Beginning summer and fall 2016, Cuesta College’s Nursing Program will offer three new educational options for those interested in the healthcare field.

New Cal State University of Monterey Bay (CSU-MB) Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) to Bachelors of Science in Nursing Degree (BSN) Concurrent Enrollment Pathway

Beginning in summer 2016, Cuesta College and CSU-MB will launch a concurrent ADN to BSN enrollment pathway. The partnership will allow Cuesta College’s Registered Nursing (RN) students, who are in the ADN Program, to enroll in CSU-MB courses beginning the summer between the two years of Cuesta College’s RN program and complete their BSN degree one year after completing their ADN from Cuesta College. 

“Essentially, our Registered Nursing students will now have the opportunity to earn a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing just three years after entering our RN program,” said Nursing and Allied Health Division Director Marcia Scott. “The BSN is rapidly becoming the preferred degree for entry level nursing positions; we are responding to the industry need and now offering this vital degree to our students.”

The concurrent enrollment courses will begin this summer and be taught by CSU-MB faculty. Some of the classes will be taught through a combination of online and CSU-MB on-campus live classroom sessions. Twenty-one students are set to begin courses in the concurrent pathway this June.

The college also plans to expand the new degree pathway to nurses in the community who’ve earned an ADN.

New Licensed Vocational Nursing (LVN) Associate Degree

Cuesta College’s existing LVN Certificate of Achievement has been offered since 2006; beginning in fall 2016, the added option of an Associate Degree in LVN will be offered in order to increase the future educational and healthcare career opportunities available to nursing students.

“Those with an LVN Associate Degree can potentially qualify for LVN clinical faculty positions, obtain various nursing management positions - such as quality assurance evaluator, case management, and other leadership roles - and increase their probability of acceptance into an RN program for advanced education,” said Scott.

Students must be accepted into the college’s LVN program through the application process to obtain this degree. 

New Pre-Nursing Associate Degree

Beginning this fall, Cuesta College’s new Pre-Nursing Associate Degree program will prepare students for application to an ADN program at any California community college. The program electives also include courses required for BSN transfer. 

“The Pre-Nursing Associate Degree meets a significant need by laying out a clear pathway to students who select nursing as a major and need clarity as to what is needed to apply to and be accepted into the college’s impacted ADN program,” said Scott. “For others, the degree will provide students with a solid foundation to enter healthcare fields of study and prepare them for medical careers.” 

Cuesta College’s RN Program continues to maintain its reputation as one of the best in the State. On May 20, 2016, the college’s Registered Nursing Program graduated a total of 39 students who are now qualified to take their RN licensure exam (NCLEX) this summer. The classes of 2014 and 2015 obtained a 100 percent pass rate on the RN licensure exam. “This is a stellar achievement and marks our RN program as one of the top in California,” said Scott.

For more information on all of Cuesta College’s nursing programs, call Pre-Nursing Counselor Gina Vriend at (805) 546-3138 or visit https://www.cuesta.edu/academics/scimath/nah/[BROKEN LINK].

Cuesta College’s summer session begins June 13; registration is currently open. Fall semester begins August 15; general registration for new students opens June 10, priority registration is currently underway for returning students. Classes can be viewed for both summer and fall by visiting www.cuesta.edu and clicking Find Classes.