Vocational Nursing Program

The Program of Practice

Per the US Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook updated on April 15, 2025, the Vocational Nursing occupation has a Job Outlook of 6% growth between 2023-2033, which is deemed as faster than average, with 197, 200 positions poised to open within the period. However, per the Bureau of Health Workforce’s Nurse Workforce Projections, 2022-2037 report dated November 2024, there are shortages projected until 2037 at the national level. On the LPN (LVN in CA) level, there is a projected shortage in 2037, with supply of professional only meeting 64% of the demand. Overall, the numbers show an unfavorable imbalance of supply vs demand of professionals in the field.

Moreover, the availability of accredited, cost-efficient, competitive and reputable nursing programs is very small. Most, if not all, 4-year universities and community colleges offering bachelor’s and associate degrees in nursing respectively, are impacted with long waiting times that can take years before a student can be admitted starting a program. For-profit colleges, which may have ample availability within their nursing programs, continue to skyrocket their program fees, leaving their graduates with significant debt through student or institutional loans with high interest rates. Non-profit public educational institutions, such as Adult Schools and Occupational Centers offering Vocational Nursing programs suffer from underfunding and lack of support from their district administrators, making it a challenge to keep their doors open, and for some, to start a program to begin with.

The Response

The DAS Vocational Nursing program has thrived and continues to do so within very challenging times. Established in 2006, The VN program started its first cohort with the purpose of opening a new and fresh program in Downey Adult School, a school suffering from the stereotype stigma of being a continuation school and nothing more. In those times, every adult school was known as a place where someone could complete remaining credits for an Adult High School diploma, or test for their GED or even take a craft class to start a hobby. There was very little known about Career Technical Education (CTE) programs, only that some ROPs or adult schools offer some short-term courses that can possibly lead to a job, usually in the medical field.

The Vocational Nursing program became a center figure in Downey Adult School’s short list of CTE program offerings, along with the Certified Nursing Assistant, Medical Assistant, Medical Billing and Pharmacy Technician programs. It was the longest program DAS offered, being a whole year long, and it was the only program that had to be approved by a state regulatory agency, the BVNPT. Due to its program length and program hours, it was the first public CTE program in DAS and one of the few within its serving region to be eligible for Federal Financial Aid funding, specifically offering PELL grants to qualified students.

In 2008, during the Great Recession, adult schools were in the forefront of educational institutions being affected by the global financial crisis. Many school districts opted to shut their adult schools down and allocate funding towards the K-12 sectors. On the other hand, unemployment rates were on the rise, and many people were either forced to investigate a profession change in the middle of their careers or all in all seek a new career opportunity. Downey Adult School, with overwhelming support and backing from its parent district, Downey Unified School District (DUSD), saw an opportunity of growth and innovation in these polarizing times. Following the Vocational Nursing program model, DAS became a self-sufficient entity by making most of its program federally financial aid eligible, accrediting most of its CTE programs with the Council on Occupational Education (COE), to provide students financial freedom to select their pathway of choice. In addition to maintaining the menial program course fees, students were able to cover remaining school expenses with the PELL grants they received.

Throughout the years, the Vocational Nursing program has evolved and has been shaped by many of the events it has weathered. With economic inflation increasing costs in every angle of running the program, the VN program saw opportunities to partner with many outside agencies to provide financial cushion to its students. The VN program currently partners with two Workforce Development Boards (WDB) and other third-party agencies to provide additional funding for eligible students within the program

The Unique Features of the Program

Besides financial accessibility, the VN program prides itself of the robust curriculum it uses to mold students into competitive industry-ready nursing professionals. The Vocational Nursing program, with the recommendation and guidance of the BVNPT, employs Assessment Technology Institute (ATI) testing as well as PrepU’s Lippincott NCLEX-PN PassPoint program to prepare students to successfully pass their national examination (NCLEX-PN) after graduating from the program. ATI testing reinforces knowledge areas that are critical to the nursing process while PassPoint provides the students an immersive experience as to what they may expect to encounter on the NCLEX itself. Moreover, near the end of the program, ATI provides a multiday live in-person NCLEX review to help students gauge how well prepared they are to test for their licensure exam once they graduate. They are also required to take a predictor test which quantifies their knowledge preparedness and probability of passing the NCLEX-PN.

The Outcome

The Southeast Los Angeles County (SELACO) Workforce Development Board and West Adams WorkSource Center works with DAS to periodically provide additional funding to VN students who qualify for financial need under their specific criteria. To date, SELACO has aided approximately 141 VN students while West Adams has provided funding to approximately 25 students from the VN cohorts. Moreover, students have also received financial assistance from many of the DAS institutional partners, including the California Council for Adult Education (CCAE),

The DAS VN program boasts a licensure pass rate of 96% as of the first quarter of 2025 and continues to improve its student engagement and gainful employment with every cohort it graduates. Some of the VN graduates also choose to further their education and use the VN program as a steppingstone to move up on the nursing occupation ladder. Graduates are able to use and apply their transcripts from Downey Adult School with any higher education institution that offers an Associate’s Degree in Nursing (ADN) or a Bachelor’s degree in Science, Nursing (BSN). This eases the process for students and provides a step-up in the bridge process. Moreover, other students have furthered their education more and some have attained Doctorate Degrees in Nurse Practitioner (D-NP) as well as Nurse Anesthetist degrees and licenses (CRNA). Some graduates have also ventured into the Nursing management route, becoming Directors or Nursing (DON) in their respective facilities. Furthermore, one of the program’s own graduates, Sarah Yoo, currently serves as faculty for the VN program, which is a full circle moment and testament to the VN program’s mission of providing quality education for the adult learner leading to becoming productive members of the society.