Health Science and Nursing
16 courses · Rio Hondo College · 2026-2027 Catalog
Classes: Summer 2026 · Fall 2026 · Spring 2027
NHSN 030 Personal Care Aide
- Units
- 0
- Hours
- 70 Lecture, 30 Lab
- Corequisite
- NHSN 031
This course is designed to prepare students to assist elderly, disabled, and ill individuals living at home. This course will help students enhance their communication skills and knowledge of health environment and procedures for emergencies. Students will also learn to recognize physical, emotional, and developmental characteristics of individuals served; personal hygiene, safe transfer techniques, basic nutrition, and other personal care needs.
NHSN 031 First Aid and CPR
- Units
- 0
- Hours
- 8 Lecture, 0 Lab
This course teaches skills with the AHA’s research-proven practice-while-watching technique. The course is designed to teach students critical skills needed to respond to and manage an emergency until emergency medical services arrives. Skills covered in this course include first aid; choking relief in adults, children, and infants; and what to do for sudden cardiac arrest in adults, children, and infants. This course is for anyone with limited or no medical training who needs a course completion card in CPR and AED use to meet job, regulatory, or other requirements.
NHSN 032 American Heart Association CPR BLS
- Units
- 0
- Hours
- 4 Lecture, 0 Lab
This course is taught by AHA Instructors which meet the requirements for most nursing programs and clinical facilities. This course teaches both single-rescuer and team basic life support skills for application in both pre-hospital and in-facility environments, with a focus on High-Quality CPR and team dynamics. Basic Life Support training reinforces healthcare professionals' understanding of the importance of early CPR and defibrillation, basic steps of performing CPR, relieving choking, and using an AED; and the role of each link in the Chain of Survival.
NHSN 033 Pediatric First Aid CPR AED
- Units
- 0
- Hours
- 8 Lecture, 0 Lab
This certification course is designed to train childcare providers in responding to illnesses and injuries in a child or infant in the first few minutes until professional help arrives. The course reflects science and education of the American Heart Association (AHA) 2020 Update for CPR and the AHA/Red Cross Guidelines for First Aid. Completion of this course satisfies Title 22 requirements for CPR and First Aid training for childcare providers. Students who successfully complete this course will be eligible to receive the AHA Heartsaver® Pediatric First Aid CPR AED Card.
NHSN 040 Healthcare Careers Exploration
- Units
- 0
- Hours
- 24 Lecture, 0 Lab
This course is an orientation to non-clinical allied healthcare career pathways. Students gain exposure to the human services and administrative support dimensions of the healthcare field and learn about employment opportunities, educational requirements, and support resources available to enter the growing workforce. Students benefit from assessing their personal values and aptitudes for a career in healthcare while engaging general introductions to principles and practices foundational to healthcare careers.
NHSN 042 Medical Office Procedure and Customer Service
- Units
- 0
- Hours
- 24 Lecture, 0 Lab
This course is designed to develop professional skills and attitudes needed in a medical business environment. Topics include effective communication with patients and medical office staff, effective time management, scheduling appointments, greeting patients, telephone and email business etiquette, and adherence to Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) guidelines.
NHSN 043 Medical Office Administration
- Units
- 0
- Hours
- 48 Lecture, 0 Lab
- Advisory
- NHSN 042
This course is a practicum to complement NHSN 042 - Medical Office Procedures and Customer Service. Students engage in patient interaction simulations, applying customer service skills, and using computers in a medical/clinical setting. Students gain hands-on experience in scheduling appointments, working with electronic medical records, and establishing a fee schedule, and receive orientation to the Microsoft Office suite, electronic billing software, electronic medical record software, and telephone, fax, and email systems.
NHSN 044 Medical Insurance Claims
- Units
- 0
- Hours
- 48 Lecture, 0 Lab
This course provides an overview of common health insurance terminology and selected aspects of private and government insurance coverage. The course introduces basic principles of diagnostic and outpatient procedural coding of physician/provider documentation. Students learn how to originate accurate and efficient reimbursement medical insurance claims for services provided.
NHSN 045 Health Care Industry Employment Readiness
- Units
- 0
- Hours
- 24 Lecture, 0 Lab
This course equips students with skills and strategies for successful job placement in the health care industry. Course topics include interpersonal skills development, business communication, professional dress, and time management. Students receive practical guidance in resume and cover letter writing, interviewing, and navigating job search resources.
NHSN 050 Nurse Assistant Pre-Certification
- Units
- 0
- Hours
- 72 Lecture, 0 Lab
- Corequisite
- NVOC 050L
- Advisory
- ENGL 035 or ENLA 100 or appropriate placement, MATH 020 or MATH 020C or appropriate placement, READ 043 or appropriate placement
This course is designed for students who have expressed an interest in an entry level nursing course. This course meets Title 22 regulations for taking care of the geriatric population in a long term care setting, utilizing skills in basic care, emergency care and communication. The nurse Assistant Pre-Certification course consists of 72 hours of classroom instruction. This course prepares the student to take the California State Certification Exam to become a Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA). After obtaining the state certification, the student may find employment in the acute care and /or long term care settings. The California Department of Public Health requires that students must be concurrently enrolled in both NHSN 050 and NHSN 05L, and pass both courses together, they cannot be taken individually.
NHSN 050L Nurse Assistant Pre-Certification Lab
- Units
- 0
- Hours
- 0 Lecture, 135 Lab
- Corequisite
- NHSN 050
- Advisory
- ENGL 035 or ENLA 100 or appropriate placement, MATH 020 or MATH 020C or appropriate placement, READ 043 or appropriate placement
This course is designed for students who have expressed an interest in an entry level nursing course. This course meets Title 22 regulations for taking care of the geriatric population in a long term care setting, utilizing skills in basic care, emergency care and communication. The Nurse Assistant Pre-Certification training course lab consists of 135 hours of supervised clinical practice in long term facilities. This course prepares the student to take the California State Certification Exam to become a Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA). After obtaining the state certification, the student may find employment in the acute care and/or long term care settings. The California Department of Public Health requires that students must be concurrently enrolled in both NHSN 050 and NHSN 050L, and pass both courses together, they cannot be taken individually.
NHSN 051 CNA Acute Care Training Course
- Units
- 0
- Hours
- 27 Lecture, 0 Lab
- Prerequisite
- NHSN 050 and NHSN 050L or California State Nurse Assistant Certification
- Corequisite
- NHSN 051L
- Advisory
- ENGL 035 or ENLA 100 or appropriate placement, READ 043 or appropriate placement
This course is designed for students who are Certified Nurse Assistants that wish to learn the basic nursing skills and duties that apply to the acute care hospital setting. Specialized acute care areas, such as medical/surgical, orthopedics, pediatrics, and obstetrics, will be emphasized. The CNA Acute Care Training Course consists of 27 hours of lecture content. Topics covered include communication, patient observation skills, reporting and recording training, and reinforcement of Certified Nurse Assistant basic-care procedures. The Division of Health Science and Nursing requires that students be concurrently enrolled in both NHSN 051 and NHSN 051L, and successfully complete both courses together. They cannot be taken individually.
NHSN 051L CNA Acute Care Training Course Lab
- Units
- 0
- Hours
- 0 Lecture, 81 Lab
- Prerequisite
- NHSN 050 and NHSN 050L or California State Nurse Assistant Certification
- Corequisite
- NHSN 051
- Advisory
- ENGL 035 or ENLA 100 or appropriate placement, READ 043 or appropriate placement
This course is designed for students who are Certified Nurse Assistants that wish to learn the basic nursing skills and duties in the acute care hospital setting with additional emphasis on the specialized acute care areas such as medical/surgical, orthopedics, pediatrics and obstetrics. The Certified Nurse Assistant Acute Care course lab consists of 81 hours of clinical practice alongside a clinical employed CNA in an acute care facility with faculty daily/weekly monitoring. This course includes communication, patient observation, reporting and recording training as well as reinforcement of Certified Nurse Assistant basic-care procedures. The Division of Health Science and Nursing requires that students be concurrently enrolled in both NHSN 051 and NHSN 051L, and successfully complete both courses together. They cannot be taken individually.
NHSN 052 Home Health Aide Training Course
- Units
- 0
- Hours
- 27 Lecture, 0 Lab
- Corequisite
- NHSN 052L
- Advisory
- It is advised that students be able to engage in written composition at a college level and read college-level texts.
This course is designed for students who are Certified Nurse Assistants that wish to learn how to provide personal care in the home care setting for those who are unable to do it for themselves and/or promote the recovery, safety and comfort of the patient. Additional emphasis on rehabilitative nursing care, family relationships and the impact of long-term illness on the family as well as the client will be included. The Home Health Aide training course consists of 27 hours classroom instruction. This course meets title 22 regulations for Home Health Aides training programs. The California Department of Public Health requires that students must be concurrently enrolled in both NHSN 052 and NHSN 052L, and pass both courses together, they cannot be taken individually.
NHSN 052L Home Health Aide Training Course Lab
- Units
- 0
- Hours
- 0 Lecture, 54 Lab
- Corequisite
- NHSN 052
- Advisory
- It is advised that students be able to engage in written composition at a college level and read college-level texts.
This course is designed for students who are Certified Nurse Assistants that wish to learn how to provide personal care in the home care setting for those who are unable to do it for themselves and/or promote the recovery, safety and comfort of the patient. Additional emphasis on rehabilitative nursing care, family relationships and the impact of long-term illness on the family as well as the client will be included. The Home Health Aide training course lab consists of 54 hours of supervised clinical practice in either the Acute Care or Skilled Nursing facility. This course meets the Title 22 regulations for Home Health Aides training programs. The California Department of Public Health requires that students must be concurrently enrolled in both NHSN 052 and NHSN 052L, and pass both courses together. They cannot be taken individually.
NHSN 055 Medical Terminology for Health Care Professionals
- Units
- 0
- Hours
- 48 Lecture, 0 Lab
This course provides students in-depth instruction in recognizing and forming medical terms. Students learn medical root words, prefixes, and suffixes and apply them to the body systems.