El Camino College Nursing Program Review

El Camino College (ECC) was founded in 1947 and serves the greater Los Angeles area. Each semester more than 25,000 students enroll at ECC. It is commonly referred to as “Elco”. The college has a Memorandum of Understanding with the former Compton Community College, and uses their facilities, now known as ECC Compton Center, to provide classes to the community.

All classes at both locations are administered by ECC Torrance. Nursing courses fall under the Health Sciences and Athletics Division at ECC Torrance and the Career and Technical Education at ECC Compton Center. Nursing classes may be offered at either campus.

Nursing Program

Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN)

ECC offers an ADN for those looking to enter the nursing profession. The California Board of Registered Nursing approved the nursing program at ECC, and it is National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC) accredited. Students must have a minimum 2.5 Grade Point Average (GPA) and have completed English 1A, Anatomy, Physiology, and Microbiology to apply. After being accepted, the ADN program is a two year program.

This program teaches the skills required by entry level nurses, and students will learn to successfully assess patient conditions in a variety of settings. Students will learn in a combination of classroom and clinical settings. After graduation, candidates are eligible to take the National Council Licensure Examinations for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN), and must pass this exam to be certified as a Registered Nurse (RN).

Transfer students who are Licensed Vocational Nurses (LVN), Licensed Practical Nurses (LPN), Licensed Psychiatric Technicians (LPT) or transfer students from other accredited nursing programs are able to apply for advanced placement in the ADN program, and will be accepted on a case by case basis.

Certification Programs

Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA)

The CNA program is designed to teach the student how to directly care for and make patients comfortable, as well as collect, record, and report information to licensed practitioners. It is offered beginning in February and September, and lasts eight weeks. Students must complete the course and the State Competency Exam to be eligible for State of California certification as a Nurse Assistant.

Home Health Aide

Home Health Aides are CNAs that work for a home health agency as an entry level caregiver in a home care setting. The Home Health Aide course is only open to CNAs, and is offered during the last 6 weeks of each semester, beginning in November and April. It is designed to allow CNAs to quickly gain certification. After course completion, students may apply for Home Health Aide Certification by the State of California.

Perioperative Nursing Review

After the student passes the necessary nursing courses and license requirements, El Camino College offers a post-licensing course that gives students the ability to register for nursing assistant positions in the operating room. The program is focused on students who are licensed nurses, but the student has no experience in the operating room. The course helps nurses advance their careers into management and decision-making throughout the entire course of the operating room procedures.

El Camino Counseling and Student Services

Every student who enters into a nursing program at El Camino College is assigned a counselor. The counselors help students find the right curriculum, courses and schedule that fit the student’s needs. The counselors help with career placement and any issues with grades and graduation. The counselors help new students acclimate into the college culture and environment needed to grow academically and exceed at the student’s goal to become the next nursing professional.

Scholarship Information

Health Professions Education Foundation

In an effort to increase the number of RNs in California and to encourage them to practice in underserved areas, the Health Professions Education Foundation offers the Associate Degree Nursing Scholarship fro the Registered Nurse Program. To be eligible to apply, students must be accepted into or currently enrolled in an Associate Degree Nursing Program. Those who are accepted may be awarded up to $8,000 for an academic year. In order to accept the award, students must agree to work in a medically underserved area of California for two years after graduation.

Other Scholarships

There are other scholarships available for ADN students at ECC and ECC Compton Center. To be eligible, students must have 6 units of graded ECC coursework, a GPA of 2.0 or higher, one letter of recommendation and a personal essay.

Contact:

El Camino College
16007 Crenshaw Blvd.
Torrance, CA 90506

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