LPN to RN bridge difficulty

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I was wondering if any of you guys have experience with a mostly on line LPN to RN bridge program where clinicals are done at a local hospital. I want to know how you felt about the difficulty of the material? Also, do you think that your LPN schooling/training made the RN bridge easier for you, if so, why?

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Specializes in SNF, 2 year s hospital.

Great post question! I was wondering the same thing? I was afraid try the online because of the clinical aspect? I wasn't sure if I have enough LPN experience to walk into RN clinicals and be expected to perform? :twocents::twocents:

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Specializes in LTC.

Being a LPN makes RN school a bit easier for me. I'm able to pull from my own experiences which helps a lot.

I also feel very confident in clinical as well.

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Specializes in Med Surg.

Clinicals vary by program. I went through Excelsior College and the only thing about my 23 years of LPN experience at that time that helped with the weekend is that I was on familiar turf by being at the bedside, not to mention the fact that I had done some agency work at that particular location a few years prior. So I was not totally walking into a strange environment to partake in a 'strange' exam. In my opinion, I think a person that has not learned real-world scenarios have a better chance of passing the CPNE than an LPN because a non-licensed person does not have to be de-programmed, meaning that their initial learning is the EC way. Licensed persons have to fight the urge to run off and assist with something as small as placing a patient on the bedpan during their exam. If you do anything that the CLINICAL EVALUATOR has not SPECIFICALLY instructed you to do, you run the risk of failing that weekend. In this situation, you should just introduce yourself, offer to call for assistance for them, and then excuse yourself. The clinicals are passable if you DO EXACTLY AS YOU ARE TOLD, nothing more and definitely nothing less.

I hope this helps to answer your questions. Good luck!:yeah:

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Specializes in Rheumatology/Emergency Medicine.
Clinicals vary by program. I went through Excelsior College and the only thing about my 23 years of LPN experience at that time that helped with the weekend is that I was on familiar turf by being at the bedside

Sorry for a dumb question, but...did you pass that weekend or did you have to retake or did you get your RN another way??

I'm an LPN and I just signed up for my first Nursing exam, the exam doesn't scare me, but that last weekend does.

Tony in TN

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Specializes in LTC, Pedi.

This is a great question because i, myself, feel that eventhough Ive been a LVN for only a couple years, none of my experience was in a hospital setting. I actually dont use a lot of nursing skills as i would like to on my job. So this is a good question because im curious as to whether i'll be going over my head or not trying to go through the LVN to RN transition.

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I'm more worried about the theory being that test are done on campus.

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Specializes in Med Surg.
Sorry for a dumb question, but...did you pass that weekend or did you have to retake or did you get your RN another way??

I'm an LPN and I just signed up for my first Nursing exam, the exam doesn't scare me, but that last weekend does.

Tony in TN

:DOf course I passed!!! When you get to that weekend, I have a great contact to ensure that you pass too!:D If you've never taken an EC exam before, the FIRST one is what you need to be afraid of because of unfamiliarity with their style of asking questions. Not the first nursing course, but the first nursing course for YOU. However, as long as you know the material, you should have no worries. I was extremely confident about my first exam with them because I just knew that "this stuff is easy". I, along with my 20+ years of nursing, barely made it out of that exam in one piece. Got a C! But I passed. Then I developed my game plan....made mostly B's after that until I got cocky one day and decided to study for only one week for one of the exams. I was sweating bullets all the way with that exam....had to do the whole darn thing using the process of elimination!!!:confused: Made another C....man, was I proud of that one!!!!!:lol2: Almost didn't make it!!!!!! Nearly blew my completion timeline. First time I ever took an exam when I didn't know the answer to ANY of the questions......made a lot of extremely lucky guesses! Took the clock down to something like 10 minutes out of the 3 hours that they allow for the exam. Very close call but my bloomers were still intact when I left Pearson Vue.:yeah:

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Specializes in Rheumatology/Emergency Medicine.

Thanks for the tips Ladside, I am scheduled for my first exam on Sept 21st (Safety), after that I'm taking a TESC Nutrition exam, CLEP Dev Psych and retaking my GRE, then another Excelsior exam, all while applying to every nursing school between here and the rocky mountains! And to make it interesting I'm still working 2 jobs (ER and Urgent Care) and thinking about building a house. Nothing like keeping busy :D

Tony in TN

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Specializes in Med Surg.
Thanks for the tips Ladside, I am scheduled for my first exam on Sept 21st (Safety), after that I'm taking a TESC Nutrition exam, CLEP Dev Psych and retaking my GRE, then another Excelsior exam, all while applying to every nursing school between here and the rocky mountains! And to make it interesting I'm still working 2 jobs (ER and Urgent Care) and thinking about building a house. Nothing like keeping busy :D

Tony in TN

Wow! That's a lot!!! And people thought I was nutz for doing 2 colleges simultaneously while working one job! But if you're devoted, it can be done. My grandfather died; my farce of a husband divorved, and it was Valentines weekend....all on myclinical weekend and I stiil made it! Passed and went home to an empty house, afrer nearly breaking my my tailbone on the ice in metro ATL in the hospital parking lot on day 2 that morning. But I passrd and went home to an empty house. This is why I know this can be done for whoever really wants to be an RN.

Good luck and don't spread yourself too thin. (coming from the pot to the kettle!)

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Did anyone do excelsior thru rue education?

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Specializes in peds.

RUE is def not the way to go I began a course for RN only to later find out they are just a study guide per say. $3000.00 in debt later they ARE not transferable credits :confused:.Though I am sure of good programs check the fine print...

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