San Joaquin Valley College has 15 campuses in California. SJVC offers over 20 different degree and certification programs. They have vocational nursing programs at 4 of their California campuses: Bakersfield, Santa Maria, Visalia, and Rancho Mirage.

Their LVN programs are accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC). The WSCUC is the accrediting body recognized by the US Department of Education.

SJVC's vocational nursing program takes 15 months to complete. Once finished, students will be eligible to sit for the NCLEX-PN. In addition to receiving certification, students are also awarded an Associate Degree.

Upon completion of SJVC's LVN program, graduates will be able to demonstrate:

• Critical Thinking
• Information Literacy
• Quantitative Reasoning
• Oral Communication
• Written Communication

SJVC's Bakersfield campus also has 9 healthcare degree and certification programs, including Medical Assisting, Dental Assistant, Pharmacy Technology, Vet Assistant, Surgical Technology, Respiratory Therapy, Diagnostic Sonography, and Medical Office Administration.

Students learn to take vital signs, gather patient information, deliver injections, collect lab samples and to assist patients with personal hygiene tasks. The career outlook for graduates of Licensed Vocational Nurse programs has never been better, with the Bureau of Labor Statistics, www.bls.gov, estimating that over 100,000 new licensed vocational nursing jobs will be created in the next eight years.

Graduates from Licensed Vocational Nurse programs like the one at San Joaquin Valley College-Bakersfield often go on to take an accredited LVN to RN program.

• Hospital LVN: A quarter of all graduates from Licensed Vocational Nurse programs like the one at San Joaquin Valley College go on to work for hospitals. They collect samples, take care of the feeding and hygiene needs of patients and make sure that medication is administered. With enough on-the-job experience, licensed vocational nurses can go on to supervisory roles in hospitals, managing other LVNs and nursing assistants.
• Private Practice LVN: Around 12 percent of graduates from Licensed Vocational Nurse programs go on to work for private physician practices. They assist doctors in performing check-ups, administer injections, make appointments and maintain medical records. Most Licensed Vocational Nurse programs also include training to handle clerical tasks along with the general medical training all graduates receive.
• Nursing Care Facility LVN: Nursing care facilities are one of the largest employers of graduates from the Licensed Vocational Nurse program at SJVC-Bakersfield. Nursing care facility LVNs evaluate residents’ needs, develop care plans and supervise nursing aides.

• Veterinary Assistant: SJVC offers a 9 month Vet Assistant certification course.
• Surgical Technology: This program can be completed in 15 months. Upon completion, graduates will be eligible to sit for the Certified Surgical Technologist (CST) National Certification Exam.
• Respiratory Therapist: SJVC has a 19 month Associate of Science degree in Respiratory Therapy. This program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (www.coarc.com).
• Diagnostic Medical Sonography: This is a 17 month Associate of Science Degree program, with graduates being eligible to sit for the American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography(ARDMS) exam.
• Clinical Medical Assistant: SJVC offers 2 Medical Assisting programs. The first is a 9 month Medical Assisting program. The other is a 15 month program that leads to an Associate of Science Degree in Clinical and Administrative Medical Assisting. Both programs allow graduates to sit for the National Certified Medical Assistant (NCMA) exam.