6 hours Ago By STAFF REPORT
IMPERIAL – In a major milestone for local healthcare education, Imperial Valley College announced that the California Board of Registered Nursing (BRN) has unanimously approved the college’s request to expand its Registered Nurse program enrollment from 80 to 150 students per year during the November 20th BRN meeting. The approval is the result of three years of preparation by IVC’s nursing program, which aims to admit more eligible students and address the growing need for healthcare workers in the region, IZV said. According to the Department of Health Care Access and Information, Imperial County is designated as a High Impact Registered Nurse Shortage Area.
The expansion will begin in spring 2025, with 20 additional students joining the program, and further growth planned for fall 2025. “For years, the RN program at IVC has faced challenges with limited capacity, which meant turning away nearly 60 percent of eligible applicants due to limited capacity,” said Dr. Daniel Ortiz, Associate Dean of Nursing and Allied Health at IVC.
“With this approval, IVC can now make a bigger impact on the local healthcare workforce by increasing the number of qualified nurses.” “The immediate impact means, the twenty additional applicants who meet criteria do not have to do anything else,” Dr. Ortiz said.
“All of our 50 accepted students have been notified that they are in for our upcoming Spring semester!” The program’s executive summary, presented to the board, outlined key steps taken to ensure a successful expansion, such as hiring more faculty and securing additional clinical placement opportunities. Starting in spring 2025, IVC will admit 20 more RN students, followed by an additional 30 students in fall 2025, bringing the total to 90 new seats for eligible applicants. The college also plans to add 10 more advanced placement seats for Licensed Vocational Nurses (LVNs) to transition to the RN program, as well as an advanced placement option for a Paramedic-to-RN by Fall 2026.
IVC said it has been preparing nurses for the workforce since 1963, with its first LVN graduates completing their studies in 1964. The RN program was established in 1970, and the first cohort graduated in 1973. In recent years, the program has made significant advancements, including increased LVN enrollments in fall 2022 and the addition of an advanced placement option for LVNs to become RNs.
These efforts align with IVC’s dedication to expanding access to healthcare education and meeting the needs of the community. The nursing program at IVC has also received numerous accolades. The LVN program is currently ranked number one in California, and the RN program is ranked number 23 in the state and number 84 in the nation.
The program has also boasted a 100 percent NCLEX pass rate among recent graduates. Additionally, the Simulation Center within the Nursing & Allied Health department has been recognized as an ambassador program by Elevate Healthcare, a leader in global healthcare simulation. IVC nursing graduates continue to find employment opportunities both locally and regionally, despite high unemployment rates in Imperial County.
The economic impact of IVC’s nursing graduates is significant, as 100 percent of graduates have employment opportunities both locally and, in the region, contributing positively to the local economy. The college’s RN-to-BSN partnerships also provide students with the chance to complete their Bachelor of Science in Nursing within six months of earning their associate degree at IVC, offering an affordable alternative to traditional BSN program pathways. The upcoming nurses pinning ceremony, set for Dec.
5, 2024, will celebrate the achievements of 24 RN students, marking an important milestone for the students, IVC’s nursing program, and the broader community. Looking ahead, the program is set to continue expanding, with a projected cohort of 73 nursing students graduating in spring 2025, by far, the largest group of nursing graduates in the college’s history, IVC said..
