Del Mar College Nursing Program Review

Del Mar College (DMC) has over 22,000 students enrolled, and serves the Texas Coastal Bend area. DMC has two campuses, East and West, and two centers, and has been educating students since 1935.

Almost half of DMC’s students are age 25 or older, and just over half of them are women. The college offers over 190 degree and certificated programs to students. According to state data, 88% of all DMC students were either employed or attending school within a year of graduation.

Nursing Programs

Pre-Nursing

This two year program is for students who intend to transfer to a four-year institution and complete a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree. Students should contact the school they plan to transfer to, and make sure this program matches their requirements.

Students that complete this program will graduate with an Associate of Arts (AA) degree.

Registered Nurse (RN) Education

Students in this program will earn an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree in Nursing. They will also be eligible to take the state RN licensing exam. This program is delivered on campus at the West Campus, or online through the e-Learning program.

To be eligible to apply to this program, students must have completed the prerequisite classes with a grade of C or higher. They must also have a GPA of 2.5 or better, and take the HESI assessment exam.

The prerequisites for this program are Anatomy and Physiology I and II, Essentials of Medical Terminology, Basic Health Profession Skills, and Pharmacology.

Applicants to the program will be ranked based on their GPA and HESI scores. The program admits students in the fall and spring, and those not admitted will be placed on an alternate list.

Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN) to RN Bridge

LVNs that wish to earn their AAS degree and become licensed as RNs have three options at DMC. They may enter the regular AAS program and complete the courses. They may submit a letter requesting entrance to the RN program based on space available, if they are graduates of the DMC LVN program and were licensed within the last two years and have completed all the prerequisite classes. Or they may apply to the LVN to RN Bridge program.

Students who take the Bridge program will take Transitional LVN-RN and a clinical course. After successfully completing these two classes, they will earn 15 credit hours for previous nursing education, and will articulate into the third semester of the RN program.

To be eligible for the Bridge program, students must be licensed as LVNs and have met the entrance criteria for the RN program, including completing the prerequisite courses. They must also be CPR certified, and have at least 2000 hours of LVN work experience in the past three years if they graduated from their LVN program within the last five years. If they graduated over five years ago, then they must have been employed during the prior six months as an LVN, as part of the 2000 hours. If they graduated within the last three years, the work requirement is waived.

The prerequisites for this program are Human Anatomy and Physiology I and II, General Psychology, Basic Chemistry, Lifespan Growth and Development, Microbiology and Clinical Pathology, Composition I and II, Introduction to Ethics, Medical Terminology, Basic Health Profession Skills, Speech, and Pharmacology.

Vocational Nursing (VN)

Students that wish to become LVNs may take this program to earn a Certificate of Vocational Nursing and be allowed to take the LVN licensing exam. The VN program takes three semesters to complete.

To apply to this program, students must have completed the prerequisite classes of Anatomy and Physiology I and II, Essentials of Medical Terminology, Basic Health Profession Skills, and Pharmacology, with a grade of C or higher. They must also have a GPA of 2.5 or better, and take the HESI assessment exam.

Certified Nurse Aide (CNA)

This program gives students the education required to prepare for the state CNA certification exam. Students will take the Certified Nurse Aide and Clinical courses concurrently.

To be able to apply, students must be proficient in English reading, writing, and speaking, have up to date immunizations, and complete a background check.

Contact:
Del Mar College
101 Baldwin Blvd.,
Corpus Christi, TX 78404-3897