To be eligible for admission, potential students must complete a high school education in subjects thsat include English, biology and mathematics. These courses must be completed with a minimum grade for acceptance, usually a 'C' or with a cumulative GPA of 2 or 2.5. In some cases where the student is able to commence LVN training while still in high school, the student must satisfy all high school graduation course requirements in addition to LVN program criteria.
Depending on the college, this usually includes Medical Terminology, Math for Health Occupations, Community Health Problems, Health and Lifestyles, Human Anatomy and Nutrition. In addition, students who have been accepted into the program may also be required to pass courses in cardiopulmonary resuscitation and Introduction to Vocational Nursing (which may also be called Essentials of Medical Bioscience).
Vocational nursing comprises core nursing courses such as Medical/Surgical Nursing, Nursing Process, Obstetric Nursing, Gerontological Nursing and Psychology. Associated nursing courses that must also be passed include Pharmacology, Human Growth and Development, and Child Health Care. Some schools, especially religious (e.g. Christian) ones, may require subjects in ethics and spirituality.