LPN to RN Bridge programs.... Does the LPN program have to be accredited?

You'll almost certainly have to retake any prereq or general ed classes taken at an unaccredited place. Otherwise, it'll depend upon the individual school's policies. Something else to consider is how easy it'll be to get a job after graduating from the LPN program that is "easy to get into but not accredited."

I am the one who is actually trying to talk my fellow students out of going there. The anatomy is the combined not the two semesters class ( I.E. I & II), so I know that won't transfer anywhere.

Their point is while I am taking all these pre req's they will have their LPN and be able to bridge into an rn program, and have their rn before me. I think they are in for a shock when the credits won't transfer and they have to take them all again.

looking at some options and some fellow pre-nursing students and i were auguring over this point. i was under the impression, that unless the school was accredited, the classes would have to be retaken. others say since you have the lpn it doesn't matter if the classes were accredited or not, they just go from that point. which is the case?

the point being is that there is a local private lpn school that is easy to get into but not accredited. the question is will we have to retake classes if we go there when we want to bridge to an adn progam?

yes you have to retake the general eds/pre-reqs (a&p, micro, nutrition, etc..) you took in your lpn program because they are not college credit level classes. but your lpn license will allow you to apply to the lpn-rn programs.

my lpn school was not accredited so none of the courses transferred to my college.

From what I understand, and I'm getting ready to start working on my RN after getting my LPN at a school that was not accredited, you can still do a bridge program but you will have to take several prereqs first. In fact, I have to take a full year of prereqs before I can even start the RN program, which will take another year. However, due to me being an LPN, I don't have to take any nursing courses the first year of prereqs, where as students starting fresh to get their RN have Nursing Courses for the full two years of the program. My first year is only general prereqs, and then my second year will focus mostly on Nursing courses. So it takes the same amount of time to get my RN as someone who has never been a nurse, but I don't require the same classes. Does that make sense?

My first year will be used to work on English, Math, A&P 1 and 2, Psych, Microbio, and some others I'm not thinking of right at this moment. No nursing though. Other programs are designed so that if you get your LPN after a year, then your prereqs are already included so that if you decide to start the RN program at a later time, you can go for one year and be finished.

I agree that your classmates will be in for a shocker. Unless the program they are in specifically states that they get college credit they will have nothing to transfer. Most LPN programs are clocked programs. In some cases the college will allow you to challenge fundamentals and/or med-surg I, but they all vary.

That’s what I had thought. I think they should at least go to the local community college and do the pre req’s there. Then if they can’t get in, then and then only do the LPN. I am not knocking LPN’s it is just career wise I don’t think it is the best route.

They have hopes of becoming an LPN getting a job and having the place of employment pay for their RN. Which sounds all good and nice, but most likely they are going to be working LTC and those places are known for being cheap and probably won’t do tuition reimbursement. They are also getting fed stories of new LPN’s starting off at 60,000 a year :icon_roll. I am not saying that couldn’t happen, but that is few and far in-between. Most BSN/RN don’t start off at that around here(Chicago burbs)

I don't think the accreditation is the issue here, I think it's the school sounding to be one of the proprietry kind. Nothing transfers from those schools. You get your license, you have your license, and that's what you've got to understand that you're getting. And that's all. It's a personal decision, related to how fast you want to work as a nurse, how much money and time you want to spend, and whether you're willing to retake a few courses. These places do tend to be expensive, and I'd consider the numbers as to whether it's worth it to wait a year or so working as an aide, waiting to get into a community college or college personally. LPN pay for a year would have to really make up compared to CNA pay in order to be worth the $15K, $20K+ that I'm spending (and to not have THOSE classes transfer).

That's what I had thought. I think they should at least go to the local community college and do the pre req's there. Then if they can't get in, then and then only do the LPN. I am not knocking LPN's it is just career wise I don't think it is the best route.

They have hopes of becoming an LPN getting a job and having the place of employment pay for their RN. Which sounds all good and nice, but most likely they are going to be working LTC and those places are known for being cheap and probably won't do tuition reimbursement. They are also getting fed stories of new LPN's starting off at 60,000 a year :icon_roll. I am not saying that couldn't happen, but that is few and far in-between. Most BSN/RN don't start off at that around here(Chicago burbs)

Well that's a whole other issue..LPN and than RN. It really depends on what your needs are. I did my LPN first because I had to get back to work after getting laid off. Never though I could make 60k a year though.

Many LTC facilities do have tuition assistance, so that part is possible. Some areas do still hire LPNs in the hospital setting too.

i guess i am naive, but i thought you had to attend an accredited school in order to apply to take the nclex (pn). when did that change? that was the rule when state board test pool exams were the means for becoming licensed.

these lpn programs are approved by the state board of nursing. that is why they are able to take the nclex-pn. however, most of these programs are not accredited by chea, nlnac, aacn, etc... so the credit do not transfer because they are not college credit courses.

for example, my nutrition class in lpn technical school lasted 2 weeks (mon-fri), micro lasted 3 weeks (mon-fri), etc.. i retook micro (rn student) in community college because obviously 3-week long micro won't cut it. i knew from the start that none of the non-nursing courses would transfer but i did not care because i just wanted my lpn license.

but if the community college provides the lpn program, lpn students take the same pre-reqs as the rn, such as the api, apii, and micro. and these credits will transfer because they are college credits.