BILL ANALYSIS
SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
Gloria Romero, Chair
2009-2010 Regular Session
BILL NO: AB 1295
AUTHOR: Fuller
AMENDED: April 16, 2009
FISCAL COMM: Yes HEARING DATE: July 15, 2009
URGENCY: No CONSULTANT:Nancy Anton
SUBJECT : Nursing Education
SUMMARY
This bill requires the Chancellor of the California State
University (CSU) and the Chancellor of the California
Community Colleges (CCCs) to appoint representatives to
work collaboratively to implement a nursing transfer
pathway, subject to specified conditions, prior to the
beginning of the 2012-2013 academic year. The Legislative
Analyst's Office (LAO) would be required to prepare a
report to the Legislature and Governor by March 15, 2011,
on the status of this plan.
BACKGROUND
Among the many academic majors available, both CSU and CCCs
offer programs to prepare students to become registered
nurses (RNs). One of the requirements to become an RN is
to have completed an RN course of study that has been
approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing
(BRN). In addition to accrediting the programs, BRN also
prescribes what the minimum content and course requirements
must be. Nursing students attending a CCC, which prepares
approximately 70% of California's RNs, typically earn a
2-year Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) while taking the
coursework necessary to be eligible to sit for the exam to
become licensed as an RN. CSU nursing students typically
earn a 4-year Bachelor's Degree in Nursing (BSN) while
taking the coursework necessary to sit for the exam to
become licensed as an RN. There are a number of students
who, after completing their ADN at a community college
transfer to a CSU to earn a BSN.
ANALYSIS
AB 1295
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This bill :
1) Requires the CSU Chancellor and the CCC Chancellor to
appoint a representative to work collaboratively to
coordinate and implement a streamlined nursing degree
transfer pathway programs prior to the beginning of
the 2012-13 academic year. The streamlined program
would have to meet both of the following requirements:
a) CSU shall not require Associate Degree in
Nursing (ADN) to Bachelor's Degree in Nursing
(BSN) students to complete any duplicative
courses for which the California Board of
Registered Nursing -required content has already
been satisfied by either earning an ADN degree or
becoming a licensed RN.
b) CSU shall not require ADN to BSN students to
complete duplicative prerequisite course or
content where such course or content has already
been completed at the CCC.
2) Requires the Legislative Analyst Office to report by
March 15, 2011, to the Legislature and the Governor on
the status of the plan to implement the streamlined
nursing degree transfer pathway.
3) Includes a variety of findings and declarations
regarding access to nursing programs and the need to
streamline the transfer pathway for CCC prepared
nurses who transfer to a CSU.
STAFF COMMENTS
This bill is an effort to reduce unnecessary duplication or
degree requirements encountered by ADN to BSN students. For
example, pre-licensure nursing coursework taken by a
student at a CCC generates lower division units, where the
identical coursework at a CSU may generate upper division
units. As a result, ADN students transferring to a CSU may
be deemed to have "too many" lower division units (CSU
generally caps the number of lower division units it will
accept at 60 units) and not given any credit for upper
division units, resulting in the student having to take
unnecessary or duplicate units. This bill has the
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potential to save money both for the students who would no
longer need to take unnecessary coursework - as well as
expedite their entry into the work force -- and for the
state which subsidizes the costs of providing such courses.
SUPPORT
American Federation of State, County and Municipal
Employees, AFL-CIO
American Nurses Association/California
Board of Registered Nursing
Community College League
California Hospital Association
United Nurses Association of California/Union of Health
Care Professionals
OPPOSITION
None received.