El Centro College

Nursing Programs Offered

ADN Program Details

The Associate Degree Nursing program is a full-time program comprising lecture, skills lab and clinical experience, with rotations involving both day and evening hours. Students begin their hospital rotations the first semester after admission to the program and rotate through metroplex hospitals, participating in a wide variety of procedures.

Nursing education includes classroom instruction and supervised clinical experience in hospitals and other health facilities. Students take courses involving anatomy, physiology, microbiology, chemistry, nutrition, psychology and other behavioral sciences. Coursework also includes liberal arts classes.

Supervised clinical experience is provided in hospital departments such as pediatrics, psychiatry, maternity and surgery. It may also include clinical experience in nursing homes, public health departments, home health agencies and ambulatory clinics.

Graduates are eligible to take the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses, commonly referred to as the NCLEX-RN. The program is accredited by the Texas Board of Nursing and the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission.

LPN Program Details

El Centro College’s Vocational Nursing program features a 12-month, 54-credit-hour curriculum leading to a certificate of completion. Courses are completed in two 16-week academic semesters and two five-week summer semesters.

The program includes classroom and laboratory work on campus as well as clinical experience at various area health care facilities.

Clinical rotations may take place at:

Dallas Regional Medical Center - Galloway Campus
Methodist Charlton Medical Center
Methodist Health System
Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children
Veteran’s Affairs Medical Center of Dallas

Students will need to plan two to three hours of studying and preparation time weekly for each class and/or clinical experience.

The demands of nursing courses are such that students may not be able to work full time while enrolled in these courses. Courses are offered during daytime hours only.

The program’s clinical experience requires that students be physically able to care for sick patients. This involves lifting, moving, bathing and transferring patients into and out of bed. Students will be exposed to patients with infectious diseases.

Students who complete the program receive a Vocational Nursing certificate and are eligible to take the Licensing Examination for Vocational Nurses (NCLEX-PN) in order to become licensed vocational nurse (LVN) within the guidelines set by the Texas Board of Nursing.