GPA too low from LPN to get into RN program

[momnurse84]

I live in the Cinci area. I have been an LPN for 6 years and I amwanting to return to school for my RN for awhile now. I have lookedat all the local schoolsand everything looks great until the schools require a higher GPAfrom my LPN then what I have(but they do not look at a total college GPA). Has anyone else ran into this and if sowhat did you or what or you doing to get into a school or raise yourLPN GPA? Can you retake classes that you have scored low in? I know some schools require prerequisites and I am wonderingif those would go toward your LPN GPA to get accepted into the RNnursing program? I passed all of my LPN classes the very first time, graduated and passed my boards on the very first time and now have 6 years of working, my GPA was nowhere near what it could have been because I found out I was pregnant in the middle of the first semiester of nursing school. I want to further my education but seem to be at a stand still....

[LadyFree28, BSN, LPN, RN]

My LPN GPA was 2.63. For my BSN, I had prerequisites, they had requirements of what classes they were going to take. I had to improve my science GPA to a 3.0 (did that taking Excelsior testing) and my other perquisites totaled a 2.8, and they also used an entrance exam, which they told me I had to get a 90 to get in (got a 92). So it depends on the school, their requirements, and such. And I graduated in May with a 2.89 average and got licensed in June (start new grad RN job Monday). So it's possible!!! Do your research, and If you need prerequisites, aim high in those courses to boost your GPA.

[momnurse84]

Thanks. Thats awesome! Congrads! Do you mind sharing what school you went to?

[LadyFree28, BSN, LPN, RN]

I went to LaSalle University (Philadelphia, PA). My LPN Schooling was worth 5 credits

[Streamline2010]

Choose a RN school whose requirements play to your strengths, and minimize the weak parts of your GPA. Most RN programs only look at specific prerequisite college courses. Which ones vary with the school. Example: Almost everyone wants to see A&P I & II with C or better, and general psych, and human growth & development psych. Some want sociology, or a computer class, or microbiology, or whatever.

And some won't even accept college credits that are older than 4 years or 6 years or whatever arbitrary cutoff the RN school picks. If so, you could repeat the prereqs and get better grades on the repeat(s) and the school would, by its own rule, have to use the new and improved grade(s).

Most RN programs don't grant any college nursing course credits to LPNs for anything more than just Nursing I. You start with Nursing II and move in step with the others in your cohort. They think LPN coursework is almost worthless. (This program looks like it might flirt with giving LPNs Nursing II, if they can do well enough on the tests?)

Example admissions requirement for one local associate degree RN program, below. This one seems to place emphasis on a pre-entrance exam, drug calculation proficiency, and certain prereq courses that are pretty much the standard ones all schools look at.

Requirements for applicants who are Licensed Practical Nurses (LPN) seeking advanced placement:

a. Satisfactory score on the NLN Nursing Acceleration Challenge Exam

b. Score of 90% or greater on a drug calculation proficiency exam before the first scheduled class

c. The applicant must complete the following courses, or their equivalent, with a grade of “C” or greater prior to being considered for admission:

BIOL201 Human Anatomy & Physiology I

BIOL202 Human Anatomy & Physiology II

PSYC101 General Psychology I

PSYC106 Human Growth and Development*

The remaining three courses must be completed with a grade of “C” or greater prior to beginning the fall ADN semester:

WRIT101 English Composition I

CIST100 Introduction to Information Technology

BIOL215 Microbiology

d. Attainment of a Q.P.A. of 2.0 or greater in nursing core courses which are taken at schoolname (Transfer courses are not included in the computation of the schoolname quality point average for admission and progression.)

e. LPN’s must purchase their own Professional Liability insurance

Placement into Nursing III ADN will be on a SPACE AVAILABLE BASIS. The previously listed requirements are minimum criteria. Applicants who meet minimum criteria will be considered for admission into the program. However, meeting minimal criteria does not guarantee admission into the program. Available spaces will be divided equally between re-admission applicants and LPN advanced placement applicants.

That community college also runs an LPN program. But they make mo mention of looking at a LPN's GPA. I found that most of the RN programs in western PA look down on LPN coursework as "throw it out; LPNs know nothing." You essentially start all over when you go for RN. So, here, RN applicants get a point ranking based on certain criteria only, and everything else is tossed. Now, I suppose there could be some "hidden file" where someone notes the low LPN GPA. But the preentrance exam score is hugely important, followed by grades in those few specific prereq courses. In this case, a fantastic score on the drug calcs would also be a huge boost to an applicant, because so many students seem to be confused on those calcs forever, and that's maddening to the instructors, so somebody who can ace them is an interesting candidate.

[LadyFree28, BSN, LPN, RN]

Streamline, that's a shame in western PA that they think LPN is "worthless"...I think that they don't in PA, considering in a lot of places out of the big cities, you will find plenty working outside on the floors, as well as there has been a expanded scope approved. At my university, you can challenge the first year of RN coursework...I'm not sure if you are a LPN, but it sound like the info that you put up, the same goes for that school as well.

As for the OP, I'm not sure how long you have been out of school, so I am curious about that. I had been a LPN for five years when I entered the program, plus I had an Associate Degree. My program took the NLN exam. They gave me a choice of challenging, Health Assessment, Fundamentals, Intro to Nursing, and Med Surg I, and a few others due to my PN schools intensive coursework. I started at the beginning; In some ways I basically repeated LPN school, with the exception of updated information as well as learning the scope of the LPN, and that was worth it. I saw more babies being born and was able to be in the NICU during my maternity rotation, Access to giving meds via IV, Public Health Rotation at an Asthma clinic, where I was able to plan teaching to clinics (so the upgrade from reinforcing teaching to initial teaching occurred), as well as in Health Assessment, I was able to broaden and improve on my assessment skills. If I went to a local CC, they have bridging classes, then the last year of RN school, So it really depends on the program. I choose a program that was Pro-LPN, and had the option to finish within a year, if I went full time. Since I went part time due to my work schedule, I went through a two year, part time program. I enjoyed it immensely.