Vocational Nursing Program

Apply for a Río Hondo Student ID, Apply to Río Hondo College Now! This can take up to two weeks to process. You need a Río Hondo College ID number in order to apply to the VN program.

Update contact information through Admission and Records by following this link prior to starting the application.

• All communication with the Nursing Division will be via the email address you list on your application.
• New Students – Río Hondo College student email accounts will be inactive for any student who has not previously registered for courses at RHC.

Prerequisites and general education requirements (PDF) – Prerequisites (BIOL 125, PSY 101) must be completed within five years prior to applying to the Vocational Nursing Program. Applicants are required to submit syllabi for the in-person BIOL 125 course completed within the last five years.

Due to the intensity of the Nursing Program, it is highly recommended that all general education requirements be completed prior to entry.

Enrollment in the Río Hondo’s Vocational Nursing Program is open to persons regardless of gender, age, marital status, disability, ethnic group, religion or national origin.

Students seeking admission to the Vocational Nursing Program must meet or exceed all of the following criteria:

Before applying, prerequisite courses must be completed with a grade “C” or better with an overall College GPA of 2.5 or better.

Academic Requirements for Applicants	Units
BIOL 125 Human Anatomy 5-year recency	5.0 (4.0)
PSY 101 Introduction to Psychology 5-year recency on course	3.0

Recommended Courses
ENGL 101 College Composition and Research	3.0
READ 134 Effective Study Methods	3.0

ASSOCIATE DEGREE GENERAL EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS

Please see a counselor to determine remaining GE courses based on path / goal.

REQUESTS FOR EQUIVALENCY

Request for equivalency for courses: Courses must meet or exceed the equivalent unit minimum, as required by the California Community College Chancellor’s office. If you are uncertain whether a course taken inside or outside the California Community College system is equivalent to the Río Hondo College course, please contact the  Counseling Department.

FOREIGN COURSE WORK

Course work completed in another country may be accepted to satisfy requirements for graduation. Foreign transcripts must be evaluated by a recognized foreign evaluation service. If you are selected as a candidate for the Nursing Program, please submit an official, sealed copy of the foreign evaluation to Admission and Records.

HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATION OR EQUIVALENT
Applicants must provide proof of graduation from one of the following:

• An accredited high school in the United States by transcripts or diploma or;
• Documentation of a passing score on the General Education Development (GED) exam or;
• Associate degree, or Baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution of higher education in the United States or;
• Official evaluation of international diploma/degree

Official Transcripts must be received by the RHC Admissions and Records prior to application deadline. HS diploma or transcripts may be provided as a hand-carried copy to the RHC Admissions & Records or sent by the high school to the RHC Admissions & Records. All other Transcripts (College, GED, AP exam results from the College Board) must be sent from that institution to to the RHC Admissions & Records.

OTHER PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

• Meet the minimum physical and mental qualifications to perform essential nursing functions (see Essential Functions).
• Criminal background check and drug screening must be completed prior to any patient contact.
• A physical examination, including specific immunizations, is required of all candidates prior to the beginning of nursing classes.
• Current Health Care Provider CPR certification from the American Heart Association.

The following are requirements for the VN Program:

• Minimum Overall GPA of 2.5
• Major Prerequisite GPA of 2.0
• Passing Human Anatomy (BIOL 125) with a C or better within the last 5 years
• Passing Psychology 101 with a C or better within the last 5 years
• Official Transcripts from ALL colleges must be received prior to application deadline.

Official Transcripts must be received by the RHC Admissions and Records prior to application deadline. HS diploma or transcripts may be provided as a hand-carried copy to the RHC Admissions & Records or sent by the high school to the RHC Admissions & Records. All other Transcripts (College, GED, AP exam results from the College Board) must be sent from that institution to to the RHC Admissions & Records.

Institutions and other colleges may email or mail official transcripts to:

Río Hondo College
Attention: Admissions and Records
3600 Workman Mill Road
Whittier, CA 90601

• High School Diploma, GED, or equivalent. Attach a copy of diploma with your application.

Any equivalency transcripts (official) must be sent to Admissions and Records (see above).

International Applicant:

If you graduated from high school and/or college in another country, please have your transcripts evaluated by a private International Evaluation Service. Official documents should be sent to Río Hondo College Admissions and Records International Office.

• Applicants must provide a valid copy of California Driver’s License or California Identification card. The name on all identification MUST read the same as the application. (NO EXCEPTIONS)
• Valid Social Security Number (SSN) or Individual Tax Identification Number (ITIN) will be required upon acceptance into the program.

Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians requires a valid Social Security Number (SSN) or Individual Tax identification Number (ITIN) for licensure. “Disclosure of your social security number is mandatory. Section 30 of the Business and Professions Code and Public Law 94-455 [(42 USCA (c)(2)(C))] authorizes collection of your social security number. Your social security number will be used exclusively for tax enforcement purposes and for purposes of compliance with any judgment or order for family support in accordance with Section 17520 of the Family Code, or for verification of licensure or examination status by a licensing or examination entity which utilizes a national examination and where licensure is reciprocal with the requesting state. If you fail to disclose your social security number, your application for initial license will not be processed and you will be reported to the Franchise Tax Board.” The California Board of Vocational Nurses and Psychiatric Technicians will also accept an Individual Tax Identification Number (ITIN) to apply for the LVN License.

The Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians should be consulted for qualifications for licensure for legal residents without Social Security Numbers or Individual Tax Identification Numbers. The Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technician can be reached at (916) 263-7800 or  online.

All applicants will be notified by email of their status as “Provisionally selected”, “Alternate” or “Not selected”. Provisionally selected applicants and alternate applicants will be required to attend a mandatory advisement meeting to discuss health/safety requirements and background checks. Applicants that are alternates may have their status changed to “Selected” up until the first day of class. All applicants not selected and alternates not selected by the first day of class are encouraged to re-apply during the next application period.

The online link will only be available during the application periods. Applications will only be accepted during the time frame listed above. Applications cannot be reopened once submitted. Prior to submitting your application, you must review all uploaded documents to verify that the documents are legible and clear. Unreadable or inaccurate documents will result in the rejection of your application.

All and Complete official transcripts must be sent to Río Hondo’s Admission and Records at [email protected].

Submitted/mailed application information must be complete, correct, and not withholding any facts or circumstances. All information given is subject to verification. At any time during the application process or during enrollment in the nursing program, discovery of falsification, misrepresentation, or omission of facts are sufficient reason for dismissal.