon tentative acceptance into the program. Potential candidates are encouraged to review the screening criteria and review their personal background prior to submitting a Prerequisite Verification to the program.

Additional Information

Information regarding program requirements and courses is included in the program brochure available in the Family, Consumer, and Health Sciences Division Office, Shima Center, Room 114 the Counseling Center, Danner Hall, Room 205, and the Nursing Department, Locke 213. Prerequisite Verifications are available in the Family, Consume, and Health Sciences Division Office in Shima 114, in the Nursing Department in Locke 213 or online at nursing.deltacollege.edu.

Recognition is given for prior education and training. Certified Nurse Assistants, Psychiatric Technicians, and Licensed Vocational Nurses may be eligible to enter the program as an upgrade candidate. Information and Prerequisite Verifications for CNA-ADN, PT-ADN, and LVN-ADN are available online at nursing.deltacollege.edu or in the Nursing Department, Locke 213. (*Pending program changes in the Nursing curriculum, the CNA-ADN option may no longer be available beginning with the fall 2008 semester).

Up to fifteen units of credit may be earned through challenge examinations. See the "Credit by Examination" section in this catalog.

Students requesting transfer to the ADN program from other registered nursing programs must submit a Prerequisite Verification and official transcripts from the college where course work was completed along with detailed nursing course syllabi, course outlines, objectives and catalog descriptions. Prerequisite Verifications for transfer will be reviewed by the nursing program faculty and director for determination of acceptance and placement in the program. Prerequisite Verifications for transfer are available in the Family, Consumer, adn Health Sciences Division, Shima 114, the Nursing Department, Locke 213 or online at nursing.deltacollege.edu. Transfer Prerequisite Verifications are accepted only during the regular submission periods of September 1 - October 15 and February 1 - March 1.

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