LVN TO RN, help California

vintagemother, BSN, CNA, LVN, RN · Feb 8, 2016

After attending a private Lvn school in CA, your options to become an RN are:

1) take your prereqs at a community college and then attend their Lvn to rn bridge or do a regular rn program.

2) attend a private Lvn to rn program. I believe Kaplan in southern CA offers this, and in northern CA, Carrington and I think Unitek offer this. University of Phoenix also offers an Lvn to BSN in northern CA.

3) there's also something called a 30 unit option through state universities and community colleges, but it's hard to get into these programs and its discouraged because you can't take the license out of CA and you can't bridge to a BSN later.

Briefly, the pros and cons include weighing out the fact that the private schools are faster (and are set up so that you can work for most of the program) but much more expensive.

jennyh6 · Feb 8, 2016

thank you so much!!! I like the first option I had that idea just wasn't sure if it was a thing . I've already applied to community college for Fall 2016, will take my placement test then talk to a counselor about what I want to do.

vintagemother, BSN, CNA, LVN, RN · Feb 8, 2016

Your welcome!

CoolVibesMawMe · May 26, 2016

Hi, I would LOVE for anyone to please clarify some things for me! I'm about to start LVN program in the Fall. RN was my first choice, but like so many others, I tried for YEARS and did not get chosen in any RN lotteries. Please know that I am VERY grateful for the LVN opportunity, but here are my concerns (based on what I've heard from RNs and RN students): First, I'm being told that the LVN to RN bridge is not that easily done. Meaning, LVNs will ONLY get in IF a current RN student drops out or fails, which is rare. Second, I was told that the only LVN to RN program I'd be able to apply to would have to be at the SAME institution that I completed my LVN?? Third, I'm hearing that over the next few years LVNs will essentially become obsolete...that they simply will not be hiring LVNs-- only RNs and above. I have completed ALL of my prerequisites for RN programs. Now I am freaking out about the prospect of being unemployable as an LVN and/or not being able to move up to RN due to these obstacles - WHICH I HOPE ARE JUST RUMORS AND NOT BASED IN FACT! Please, if anyone can shed any light on any of this, I would be beyond thankful.

SquishyRN, BSN, RN · May 26, 2016

Hi, I would LOVE for anyone to please clarify some things for me! I'm about to start LVN program in the Fall. RN was my first choice, but like so many others, I tried for YEARS and did not get chosen in any RN lotteries. Please know that I am VERY grateful for the LVN opportunity, but here are my concerns (based on what I've heard from RNs and RN students): First, I'm being told that the LVN to RN bridge is not that easily done. Meaning, LVNs will ONLY get in IF a current RN student drops out or fails, which is rare. Second, I was told that the only LVN to RN program I'd be able to apply to would have to be at the SAME institution that I completed my LVN?? Third, I'm hearing that over the next few years LVNs will essentially become obsolete...that they simply will not be hiring LVNs-- only RNs and above. I have completed ALL of my prerequisites for RN programs. Now I am freaking out about the prospect of being unemployable as an LVN and/or not being able to move up to RN due to these obstacles - WHICH I HOPE ARE JUST RUMORS AND NOT BASED IN FACT! Please, if anyone can shed any light on any of this, I would be beyond thankful.

#1: That's how it works with most bridge programs, but not all. Also, it's not that rare. In my bridge program, about one-third of the people that started the traditional program did not make it to the second year of the program, which is when the LVNs would be admitted on a space basis. About 20 LVNs, including myself, were admitted. The majority of the people that dropped didn't fail, but life happens and they couldn't go on with the program. Even if it's difficult to get into a bridge program, it's still more difficult to go the traditional route. Nursing is highly impacted in California, so there's just no getting around the difficulty in getting into any program period.

#2: False. I did not go to the same school for RN as LVN. The majority of my LVN classmates did not either. Only 3 people from our bridge program graduated as LVNs from the same school. If this were true I would never have been able to bridge into an RN because I went to an adult school for my LVN and they don't have an RN program.

#3: They've been saying that for years, decades even, yet LVNs and ADNs are still around. The recession churned out a bunch of new nurses, both LVN and RN, so employers could be picky about hiring RNs only, even in previously predominantly LVN staffed specialties such as LTC or clinics. But the economy is starting to improve now, so RNs have started turning their backs again on these non-acute settings as hospital positions are once again becoming in reach. Just accept that as an LVN you won't be working in acute care, and you'll find that opportunities do still exist.

CoolVibesMawMe · May 26, 2016

THANK YOU so much for your response. You have cleared up a lot of confusion (and bad information from some people). My stress level has now dropped down a few notches. Much appreciated!

scrubhero · Nov 28, 2018

I was wondering what school you attended for both your LVN and your RN. I'm in Sacramento and I am thinking of doing lvn then the lvn to rn bridge but options are very limited in my area unfortunately

#1: That's how it works with most bridge programs, but not all. Also, it's not that rare. In my bridge program, about one-third of the people that started the traditional program did not make it to the second year of the program, which is when the LVNs would be admitted on a space basis. About 20 LVNs, including myself, were admitted. The majority of the people that dropped didn't fail, but life happens and they couldn't go on with the program. Even if it's difficult to get into a bridge program, it's still more difficult to go the traditional route. Nursing is highly impacted in California, so there's just no getting around the difficulty in getting into any program period.
#2: False. I did not go to the same school for RN as LVN. The majority of my LVN classmates did not either. Only 3 people from our bridge program graduated as LVNs from the same school. If this were true I would never have been able to bridge into an RN because I went to an adult school for my LVN and they don't have an RN program.
#3: They've been saying that for years, decades even, yet LVNs and ADNs are still around. The recession churned out a bunch of new nurses, both LVN and RN, so employers could be picky about hiring RNs only, even in previously predominantly LVN staffed specialties such as LTC or clinics. But the economy is starting to improve now, so RNs have started turning their backs again on these non-acute settings as hospital positions are once again becoming in reach. Just accept that as an LVN you won't be working in acute care, and you'll find that opportunities do still exist.

Rgoss19899 · May 2, 2019

On 2/7/2016 at 11:22 PM, vintagemother said:
there's also something called a 30 unit option through state universities and community colleges, but it's hard to get into these programs and its discouraged because you can't take the license out of CA and you can't bridge to a BSN later.

Is it really not possible to bridge from the 30 unit option to bsn? RN to bsn programs online only require a RN license and associates degree, and you would obtain both of these thought the 30 unit option. Does anyone know if this still works?

Mix1990 · Jul 26, 2019

did you get your RN?

aileen_g7 · Oct 22, 2019

I was on this predicament for a long time. I was an LVN for 10 years. After I got accepted to a LVN to BSN program at a University, I had to withdraw because a family member got sick. It became really hard to apply when I was ready to go back to school. Here's what I did. After I got all my pre-requisite, I found that practically every school was doing a scoring system and you have 400-1000 students applying for the program. Some tips:

1. Try to get A's on all your pre-requisite, do not drop as "W" are frowned upon when you start applying. An A in all your science class are equivalent to a score which adds up.

2. Do really good when you take your TEAS test. This also counts towards your score when applying for an RN program.

3. Go to BRN and create a spreadsheet of all your the schools you want to apply to, note all the deadline dates and read each qualification. You may have to take some classes that other school do not require. Creating a spreadsheet holds you accountable so you don't miss mandatory orientation or deadlines.

4. As an LVN, you can either apply to a general 2 years or advance placement. Some school requires you to pass certain skills and some requires you to test and challenge the first year of schooling (I did an advance placement). Many tests and do not pass. In my group, only 10 % passed. Ask for the syllabus if you can for the first year of schooling that you are challenging .

Note: remember that as an advance placement, you are only considered as the regular student drops out of the 3rd semester. The likeness of getting in is lower than doing the general RN program for 2 years.

I have so much to share based on my experience. Hope this helps. I have tried it all and even looked at Puerto Rico but at the end, dropping out of a private university ($650 unit at the time) and going into a community college only cost me $64 for 2 semesters (as an advance placement student, LVN to RN). You can't beat that.