VN Nursing Student Information

Confirmation of the student's desire to accept a seat in the nursing program is required. Student's acceptance must be recieved by July 21st.

 

If you have not taken a course in the last 2 semesters at COD, you must reapply to the college.  This is required for registration and must be done by July 21st. 

All provisionally accepted students are required to attend all New Student Orientation (NSO) days. These days have been planned to introduce students to the program, requirements, orientation to the department, and familiarity with policies and procedures. At NSO you will meet your instructors, fellow students, and get set up for success. 

Dates: August 8, 9, 10 (all 3 days are required)

Times: 9am-2pm

Location: Pollock Theater, College of the Desert

Click here for a campus map.

The Nursing program requires incoming students to have an iPad for classroom and clinical use.  Each student will be required to have the ipad for the entirety of the program. 

Who: 

Beginning in Fall 2022, and all subsequent cohorts

What: 

Each registered VN-010 student will obtain an “All-Inclusive Package” from the College of the Desert (COD) bookstore (dates and times forthcoming). Students must have these items on their devices at New student orientation. 

The package will include: 

• Access codes for all required course materials including textbooks and software

The cost of the package will be approximately $450.00

In addition VN students will be loaned an iPad. VN students will be asked to sign a document that holds them responsible for the cost of any damage, theft, or loss of the iPad over the time they have the device.

Please note that this includes all of the ipad, accessories, and all books and software for the core program. 

Students that have their own ipad, that meets specifications, can opt-out of the ipad program and purchase only the books and software. 

When/Where:

Students will be notified when the book package is available for pick up at the bookstore. Students must purchase from the bookstore to ensure that all appropriate software codes and books are included. Dates for pick up will be annouced soon. 

How: 

Students will be responsible for the cost of the iPad package. The cost will be associated to your student accounts after you pick up and sign for the package. A structured fee schedule is available where payment will occur over the time you are in the program.

Why/Purpose: 

To meet student success goals, address the needs of local employers, and provide one-stop shopping options for all required elements of the nursing program. 

Student Success Goals: 

• Increase digital literacy and technical skills in preparation for the workplace.
• Increase documentation skills in preparation for the workplace.
• Decrease program textbook costs.
• Decrease weight of textbooks and potential injury to students.
• Increase student engagement in the classroom thus leading to increased success.
• Ensure all students have a device that is compatible with the required software for the program.
• Increase self-awareness using video capture applications during simulation and role-play scenarios.

FAQs

Q: Does it have to be an iPad, or can I use another device?

A: It must be an iPad. Other devices will not run the software necessary for the program. 

Q: Can I use my own iPad if I already have one? 

A: Absolutely if it meets system requirements.  

Q: What happens if I damage or break my iPad?

A: There is an $80 fee if repair is needed, and all costs are covered. 

Q: What if I lose my iPad?

A: You will be responsible for replacing the iPad to maintain access to the items necessary for the program. 

Q: Can I purchase the items elsewhere? 

A: We cannot force you to purchase from the bookstore, however, we HIGHLY recommend you purchase from the bookstore to avoid having to purchase duplicate items due to errors. If you choose to purchase separately and outside this program, you are responsible for purchasing the correct items. COD is not responsible for any errors made by circumventing the bookstore.

Q: Does it matter which size iPad I buy?

A: COD loaner iPad will include the iPad Air (5th generation). It also includes the Apple Pencil which will be required. If you choose to purchase the iPad on your own, you can use a different size, but we feel the iPad Air is the most appropriate size based on what activities you will be using the device for. 

Q: By when do I have to pay for my textbook package?

A: The charges will be placed on your account towards the beginning of the term after pick up of the package. Students may use any financial aid towards the cost of the package, as it is considered required materials for the course. Additionally, students may arrange a payment plan to complete payment by the end of the semester. Any remaining balance on a student account will result in a registration hold for the following term. 

Q: When do I need to have the iPad by? 

A: The iPad and access codes must be available and present at the New Student Orientation. At that time, training will occur. 

Required uniforms for the program take approximately two-three months from order date to arrival. Students will come to campus to try on and order their uniforms. This must be done anytime from July 26th-28th in the Barker Nursing Complex (BNC) room 37 from 12pm-5pm.

The nursing department uses Evalue, onboarding software, to house required facility documents for clearance to begin clinicals. You will be required to attend one of the following trainings:

Program	Date 1	Date 2
LVN Program	July 25th 9:00am - 11:00am zoom	July 26th 5:30pm-7:30pm zoom

 

Please use this form to order your Background Screening and/or drug screen.  Please see the due dates below. The completion of these items must be within the dates given, not before, not after. Failure to complete them in the timeframe listed will result in forfeiture of your seat. Upload your results of both your background check and drug screen to evalue, when you receive them.

**Please note that the dates for the background and drug screen.  This will ensure that the timing of your drug screen will be within the timeframe allotted by the clinical facilities. Failure to follow these instructions may require double payment.** Do not "pre-order", submit the request during the timeframe below.

Program	Background Check & Drug Screen
LVN Program	August 14th -18th

 

All students in any nursing program at College of the Desert will be required to obtain the COVID-19 vaccine. This requirement has been set by our clinical partners, no exceptions or waivers are being accepted. The entire series must be completed by the dates below.  If it has been 2 months or more since you completed your initial COVID vaccination series, you must receive a booster. 

Series and/or Booster DUE 09/01/2023

In addition to providing proof for clinical partners, COD has an affidavit process that all students must complete. Please click here to complete this process. 

Frequently Asked Questions when completing Onboarding documentation:

• What is "onboarding"? The process of being cleared by the hospitals and facilities in order to do clinical rotations as a part of your class. The process requires several lab tests, vaccinations, paperwork, background/drug screen, etc.
• Where will I submit all of this paperwork? Through Evalue, for information on evalue training, see above.
• Who do I contact if I have questions? Ms. Mijarez 760-773-2578
• What semester student am I? Brand new students are considered an "LVN 010" student.
• What is a titer? Titers are labs that show whether or not you have immunity or antibodies to specific diseases. Titers will require you to have a lab order from your doctor and then get blood drawn.
• What if my titer results come back indicating I am not immune? If you are not fully immune to the diseases on the list, you will need a "booster" shot.
• Who is my teacher? Ms. Montalvo will be your "lead teacher".
• Will proof of my vaccines from when I was a child work for onboarding? No. The only way you can prove clearance or immunity to a disease is through titers.
• When do I register for my classes? The nursing department will register you for all nursing courses.  Should you need additional courses, you are responsible for that registration.
• What is the "nursing skills kit" on my registration fees? For each course in the nursing program, you will get a "kit" that has equipment for skills practice. The fee is automatically added to your account when you are registered. The fee for the kits vary each semester.
• What is the HS-300 class on my webadvisor registration? All nursing students are registered for HS-300 each Fall and Spring. Being registered in this course gives you access to use our computer lab and skills lab for practice outside of class, on your own time. The course is non-credit and therefore there is no charge. The only requirement for credit for the course, is that you use the lab for at least 1 hour during the term.
• How do I make an appointment with the counselor? Call 760-773-2578 to make an appointment with the nursing counselor, or stop by the front desk in the Barker Nursing Complex. 

Whether students require financial aid or not, please complete the FAFSA. Consideration for some scholarships will require FAFSA on record.

If you have not already met with the nursing counselor, please make an appointment to meet with them prior to the start of the semester. Email NursingCounselor@collegeofthedesert.edu or call 760-773-2578.

Start saving your money. The first semester will cost you approximately $2000. The remainder of the program will cost approximately $1500 over the remaining 2 semesters. 

Our programs are very rigorous. You will want to get your personal and home life organizaed for maximum efficiency. Plan to schedule at least 8 hours per day to the program (classes, studying, clinical).

We highly recommend that you request a reduction of work hours once the program starts. We recommend, based on success statistics, you work no more than 12 hours per week. Additionally, night shifts are not permitted prior to any days of class. 

You will be registered for theory and clinical by the nursing department. Pay for registration and malpractice insurance at the Bursar's office. Malpractice insurance is NOT covered by financial aid. This must be completed prior to the first day of class. 

Activate and check your mycod email daily. This will be the only means of official communication from the department during the program. For those students without COD email, once you have obtained a "mycod" email account, please notify NursingInfo@collegeofthedesert.edu so we can update your records. It is imperative that we have the updated email address as soon as it is available.