Important Notice: The School Nurse Program has been suspended until further notice and is no longer accepting new students. If you are a current student in this program, please contact the chair of the Nursing Department, Dr. Marianne Hattar-Pollara: marianne.hattar@csun.edu, (818) 677-5591.

This Credential may be issued to the qualified RN who holds a Baccalaureate Degree. A fifth year of study (24-unit minimum) is required for a Professional (Ryan) School Nurse Credential. A minimum of 12 units of coursework is required in residence at CSUN (regular session, extension, concurrent enrollment or Summer session). HSCI 475 and 476 must be taken after formal admission to CSUN as a School Nurse Credential student and cannot be taken through the College of Extended Learning.

For more information, refer to Credential Office section of this Catalog (Health Services Credential Authorizing Services as a School Nurse). Immediately upon acceptance at CSUN, all students must meet with the Nursing faculty to have their academic records evaluated and to plan an individualized program that will meet state standards for the School Nurse Credential. School Nurse Credential students are responsible for keeping abreast of all requirements applicable to their desired Credential, including requirements specified in the CSUN Catalog under Credential Program requirements. This includes the requirement that courses must be completed within 7 calendar years of the student admission date.

Required Courses

COMD 496NS Audiometry and Hearing Conservation for School Nurses (3)
FCS 330 Child Growth and Development I (3)
or FCS 431 Child Growth and Development II (3)
HSCI 170/L Emergency Health Procedures (2)
HSCI 336 Health Aspects of Drug Abuse (3)
HSCI 337 Nutrition and Health (3)
HSCI 353 Fundamentals of Environmental Health (3)
HSCI 433 Counseling of Health Problems (3)
NURS 475 Principles of School Nursing Practice (3)**
NURS 476 School Nurse Field Experience (6)
HSCI 488 Epidemiology, Study of Disease (3)
NURS 306 Supportive/Educative Nursing System (3) (Recommended)
or HSCI 435 Health Sciences for Children and Youth (3)
NURS 307/L Health Assessment in Self-Care Agency and Lab (2/1)*
NURS 428/L Community Health Nursing and Lab (3/2)
SPED 508 Special Education Training for Teachers (4)
or SPED 400 Introduction to Special Education (3)

*Must be taken concurrently.
**NURS 475 is the first course in curriculum and 476 is the exit course. Both must be taken at CSUN as an admitted credential student.

It is recommended but not required that students take both NURS 428 and 428L. NURS 428L is required only for the California Public Health Nursing Certificate and must be taken concurrently with NURS 428. If only NURS 428 is taken, students must repeat NURS 428 if they later choose to take 428L. Students should notify the School Nurse Credential advisor one semester in advance of when they plan to take the course to assure availability of clinical placement.

Candidates for this Credential must complete 12 semester units in CSUN courses, meet the required GPA, hold a Preliminary School Nurse Credential and have 2 years of successful service as a school nurse.