LPN Question

I live in the DFW area that you previously mentioned. My friend and I are LVNs.

My friend earned a BS degree in public health about 6 years ago, but her educational attainment was leading only to lower-paying case management jobs. Her college grade point average was a mediocre 2.3, so she opted for the LPN program instead. She now earns $40,000 yearly, as opposed to the $25,000 that she earned as a case manager.

DFW has plenty of LVN-to-RN bridge programs. Some have no waiting lists, and strictly are based off point systems. Here's a list of all of the bridge programs that I can think of in DFW, North Texas, and East Texas:

1. Tarrant County College, Fort Worth (LVN-to-RN)

2. El Centro College, Dallas (LVN-to-RN)

3. Brookhaven College, Farmers Branch (LVN-to-RN)

4. Tarleton State University, Stephenville (LVN-to-BSN)

5. Weatherford College, Weatherford (LVN-to-RN)

6. Hill College, Cleburne (LVN-to-RN)

7. Navarro College, Corsicana (LVN-to-RN)

8. Trinity Valley Community College, Kaufman (LVN-to-RN)

9. North Central Texas College, Gainesville (LVN-to-RN)

10. Northeast Texas Community College, Mount Pleasant (LVN-to-RN)

11. Grayson County College, Denison (LVN-to-RN)

12. Paris Junior College, Paris (LVN-to-RN)

13. Angelina College, Jasper (LVN-to-RN)

14. Texarkana College, Texarkana (LVN-to-RN)

15. Cisco Junior College, Abilene (LVN-to-RN)

16. Angelo State University, San Angelo (LVN-to-RN)

17. McLennan College, Waco (LVN-to-RN)

18. University of Texas at Tyler (LVN-to-BSN)

There are many more of these bridge program in Texas, but this is all I can think of at the moment. I hope this is useful.

Since your 2.8 undergrad GPA is very iffy when it comes to acceptance to an RN program, going the LVN route, then LVN to RN bridge is a very viable solution for you. For most BSN programs, the LVN license will give you a legs up in points, advanced standing, also you will be getting a second chance to raise your GPA if you attend one of the LVN programs in a community college. The Commuter gave a very extensive lists of possible programs. Hope you find a solution that facilitates you achieving your goals. Also do not discount applying directly to BSN programs. You might get lucky, even with your current GPA, and get accepted. So it is worth a try. Good luck to you.

Will the BSN programs look more favorably on me if I have gone to LPN school?

There are actually two LVN-to-BSN programs near the DFW metro area, and I don't think your grades have to be stellar to get accepted. Tarleton State University, located in Stephenville, offers an LVN-to-BSN program. The minimum prerequisite GPA is 2.75, and my former coworker recently got accepted with a 2.8 GPA. You must already be an LVN to qualify for the LVN-to-BSN program, but they also have a generic BSN program.

The University of Texas at Tyler offers an LVN-to-BSN program, too. However, I am not too sure about their exact requirements.

To answer your question, some BSN programs will be more lenient in accepting an applicant who already possesses LVN licensure.

If I do take it at a community college, will those grades be factored into my current BS gpa?

I'm not sure, but I think you'll likely have two separate GPAs. For every institution of higher learning that you attend, you'll receive a separate GPA. The GPAs from multiple institutions seldom combine.

Also, Platt College in OKC has a private LPN-to-RN program that does not look at previous college coursework, and it only takes 2 years to complete. You can earn both your LPN and your RN from Platt.