Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN) Career Path

What is a licensed vocational nurse?
Licensed vocational nurses (LVNs) are entry-level health care providers responsible for rendering basic nursing care provided under the direction of physicians and registered nurses. They provide basic care, taking vital signs, temperature, blood pressure and pulse, and assist with bathing patients, monitoring catheters and applying dressings. Most LVN programs are about a year long and are offered by technical and vocational schools.

How do I become an LVN?
To become a licensed vocational nurse you need a GED or high school diploma to enter LVN programs. All required prerequisite courses must be completed prior to applying to the program. Prerequisite coursework is listed below for several San Diego LVN programs. If a school is not listed below, consult the program directly for the specific required courses. Program length for full-time students is 12 to 14 months and 18 to 20 months for part-time students.

School  Prerequisites  Other Requirements 
City College (ROP)

Healthcare Fundamentals
200 hours Certified Nursing Assistant Course

GED/HS diploma
Grossmont College

Healthcare Fundamentals (ROP)
200 hours Certified Nursing Assistant Course

 DET: diagnostic entrance test
GED/HS diploma
Imperial Valley College


 ENGL 101: English Composition
Medical Terminology
BIOL 090: Human Anatomy and Physiology for Health Occupations
Intro to Psychology

Current American Heart Association Basic Life Support(BLS) and AED CPR card
GED/HS diploma
Mira Costa College

Nursing 151: Body Systems Survey for Health Professions 
Nursing 160: Certified Nursing Assistant
PHAR 100: Basic Pharmacology Dosages and Calculations

Current American Heart Association Basic Life Support (BLS) and AED CPR card
GED/HS diploma

 
Southwestern College

BIOL 190: Anatomy/Physiology
CD 170: Principles of Child Development
CD 204: Fundamentals of Nutrition

College-level math
College-level reading
GED/HS diploma
Hepatitis B series vaccine
Nursing Assistant Training

Are there any scholarships available? 
To learn about financial assistance, visit scholarships for school and training programs.