How much time does the LPN to RN Bridge program save you?

Nursing Students LPN-RN

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I am working on my prereqs for the LPN to RN Bridge program at my local college. This is new program they just started about 2 years ago.

I have looked into other programs that would have meant more traveling to classes in the past but if I am not mistaken the one I looked into before you could challenge the OB/GYN portion and the one I am working on it doesn't appear that you can. I worked OB/GYN and Labor and Delivery for 6 years so I am sure I could challenge and pass but since they don't offer that I guess I will just have to go.

It doesn't seem to me this bridge program will save me much class time but maybe 1 quarter. It seems there would be an shorter way to get your RN with 16 years experience as an LPN.

In your bridge program, once accepted and prereqs are complete how many quarters will you have to go?

Why are they different? Even in the same state?

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Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.

It shaved about 2 years off for me.

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My LPN to RN program is taking about 11 months, with brief breaks included. Basically it is a three week bridge program, and two longish (approx 18 week) semesters.

If I would have gone to an LPN to BSN program, I would have had to almost start completely over. Most universities were going to give me very little credit for being an LPN.

A traditional associate's degree program in my area takes four full semesters plus at least one summer session--after you have gotten your prerequisites out of the way. So being an LPN shaved a full year off of my associate's degree.

While getting a bachelors would have also taken 2 full years (after prerequisites), and if I go back for it, I will have to go almost a full year--bachelor programs, in my area anyway, require more time per week of classroom time than ADN programs. ADN programs typically take 2-3 days a week, approx7-8 hours a day. The BSN programs I looked at were 5 days a week, anywhere from 4-8 or more hours a day. I work full time, so this wasn't going to fly for me.

I don't know whether all that rambling clarified anything or answered your question; but I can tell you that even going the long circuitous route, the LPN to RN vs entering the straight up RN program saved me a year.

J

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Specializes in IM/Critical Care/Cardiology.

QueenJean, What kind of hours were your clinicals? On weekends or days? Just curious.

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My program is different from most--each semester is divided into two parts. The first part of the semester (the bulk of it) is theory. All your reading, tests and assignments. After the final you start clinicals. My clinicals for each semester have been 6:30am to 4:30pm Wed-Fri for 6 weeks.

So you pretty much slam out the clinicals at the end. Because of scheduling at work, this works better for me than the more traditional clinical schedule. It's heavy duty, but I like it.

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Maybe I looked at mine wrong but the actual nursing portion is 12 months. It doesn't appear that I can challenge the OB/GYN portion like you can in others. So really and truly I suppose I will shave off time doing it this way. Some of the crazy prereqs is what I hate. Speech, Algebra, mine don't require history but some do. It just seems like it is going to take FOREVER !!! Seems like the way you described it would work better if you were working too.

Shelley

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.

If I understood your question it seems to me that being an LPN first adds time rather than subtracting it. I took 3 semesters of LPN school then a summer semester of the LPN to RN bridge class now I have 2 semesters (the last year) with the RN students. So I will have done 6 semesters and the RN students I'm graduating with have only done 4, excluding pre-reqs on both sides.

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Specializes in floor to ICU.

Once I completed all the pre-req's for my particular program, my LVN-ADN program is 11 months long. Currently, I go to one 12 hr clinical on Thurs (7a-7p) and class for 8 hrs on Wed. Since, I didn't take Pharm as a pre-req, I have to pick that up this semester also- 2 days (Mon/Wed) 1 1/2 hrs/week.

Funny, it doesn't sound like a lot but the nursing process papers, tests, teaching/learning projects, part time job doing two 12hr shifts per week on Med Surg floor and my personal and family life fills my "days off". :) Oh, and my commute to school is one hour each way! I have been lucky to have most of my clinicals very close to my house. If we have a clinical in the medical center- we stuff the car to maximum capacity and ride together.

Each rotation is different. The summer transition was horrible. We were at school 4 days per week sometimes and our clinical rotation was 5 days (8 hr clinicals) per week but only for ONE week. However, it was short-lived and this brutal schedule allowed the transitioning LVNs to get up to speed with the existing 2yr generic ADN students. We basically did their first year in 2 short summer sessions. Now we (generics and LVNs) are all on the same level and are considered sophomores.

As far as the pre-req's...yes they can be crazy. What gets me is that EACH school requires something just a little different. For a while, I was taking classes towards two nursing programs because I wasn't sure which one I would be accepted to.

It is tough but definitely doable.

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