Screening Criteria & Essential Functions

Required Items for Entry (Prior to acceptance and enrollment in the program): 

☐ Must be at least 17 years of age upon application to the program. 

☐ Must have a current unrestricted Nursing Assistant Certification.

☐ Applicant must provide proof of graduation from (one of the following): 

          ☐ An accredited high school in the United States by transcripts (Transcripts must be official and sealed)
          ☐ Documentation of a passing score on the California High School Equivalency Exam (GED/HiSet)  
          ☐ Official evaluation of international diploma/degree.
        (Foreign transcripts must be evaluated by a recognized foreign evaluation service for US high school diploma or degree)**

  ☐ Students will need to be able to pass a physical, criminal background check, and drug screening. Please do not get these verifications until you are accepted into the program.

In addition to the required items above, the following criteria will be used to determine entrance into the program: 

Criteria

Possible
Points

Notes

Admission Assessment

Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS) 

  • TEAS Test Version 7 must be taken within the last 3 years.
  • Please refer to the SCE testing center to schedule a test 
  • TEAS composite score will not be rounded up or down. 
  • Must score at least 60% to be considered for admission. 
  • Students not achieving at least 60% will be referred for remediation before reapplying for current or future cohorts.

10 points Maximum

Points Distribution

Score %           Merit Points

☐ 90-100%             10 pts

☐ 80-89%               8 pts

☐ 70-79%               6 pts

☐ 60-69%               4 pts

☐ <60%                  0 pts

Health Careers and Related Certifications 

Examples:

☐ Certified Medical Assistant (5 points)
☐ Medical Assistant (3 points)
☐ Medic, Corpsman (5 points) 
     o     Must be >12 months of bedside care.
☐ Emergency Medical Technician National Registry (3 points)                                                                                                           ☐ EMT Certificate (3 points)  
☐ AA/AS/BS/BA/MS/MA = (2 point maximum) Must provide official sealed document with application to receive point*
☐ Others will be determined at the discretion of the Director of Vocational Nursing (2 points maximum).  

  • Phlebotomy Certificate
  • Respiratory Tech

10 points Maximum

Health Related Work Experience

☐ Work-related experience within the last 5 years.  

All health-related work experience needs to be hands-on patient-related care and will be approved by the Director of Vocational Nursing. Family-related care is excluded.

Examples: 

☐ Patient Care Technician 

☐ ER Technician 

☐ Home Health Aide 

☐ Medical Assistant

☐ Other:   

Must include the following: 

☐ Dated letter from the employer(s) on company letterhead. 

☐ Letters must list job title. 

☐ Duties. 

☐ Dates of paid employment.

☐ Must be signed by a company official. 

5 points Maximum

Must include a dated letter from the employer(s) on company letterhead with application documents. Letters must list job title, duties, dates of paid employment, and must be signed by a company official.   

All health-related work experience will be approved by the Director of Vocational Nursing. Family-related care is excluded.

Interview: **Based on scores from the previous three categories, selected candidates will be invited to interview**     

Interview will be based on questions from Interview Rubric:  

See rubric for further information.  

Possible Panel: Dean, VN Director, STV Counselor, STV Director, VN Faculty

15 Points Maximum

Rubric:  

Commitment to the field, Professionalism, 

Accountability, and 

Awareness of the Program   

Rubric

Life Experiences/Special Circumstances

Personal Statement

Write a statement of between 350 – 500 words describing a situation or circumstance related to the personal statement of topics.  The following are examples of circumstances that can be included: single parent, deployed spouse, family caregiver, death of family member within 6 months of application, medical problem, financial issues.  

5 Points  Maximum 

Personal Statement Topics

a.    First-generation post-secondary education includes college, career training, noncredit, or adult education.  

b.   Need to work (Need to work means student is working at least part time while completing academic work) or low family income.  

c.   Difficult personal and family situation/circumstances  

d.   Veteran or Active-Duty Military  

e.    Spouse of Veteran  

f.      Cultural barriers  

Total Maximum Points= 45 Points

*It is the applicant’s responsibility to request/order official transcripts from high schools and post-secondary institutions attended.  Transcripts must be received in a sealed envelope. To be considered, all foreign transcripts must be translated and evaluated for United States equivalency by an official U.S. service.

Essential Functions

All applicants are required to meet the essential functions for success in the vocational nursing program.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

  • Perform prolonged, extensive, considerable standing/walking, lifting, positioning, pushing, and/or transferring patients.
  • Possess the ability to perform fine motor movements with hands and fingers.
  • Possess the ability for extremely heavy effort (lift/carry 50 lbs. or more).
  • Perform considerable reaching, stooping, bending, knelling, and crouching.

SENSORY DEMANDS:

  • Color vision: ability to distinguish and identify colors (may be corrected with adaptive devices).
  • Distance vision: ability to see clearly 20 feet or more.
  • Depth perception: ability to judge distance and space relationships.
  • Near vision: ability to see clearly 20 inches or less.
  • Hearing: able to recognize a full range of tones.

WORKING ENVIRONMENT:

  • Exposure to infections and contagious disease, without prior notification.
  • Exposure to blood borne diseases.
  • Exposure to hazardous agents, body fluids and wastes.
  • Exposure to odorous chemicals and specimens.
  • Exposure to products containing latex.
  • Subject to hazards of flammable, explosive gases.
  • Subject to burns and cuts.

COGNITIVE/PSYCHOSOCIAL DEMANDS:

  • Handle numerous interruptions.
  • Handle emergency or crisis situations.
  • Care of patients and family with different religious, culture, ethnicity, race, sexual orientation, psychological and physical disabilities, and under a wide variety of circumstances.
  • Care of patients and family facing end of life situations.