Nursing

Medical knowledge, critical thinking, compassion, collaboration, and customer service combine in the occupation of nursing. Nurses take care of the ill and injured and provide preventive care in a variety of settings, from hospitals to health education.  The demand for educated and licensed professionals is growing.

Occupations

Thanks to increased longevity and an aging population in the U.S., employment opportunities for vocational and registered nurses are strong and continue to grow. Nurses are employed in a wide variety of healthcare facilities, public and private clinics and agencies, schools, and educational institutions.  Further education and specific certifications provide myriad opportunities for career growth and may lead to specialization within the profession.

• Licensed Vocational Nurses
• Registered Nurses
  • Flight Nurses
  • Nurse Consultants
  • Discharge Planning Nurses
  • Home Health Nurses
  • And many more!
• Nurse Practitioners
• Nurse Midwives
• Nurse Anesthetists

Contact Information

Division

Health and Safety
Building: 800, Office 810
Phone: (707) 256-7600

Dean

Robert Harris
Senior Dean, Health and Safety
2277 Napa-Vallejo Highway
Email: Rharris@napavalley.edu
Phone: (707) 256-7605

Program Director

Janice Ankenmann, RN, MSN, CCRN, FNP-C
Professor, Nursing
2277 Napa Vallejo Highway, 94558, Napa, CA
Email: Jankenmann@napavalley.edu  
Phone: (707) 256-7600

Assistant Program Director

Janet Duffey, RN, MSN, CS
Professor, Nursing
2277 Napa Vallejo Highway, 94558, Napa, CA
Email: Jduffey@napavalley.edu
Phone: (707) 256-7600

Katharine Ratliff, RN, MSN
Professor, Nursing
2277 Napa Vallejo Highway, 94558, Napa, CA
Email: Kratliff@napavalley.edu
Phone: (707) 256-7600

Faculty

Maria Biddenback, RN, MSN, FNP
Professor, Nursing
2277 Napa Vallejo Highway, 94558, Napa, CA
Email: Mbiddenback@napavalley.edu
Phone: (707) 256-7600

Karen Canepa, RN, MSN, CCRN
Professor, Nursing
2277 Napa Vallejo Highway, 94558, Napa, CA
Email: Karen.canepa@napavalley.edu 
Phone:  (707) 256-7600

Karen Lewis, RN, MSN
Professor, Nursing
2277 Napa Vallejo Highway, 94558, Napa, CA
Email: Klewis@napavalley.edu
Phone:  (707) 256-7600

Megan McWilliams
Professor, Nursing
2277 Napa Vallejo Highway, 94558, Napa, CA
Email: Mmcwilliams@napavalley.edu
Phone: (707) 256-7621

Regina Orozco, RN, MSN
Professor, Nursing
2277 Napa Vallejo Highway, 94558, Napa, CA
Email: Rorozco@napavalley.edu             
Phone: (707) 256-7600

Associate Degree for Nursing Program

1. Complete a Napa Valley College Application, do this online at www.napavalley.edu. (Application will be available online one month prior to application acceptance timeframe).
2. Meet with a NVC counselor to develop your education plan. Bring your “Official Transcripts” from your High School (or equivalent GED certificate, CHSPE Certificate) and College(s).
   1. If they are sent to you instead of directly to Napa Valley College, do not open the envelope, we can only accept sealed official transcripts. If your High School or College transcripts are from outside the U.S. they must be evaluated by an International Evaluation service prior to submission of your application.
3. Submit an official transcript with a score of 62% or better on the Test of Essential Academic Skills, the NEW TEAS exam.
   1. The TEAS exam measures basic essential skills in the academic areas of reading, mathematics, science, and English and language use. The objectives assessed are those which nurse educators have deemed most appropriate and relevant to measure entry-level skills and abilities in nursing program applicants. The TEAS exam consists of 170 multiple-choice questions and has been proven to be a statistically significant predictor of early nursing school success.
4. Complete the following Prerequisite courses with a “C” or better.
   1. BIOL-218
   2. BIOL-219
   3. BIOL-220
      1. Napa Valley College will accept 4 unit/lab core biology courses for transfer
   4. ENGL-120 
   5. PSYC-125
5. Hep B, MMR and Varicella TITERS. You can add them to the application, or email to cmiller@napavalley.edu prior to application period. 
6. CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant) State Certificate.

Things to Keep in Mind

• It is strongly recommended that students complete SPCOM-124 or SPCOM-120 plus SPCOM-122 prior to admission to the nursing program.
• Please note that the Math requirement will be changing on campus; this may affect the prerequisites for the Science courses named above. Current requirement of Math-94 will be changing to Math-106 (College Algebra) or equivalent.
• When you have met all the requirements listed above, you may then submit your application to the Admissions & Records (A&R) office (with any official sealed transcripts not already at the school) during the published application period. Mail or Bring, as described in the application instructions, to Margarita Ceja, A&R Office, 2277 Napa-Vallejo Highway, Napa, CA 94558. All ADN program applicants and current students must maintain an active email address during their time in the program and check it regularly.
• Eligibility to enter the Nursing Programs is determined by meeting admission requirements as above and meeting the California Community College Chancellor’s Office Formula (multi-criteria screening process) with a score of 70% or better. This “composite score” includes a combination of: (a) overall college GPA (b) English GPA (All English Classes with letter grades) (c) core Biology (Anatomy, Physiology & Microbiology) GPA & (d) core Biology course repetition(s).

Vocational Nursing Program

All coursework must be completed with a “C” or better within 5 years of the start of the class, as required by the BVNPT, and all program requirements must be met before applications will be accepted. All applicants meeting these requirements will be eligible for admission to the program and will be enrolled on a first-come, first-served basis.

All new admission, re-admission and advanced placement applicants will follow this procedure.

1. Complete an application for admission to the college. (can only be done online at www.napavalley.edu). This needs to be done only once.
2. Complete the matriculation requirements of:
   1. College orientation. ¹Contact the Counseling Center in the 1300 Building.
3.  ENGL-85 or higher with a “C” or better.
4.  MATH-94 or higher with a “C” or better. Equivalency coursework must be taken with the past two years.
5. Be a currently Certified Nurse’s Aid (CNA) or have equivalent training i.e. (as determined by the Program coordinator).
6. Completion of prerequisite courses before submitting an application to the program.
   1. HEOC-100 with a “C” or better.
   2. HEOC-101 with a “C” or better.
7. Official Verification (unopened transcripts¹) of high school graduation or its equivalent (GED, CHSPE, or AA/AS or a higher degree).

¹

All Foreign Transcripts must be evaluated by an International Evaluation Service prior to submission of program application; this service must provide Napa Valley College with an evaluation Certificate of the international coursework. (Forms to request this evaluation are available in Admissions & Records and the Health Occupations Department; your official foreign transcripts evaluations must accompany this form.)

Degrees

• Nursing (AS)
• Vocational Nursing (AS)

Certificates

• Vocational Nursing (Certificate of Achievement)

Courses

• Nursing (NURS)