Northwestern Tech College

[Ella26, BSN, RN]

Hello, I am an LPN. I have about 1.5 yrs of exp, 7 months of which are fulltime. I work at a clinic and Chem health facility. I am having the hardest time getting into any of the traditional LPN-RN bridge programs here in the cities, I have applied to Inver, MCTC, to name a few. Im waiting to hear back from 2 others- It is just as competative as getting into any regular RN program. So Im thinking about applying to Northwestern Tech colloge I heard they have a online transition program and clinicals can be arranged. Does anyone know anything about this component of their program? ItS out of Bemidji,MN.

[m4howie, ADN, BSN]

I don't know about Northwestern. I just graduated from MCTC December 2010. I didn't use their bridge program but my friends did. Here is what you don't know about the LPN--RN bridge. The reason schoolsl offer that is to make money. If 100% of the freshmen class goes full time and all pass their classes every semester there would not be an LPN/RN bridge program. There would be no room. Students fail classes and some go part time so slots open up in the last year of the program. If there are enough LPN students that apply to have the LPN/RN transition class and enough openings in last year of the program then they will admit students. If only one LPN applies there would be no need to have the LPN transition class. They are paying an instructor to teach one student. So there is the first part.

Here is the other part. MCTC has reduced its class size from 60 to 40. Like all nursing programs they are having a hard time finding qualified instructors. They are also trying to get a BSN completion program on campus so faculty is investing time into that. Finally many of the faculty want to further their education and need time off. Class size reduction will allow them to do this.

So to answer your question it can be really competitive to get into bridge programs but there are other factors that affect things too. Most schools don't offer them every semester. They often don't know very far in advance if they will or won't. It depends on registration. I really hope you get in somewhere. :)

Howard

PS. I wrote on my way out the door to work so I hope it makes sense.