Forty-two, second- and third-semester students in the Associate Degree in Nursing Program and 15 students in the Licensed Vocational Nursing Program have volunteered at the Palomar Health vaccination site in Escondido. Licensed vocational nursing students also pitched in at a Sharp Healthcare-operated vaccination center at California State University, San Marcos, a center where MiraCosta College Nursing Program alumna Shelby Miller served as a nurse lead. And some two dozen fourth-semester nursing students secured critical clinical hours working at healthcare centers across the region, providing care to the underserved and homeless.
“This says a lot about MiraCosta College and the program we have here,” said nursing instructor Giana Carey, who has a decade of experience as a critical care registered nurse with both medical surgical and trauma Intensive care experience.
Brian Cohen, site commander for the Palomar Health COVID-19 Resource Clinic in downtown Escondido, praised the professionalism of MiraCosta College nursing students. “Without our volunteers and dedicated nursing students we couldn’t have done what we did. It was beyond important; it was critical,” said Cohen, who noted the Escondido clinic administered 300,050 shots from its opening on February 2 until it closed May 1. “The nursing students were excellent and treated patients extremely well. You could see they cared and you could see their confidence grow and flourish from day one.”
MiraCosta College’s Registered Nursing Program has been ranked 11th out of 423 in the Western Region by NursingProcess.org, a website providing details about nursing programs for prospective students. Among the highlights are NCLEX pass rates of 98 percent for the Class of 2019-20 and 100 percent the previous year. More than 75 percent of MiraCosta nursing graduates are employed within a year. The rate would be even higher, but many graduates opt instead to seek a bachelor’s degree in nursing before entering the workforce.
The MiraCosta Community College District has served the coastal North San Diego County area for over 80 years. More than 19,000 credit students annually in over 70 disciplines enroll in associate degrees, university transfer and workforce readiness certificate programs. The college also serves over 7,000 students a wide spectrum of educational needs in the region ranging from programs for adult education, community education, basic skills, and ESL to a California Community College pilot program offering the nation’s first baccalaureate degree in biomanufacturing. As a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI), veteran and military supportive institution, and Achieving the Dream Leader College, MiraCosta College fosters the academic and holistic success of its diverse learners within a caring and equitable environment to strengthen the educational, economic, cultural, and social well-being of the communities it serves. MiraCosta College is accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC