Is it worth it to start as an RPN/LPN then bridge to RN after?

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This is not a question but information I would like to offer to future nurses who are considering whether to go straight to BScN or RPN/LPN and bridge.

I am writing this topic as it is something I am sincerely regretting and I want others to be informed before following the path I have lead myself too.

I didn't do my research!

As a mature student I decided to go into nursing. I visited a counselor at a college in Vancouver who advised me the LPN/RPN route would be a better route. As a mature student I needed to be able to work and pay my bills and I also had to upgrade in courses I had not taken before i.e. Chemistry and Biology. I was told that this way I could get my diploma in 2-2.5 years, start working as a nurse and then worry about bridging.

Now this counselor had valid points. The schooling took less time, I would be able to start working sooner (in comparison to a 4 year university program plus all the upgrading) and most importantly I would know if I enjoyed nursing and wanted to spend more time and money on education. These points were all extremely important to me and at the time I agreed that this would be the best route for me. If reading those points ease your concerns then great! Maybe this is the route for you too. However, what I should've done after receiving this information is research the requirements to bridge.

Fast forward to graduating as an RPN. What an incredible feeling! Now to find work in Ontario, all of those jobs they said would exist. Don't. Unless you want to work in long term care or mental health ( I love mental health) but aside from this the jobs are sporifice. So I begin further researching the bridging programs and this is when I start kicking myself for not looking sooner. Here are some major points to consider for bridging options.

1. Some colleges work in collaboration with University's to offer the bridging to BScN. i.e. Algonquin and Humber. Points to note unless you took your program with that college you can't bridge from a different college into their University course.

2. Some colleges allow a hybrid program where you spend a semester 'bridging' to University level and then from there you can apply to the University program. Not 100% if you needed to attend their college program to do the hybrid.

Now for the route I am planning

3. There is the option to do long distance learning, online. From my research thus far you have Athabasca and Nipissing.

Nipissing is an option for those living in Ontario who are a RPN. They allow you to complete the BScN program in 5 years as a part time student. The only catch is that you must be employed by one of their partners. Or if your employer isn't registered they can apply to be a partner. This option is actually fantastic. Your requirements are too be a registered with CNO, have a 3.0 (common requirement) and have a letter from your supervisor to work.

Nipissing also offers a 3 year full time bridging course, but this is completed on campus and not long distance/online.

There is also Athabasca which is in Alberta. The requirement here is that you have 1700 hours working as a RPN/LPN alongside the 3.0 GPA. Also, for thus of us outside the province the fees are higher but most importantly you must go to Alberta for clinical. You must also be registered with the province of Alberta through out the duration of your schooling, more money. I am not certain of the length of the program but it is online and you have up to 7 years (like Nipissing) to complete the program

These are only facts I've discovered from the school websites and feedback. Please feel free to correct me where I am wrong. The point of this post is that, if you want to become and LPN/RPN and you're unsure if you want to upgrade at this time then this route is definitely beneficial and achievable. If you are in no rush then absolutely this dream is achievable!

What I want to be known is that if time is a factor, or if you want a realistic view of the time line. Bridging can take anywhere from 3-7 (10 in special cases) to complete. To do the program off the bat is 4 years (if you have all the pre reqs).

I am not saying bridging isn't a way to go. There are tons of positives to it including being eligible for scholarships and bursaries from your workplaces. Some may even pay for you to upgrade. College is more hands on, you aren't writing 10 page theory papers. Time in school is shorter and essentially you can find work in most fields. Remember the biggest difference between the two designations is that RPN's are prepared to take care of patients in stable conditions where as RN's are better educated to take care of the less stable. That being said an RPN with a 10 year work history will handle a code like a champion in comparison to an RN with less experience. This is just to inform you, the reality of bridging is that you will spend more time and possibly money to become an RN.

So think it through. What's your end goal? How will it be best achieved? Do your research!

Whatever you do, don't give up! Informed consent is what this article was all about.

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I mean confused. Why did you do your research on Practical Nursing in Vancouver and then attend school in Ontario. Two very different job markets.

In BC an RPN is a registered Psychiiatric Nurse which is still a diploma course and works at the same skill set as an RN in Acute and LTC.

The bridge to RN is simpler in BC than Alberta.

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A little insight here, keep in mind if you do consider going to Humber college since they only accept people into their university program, that you would need to finish with a 74% minimum to be accepted into their bridging program. Also I think Athabaska University dosen't have a GPA requirement, and you only need the 1700 hours. For Nisissiping University they cover you if you are willing to work at a given site for 5 years, and they put you on a timer for 7 years to complete the program. Most schools, require you to have a 3.0 gpa minimum to even get in. I will end on this note, if you want to become a RN, and you are told by someone, hey! you should do the RPN first because you will get experience and then worry later about bridging! Its no easy process and very impractical. It will waste a lot of time and money. So just attend a 4 year RN program and save yourself the hassel. I know students who got 74 percent in highschool and got into RN programs! From school like Langara and whatnot! If you want to be a RN, dont go for the RPN!

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A little insight here, keep in mind if you do consider going to Humber college since they only accept people into their university program, that you would need to finish with a 74% minimum to be accepted into their bridging program. Also I think Athabaska University dosen't have a GPA requirement, and you only need the 1700 hours. For Nisissiping University they cover you if you are willing to work at a given site for 5 years, and they put you on a timer for 7 years to complete the program. Most schools, require you to have a 3.0 gpa minimum to even get in. I will end on this note, if you want to become a RN, and you are told by someone, hey! you should do the RPN first because you will get experience and then worry later about bridging! Its no easy process and very impractical. It will waste a lot of time and money. So just attend a 4 year RN program and save yourself the hassel. I know students who got 74 percent in highschool and got into RN programs! From school like Langara and whatnot! If you want to be a RN, dont go for the RPN!

You are still a student in a PN programme. From your posting history it hasn't been an easy course load for you. Why do you think a degree programme would be easier for you?

Langara isn't an easy school to get into. With a little more research, you will find out why some are accepted with lower GPAs than others. Very rarely are applicants accepted with the requirements listed in the course calendar. Mature students never get in with a 65%

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Of course a degree program is more challenging, it's not suppose to be any easier. However, more times than I can count whenever I talk to a student in my program, who has plans to go bridge to be a RN, I normally find that it is what they wanted to do from the start, and also that they find this as leeway into the nursing profession. Also about Langara... that was a message for the target audience, probably highschool students looking into options of what to do. Personally I have no intentions of entering a 4 year program and have stated my program of interest in terms of bridging, which is UoiT, Nisssiping, and Athabaska, again 3 very different programs with very specific requirements that synchronize with the current student record, having seen that I failed a course. Which is again why I tell students (Especially Highschool students) not to take the RPN program to "have a feel" for this profession, instead go volunteer at a hospital and see how the profession is before pursuing it.

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