At its Feb. 7 meeting, the Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians approved several Nursing Education Consultant (NEC) recommendations affecting vocational nursing and psychiatric technician programs and received an education-division update on program activity.

Program actions: The board voted, by roll call, to ratify executive officer program decisions for 10/15/2024–12/10/2024, then considered individual program requests. The board approved Summit College (San Bernardino)’s request to admit an additional class of 30 students beginning Feb. 24, 2025; the motion to adopt the NEC recommendation passed on roll call with all members recorded in favor. The board removed provisional status for Integrity College of Health’s vocational nursing program and returned it to full approval, allowing the program to admit a class in May 2025; the board recorded a favorable roll‑call vote. The Cypress College psychiatric technician program was also granted removal from provisional and returned to full continued program approval for four years beginning Feb. 3, 2025; that recommendation was adopted on the NEC report and approved by vote.

Education division update: Supervising Nursing Education Consultant Judith McLeod told the board the education consultants performed 13 on‑site visits and three remote visits in the last quarter. The division reported 47 schools on the list for new programs and 12 programs currently in process. McLeod said the division expects an increase in visits in the coming quarter and is revising statistical measures to better track types of visits (continuing approval, complaint investigations, remote visits) and types of violations. The division also announced a new nursing education consultant, Dr. Clarissa Swanson, who began in late January and will attend the May board meeting in person. The occupational analysis for psychiatric technicians is scheduled to be distributed in March and will include an additional question suggested by board members about PT titles.

Why it matters: Program approvals affect training capacity and the supply of licensees. The board emphasized that NEC oversight remains central to ensuring programs meet regulatory requirements; the board also discussed the practical impacts of recent regional events — notably, several programs in fire‑affected areas experienced disruption — when considering provisional status.

Public comment: Representatives from Summit College, Integrity College of Health (including director Alice Sorrell Thompson) and Cypress College addressed the board to thank NEC staff and describe local impacts such as evacuations and student hardship due to regional fires; program representatives said they have been responsive to NEC requests and have stable pass rates.

Ending: The board instructed staff and NECs to continue monitoring program compliance and to return with further reports as the education division updates its statistical measures and publishes the occupational analysis.