Announcements

Links to announcements below:

Spring RN Program Starting Class & Alternates Selected (Updated 2/1/11<<<<<<)

Yearly RN Waiting List Cleanup - Reactivation Forms due 4/20 (Posted 2/1/12<<<<<<)

Next Application Period - 2/15/2012 to 4/15/12 (Posted 1/24/12<<<<<<)

Taking the Evolve Reach Admission Assessment Exam (Updated 2/1/12<<<<<<)

RN Program Waiting List Information (Updated 2/1/12<<<<<<)

Flu Vaccinations Required for Incoming and Current Nursing Students (Posted 2/7/12<<<<)

Admission Policy: Immigration Status / U.S. Social Security Number (Updated 11/23/11)

Nutrition Requirement Changes Now in Effect (Updated 2/1/12 - clarification)

Taking Pharmacology Classes (Updated 4/9/09)

Immunizations in Preparation for Entry into Nursing School (Updated 2/7/12<<<<)

Student Success Center - Resources Available (Updated Winter 2011)

RN Refresher Program (Still none as of Winter 2011)

Selection of the Spring 2012 RN Class Completed
(Posted 11/15/11, updated 2/1/12)

The Spring 2012 Class of 24 students, along with 9 alternates, was picked according to waiting list order and readiness to start the program. These students were sent emails and should receive invitations by mail no later than February 7th to attend a mandatory orientation meeting on Tuesday, February 14, 2012 at 1:00 PMin Room S-81 of Building S-8 on the De Anza Campus. (See maps of the campus at http://www.deanza.edu/map/). If you have received an email and or letter, please reserve this time in your schedule. The meeting will end at approximately 3:30 PM. If you cannot make the mandatory meeting, you will need to send a trusted representative and notify the nursing department that you are sending one.

If you were high enough on the waiting list to start in Spring 2012, but you indicated on the form that you are NOT READY or you do not return a form, you will be contacted by the nursing department to inform you of your status change to Official Decline (if you haven't done so previously). An official declination for Spring 2012 allows you to postpone entry to nursing school NO LATER than Spring 2014. If you cannot commit to start by Spring 2014, you will be placed at the bottom of the waiting list, if you are still interested.  If you have previously received an official declination statement from the Nursing Department, you will be held to the time frame available to you in that statement.

Yearly RN Program Waiting List Cleanup
(Updated 2/1/12)

Soon it will be time to begin the annual cleanup of the RN Program Waiting List. Students on the Waiting list must send in a "Reactivation Form" no later than April 20, 2012 to indicate continued interest in the RN Program and to remain on the waiting list for the next year. The starting spring class does not need to send in the form. Fall Readiness Forms from eligible students near the top of the list will be treated as reactivations.

If sent by mail, the Reactivation Form must be postmarked no later than April 20, 2011. If delivered by an other method, it must be received no later than April 20th - NO EXCEPTIONS. Information on accepted methods of returning the form are on page one of the downloaded Reactivation Form file.

Any student who does not send in the Reactivation form by the deadline, as described above, will be removed from the waiting list. If a student who has been removed from the waiting list wants to be reconsidered for the Nursing program, that student must reapply under current eligibility rules.

The waiting list will be updated and made public after the Fall Readiness Form Deadline in May. Students on the waiting list will find their new position by searching for their Waiting List ID. Successful applicants to the RN Program who submit applications between February 15th and April 15th will be added to the end of the updated waiting list after all applications have been processed.

Next Application Period:  February 15, 2011 to April 15, 2012
(Posted 1/24/12)

Note that the application period end date, April 15th, is a Sunday.

Documentation is available on the Nursing Program Information web page (see link to the left).  Dates for all application periods are found on that page.

The De Anza Evolve Reach Admission Assessment Exam Deadline for this period will be no later than March 31, 2012 at Prometric Testing Centers. Details on the Admission Assessment Exam registration process are in the Program Information document.

You will need to submit official transcripts to De Anza Admissions and Records for ALL college course work completed after April 15, 2005 outside of De Anza and Foothill Colleges, as well as official transcripts for any classwork completed earlier that is needed to meet nursing school prerequisites. All official transcripts must be submitted directly to Admissions and Records, preferably in person. You must notify admissions and records that you are applying to the nursing program when you submit official transcripts. Sealed official transcripts are not sent to the Nursing department with the application.

It is highly recommended that you attend an Application Workshop prior to mailing in your
application (see Information Meetings link to the left). If you have not attended an Information
meeting in the last year, it is recommended that you attend. Eligibility rules are discussed and use of the Chancellor's Formula Worksheet is demonstrated.

If you have to get petitions approved for equivalency to the De Anza Nursing prerequisites, you should have them completed well in advance of the April 15th deadline, preferably during the winter term.

Check the Contact Us page on the web site for availability of nursing department staff to answer questions by email or phone.

Evolve Reach Admission Assessment Exam
(Updated 2/1/12 - exam error messages paragraph updated)

The exam registration process can be found in the Program Information and Evolve Reach Admission Assessment Exam Registration Instructions documents on the Nursing Program Information page (link to the left).

You may take the exam through March 31st for the April 15, 2012 application period deadline.  Please review the testing registration procedure in the Program Information document on the Nursing Program Information web page, even if you have previously read this material.

Currently required tests with scores:

• 3 English tests(Reading Comprehension, Grammar, Vocabulary)
• Math
• Biology
• Anatomy and Physiology

 Suggested tests without scores:

• Personality Profile
• Learning Style

We recommend you take tests in the following order to ensure that you complete the required scored sections first:

1. Required tests with scores
2. Chemistry*
3. Personality Profile
4. Learning Style

*  Chemistry is not required but we ask that you take it, if you have time.  The results will assist us in evaluating its use in the future.  Thank you.

Please remember that you need to monitor the time you spend on each of the required test sections. The test is 4 hours long.

Some students have reported in the recent past of error messages appearing, referring to "script" problems, after answering each question of one or more tests. The test publisher says that this problem is no longer occurring.  However, if this occurs, don't panic. Evolve Reach has assured us that test results are not affected.  Evolve Reach says you should just click on the OK button when these messages appear.  If you encounter this problem, bring it to test center staff, and ask for a letter from the testing site signed by their senior staff member documenting that you had this problem.  Leave a phone message as soon as possible on the Nursing Department phone with your name and phone number, describing the problem you had.

If you score less than 75% on any required sections, you only have one more chance to retake the tests (within one calendar year from your first test session).  You can combine the best scores from the first and second test sessions.  Please note that you must request VERSION 2 of the Exam if you have to take it again. This is indicated in the Program Information document section on registering for the exam.  If you have not scored at least 75% on all required scored sections after taking the second test, you will not be allowed to apply to any De Anza College nursing program in the future.

Nursing Nutrition Prerequisite & Chancellor's Formula changed
(Original Post 10/19/09 warned of change, minor clarifications: 11/17/10 & 2/1/12)

The nursing department has changed the list of classes from other colleges that are considered equivalent to De Anza Nursing Program's required nutrition class, Biology 45 - available from both De Anza and Foothill Colleges.

Beginning with the Application Period starting on September 1, 2010, only nutrition classes considered directly equivalent to Biology 45 at De Anza or Foothill colleges will meet the nutrition prerequisite for the De Anza Nursing Programs.  The College Course Equivalency Spreadsheet is found on the Nursing Program information page (link to the left).  It has been updated to reflect what nutrition classes at other colleges are acceptable.  Classes at other community colleges previously allowed to be paired with a college chemistry class have been removed because they are not considered equivalent to Biology 45. A petition will not be successful for these classes.

Classes from colleges not listed on the College Course Equivalency Spreadsheet can only be determined to be equivalent to Biology 45 by submitting a Petition to the Academic Council to the Biological, Health and Environmental Sciences Division office.  Contact the Nursing Department for further information.

Beginning with the September 2010 application period and going forward, the following changes will also be made to the Chancellor’s Formula (described in Program Information Document):

• The Core Biology GPA input to the Chancellor’s Formula will be computed using the grades from the following required classes:  anatomy, physiology, microbiology and nutrition
• Repeats in Biology 45-equivalent nutrition classes will be counted in the repeat count input to the Chancellor’s formula.  Nutrition classes at other colleges that are no longer acceptable will not count as repeats if you now need to take Biology 45.

RN Program Waiting List Information
(Updated 2/1/12 - updated list to renumbered 1/31/12 verson)

The RN Program Waiting List has been updated with the Spring 2012 starting class and alternates.  The winter class was removed.   Several more people were removed.  3 people were moved from the top of the list to the end because they failed to enter the program after first being able to start. The list now has 157 people on it.   It doesn't include the January 2012 applicants.

Starting classes have a class size of 24, until more funding is available.  We admit a class of 24 every Fall, Winter and Spring quarter - 72 per year.

Note that "(To list end in Q/20YY)"  info has been included for all students that have officially declined to start and have postponed starting to a later quarter.  An official decline only occurs when a student does not indicate they are ready to start and would have been accepted into the program if they had indicated they were ready.  Students have six quarters to start the program from an official decline. If they fail to start the program within one of those six quarters and they are still interested, they will be automatically moved to the the bottom of the RN Waiting List.

If any information appears to be incorrect, please contact Robert Jeckell in the Nursing Department.

Remaining Active on the RN Waiting List
Every January, an announcement will be posted asking people on the RN Program Waiting list to send in a Reactivation Form by April 20. If the Reactivation Form is received by the deadline, the student will maintain their relative position on the waiting list for another year. After the reactivation forms are processed, the waiting list will be updated, with the new applicants from the 2/15-4/15 application period added to the end later in the spring quarter.  People that do not turn in a Reactivation Form will be removed from the RN Waiting List.

How do RN Program starting classes get selected?
Three times per year an announcement is put up on the nursing web site asking people on the waiting list to send in a Readiness Form for an upcoming quarter.  Announcements go up in September, November and March for the Winter, Spring and Fall quarter selection respectively. After the announced deadline for forms, the class and alternates are selected from the people highest on the RN Program Waiting List that have turned in a Readiness Form saying they are ready to start.  Alternates are used to fill vacancies in the class that may occur prior to the second day of the starting quarter.  Alternates not used are returned to the Waiting List and are not guaranteed a place in the following class.   They must send in another readiness form for the following starting quarter.

When will I start the RN Program?  Here is how to figure out the worst case entry time.
Worst case means everyone above you on the list gets in ahead of you.  Let's say that you are in position 150 on the waiting list.  Since we are admitting classes with 24 students, we divide the number of students on the list through you (150) by 24 resulting in 6 full classes with a remainder of 6 students - the last of the 6 students being you. 

This means you would be, worst case, in the 7th quarter out from Spring 2012:
sp12, f12, w13, sp13, f13, w14, sp14  -   Spring 2014

It probably will not take that long, because people do change plans and move on or they get into other nursing schools.  Also note that a large number of people are delaying entry when they could be starting.  For instance, the last person to get into the Spring 2012 starting class is 100th on the waiting list.  That means that 76 people (more than 3 quarters worth of students) were higher on the list than this student and were not ready to start.  We expect this to continue for some time, which means that the worst case situation is not likely and you may get in quarters earlier. As you work your way to the top of the list, any estimate will become more accurate.

Preparation for Entry into the RN Program:

All students near the top of the waiting list should be completing immunizations and/or documenting immunity via titer reports. Please refer to the Immunization Worksheet available on the Nursing Program Information page (link to the left), the Flu Vaccination announcement below and the general immunization announcement below. Other health requirements that must be completed right before entry into the program will be discussed at an Orientation Meeting for the invited class and alternates. 

We also highly recommend that students be well prepared in English and biology as they approach the time of entry into the nursing program.  Research has shown that good English skills and knowledge of nursing prerequisite material in biology are predictors of success in two-year nursing programs.

Also please be aware that you must complete De Anza's Sociology 1 or Anthropology 2, or their equivalent, before you start the second quarter of the RN program.  You should also take the time you are waiting to finish any uncompleted GE classes needed to get an A.S. degree in Nursing from De Anza.  GE requirements are summarized on the Getting Started document available on this nursing web site.

Flu Vaccinations for Incoming and Continuing Nursing Students
(Posted 2/7/12)

Due to requirements at many clinical sites used by the De Anza College Nursing Program, nursing students will be required to have an annual flu vaccination.

Incoming students into the program will need to show proof of immunization with the latest available flu vaccine at the time. We recommend you get your flu shot during the normal flu immunization period of the year preceding your entry into the program. For example, if you are entering the program in the upcoming winter, spring or fall quarters, get vaccinated the previous fall when the vaccine is most readily available. If you are a currently enrolled De Anza Student, you may want check with Student Health Services for availability of flu vaccine if your normal provider or drug stores have none available.

If you do not get proof of vaccination from your medical provider, a Flu Vaccine Verification Form is available for your use on the De Anza Nursing Department website Nursing Program Information page. Please download it and take it with you when you go for your vaccination.   A copy of proof of vaccination must be submitted for the nursing department records when you enter the program and every year thereafter.

Admission Requirement: Immigration Status, U. S. Social Security Number
(Updated 11/23/11 - added underlined text for clarification)

The De Anza Nursing Department is changing its admittance policy to conform to the requirements of all the hospitals where we have clinical placements for our students.   Starting with the new Fall 2011 class, students must be United States citizens or have documented proof of legal immigration status.  Students that do not meet these requirements will not be admitted to the De Anza College Nursing Program.

Students should also be aware that after graduation from De Anza the California Board of Registered Nursing (BRN) requires all RN Licensure Exam applicants to have U. S. Social Security Numbers and proper immigration status.  If you do not meet this requirement, the BRN will not allow you to take the licensure exam to become a Registered Nurse in California.

Pharmacology Classes(Updated 4/9/09)

The Nursing Department's pharmacology classes are intended primarily for students admitted to the Registered Nursing Program. They are designed to be taken concurrently with the other nursing program classes during the first year of the program. Students who are not planning on entering the De Anza Nursing School, and need pharmacology for other programs, may enroll in Nursing Pharmacology classes only with the approval of the instructor or the director of the nursing school.

Students who take any of the nursing pharmacology classes at De Anza without being in the De Anza Registered Nursing Program will NOT be permitted to enter the De Anza Registered Nursing Program in the future.

Immunizations in Preparation for Entry into Nursing School(Updated 2/7/12)

The Nursing Department Immunization Worksheet is available for those students waiting to get into our program. It has been updated to clearly list the diseases for which students need titers showing immunity.  Beginning with Spring 2012, Flu vaccinations are required for all incoming and continuing nursing students.  Please see separate announcement on the Flu Vaccination requirement.  The worksheet can be found with other program documents on the Nursing Program Information page of this web site (see link to the left). Obtaining and/or documenting immunity to diseases other than tuberculosis may be started at any time. We require titers showing immunity taken at any time prior to starting the nursing program. We encourage applicants waiting to enter our programs to establish immunity early to avoid having to rush when you are invited into the program.

Student Success Center - Resources Available(Winter 2012)

Success in the Nursing Program depends on good study skills, a thorough knowledge of the prerequisite subject matter, especially the biology courses, and good English skills.  The Student Success Center offers drop-in, group and individual tutoring to help guide student success at De Anza and beyond. There are workshops are coordinated through the Acacemic Skills Center, which also offers self-paced classes that might be of interest to Nursing students.  We encourage you to visit the Student Success Center website or drop by one of the tutorial center locations listed below to learn more. The website has phone numbers for each center.

Listening and Speaking Center in ATC 305
The LSC offers tutoring and small group English practice sessions for second language learners. Students can also improve their English communication skills through the use of ESL software and programs like Cross Cultural Partners and The Language Exchange. You do not have to be an ESL student to participate

Math, Science and Technology Resource Center in S-43
Trained tutors provide weekly, drop-in individual and group tutoring in math and science courses. Also houses MPS, Enable Math, study groups and labs. Provides a variety of learning support activities such as workshops and study groups.

Writing and Reading Center (WRC) in ATC 309
Get drop-in tutoring and attend free workshops that will help you improve your reading and writing skills.

RN Refresher Program (Winter 2012)

Applications for the RN Refresher program are not being accepted until further notice. If resumed, it will be announced on this page. There is no waiting or contact list being maintained.