BAKERSFIELD ADULT SCHOOL LVN PROGRAM

Unitek College has 7 campuses in California. Their Bakersfield campus offers 2 LVN programs: a full-time 12 month program, and a 17 month part-time evening program.

There are no prerequisite courses that need to be completed prior to starting the program. Prospective students ARE required to attend a "career development session & admissions interview" prior to enrolling.

All students at Unitek are offered job search assistance both during the program, and after completion.

The LVN program has multiple start times throughout the year, so there's no waiting for a new semester to start.

Unitek College also has an accelerated 3 year BSN program. Like the LVN program, theere are no course prerequisites needed prior to starting the program. This is a year-round program, with students earning 120 units for their degree. Graduates are then eligible to sit for California's nursing boards.

Bakersfield College's LVN program has been around longer than any other in Kern County. Many nurses throughout the area have begun their nursing education at BC. A lot of the program's graduates go on to take BC's LVN to RN program.

The upside of applying to BC's vocational nursing program is that it is a highly respected degree. The downside is that it can take a while to get accepted. There are always more qualified applicants than there are spots, so you'll most likely be put on the waiting list.

There are 4 prerequisite courses that need to be completed before applying:

• BIOL B32 (Human Anatomy & Physiology I)
• BIOL B33 (Human Anatomy & Physiology II)
• General Psychology
• MATH B60 (College Algebra)

All applicants must show proof of a high school diploma or GED.

San Joaquin Valley College(SJVC) has 12 campuses throughout California, with programs ranging from nursing to information technology. The LVN program at SJVC-Bakersfield takes 15 months to complete. This isn't just a certification program: a 2 year associate degree is awarded to graduates.

After graduation, students can sit for the NCLEX nursing boards.

• There are 2 Clinical Medical Assisting programs at SJVC. One is a 9 month certification program. The other is a 15 month Associate of Science Degree in Clinical and Administrative Medical Assisting.
• Pharmacy Technology: They have a 15 month associate of science degree program, and a 9 month certification program.
• Diagnostic Medical Sonography: SJVC's diagnostic sonography program takes 17 months to complete. Students will earn an Associate of Science in Diagnostic Medical Sonography degree.
• Surgical Technology: This is a 15 month program, leading to an associate of science degree. The average surgical tech salary was $67,156 in 2022.

Cerro Coso Community College(CCCC) is located on College Heights Blvd in Ridgecrest. They have a 3 semester LVN program. They have many more qualified applicants than there are seats available, so they maintain a waiting list.

There are 4 prerequisite courses that must be completed prior to enrolling:

• Anatomy and Physiology
• Medical Terminology for Health
• Electronic Health Record (Required beginning Fall 2023)
• General Psychology

The Kern River Valley campus in Lake Isabella is a part of Cerro Coso Community College. Their LVN program is approved by the California Board of Vocational Nursing. It is a 3 semester program, with a total of 1660 hours of combined lecture and clinical rotations.

There are 6 prerequisite courses which need to be completed prior to applying:

• CNA certification
• Medical Terminology
• Human Anatomy
• Human Physiology
• General Psychology
• Computer Literacy