If you are a licensed practical nurse in the USA and want to move up in your job, this article lists the top 12 best LPN to RN bridge programs in the nation for 2024. Across the USA, these classes are available at community colleges, state colleges, and private nursing schools, among other places.
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The demand for medical professionals, especially nurses, has increased by several percent. Also, the medical facilities offer a good amount of packages to the nurses. This shows that Florida is serious about improving nursing education. A lot of the projects on our list are helped by this grant. If you’ve been thinking about which LPN to RN schools in the USA are the best, keep reading to learn more about them. If you are looking for an online program then you can check 6 Month LPN to RN Program Online in this article.
Top 12 Best LPN to RN bridge program
1. Tampa Bay Galen College of Nursing
A 99-quarter-credit LVN/LPN to RN Bridge program Option from Galen College of Nursing can be completed in 15–19 months. Its LPN-to-RN curriculum includes general education, core nursing, and clinical rotations like other Florida schools.
The core program includes prerequisite courses, however, Galen will accept transfer credits from other colleges if they match its requirements. All Galen LPN-to-RN students will undergo a bridging course comparing registered nurse and licensed practical nurse roles and duties. Other fundamental nursing classes include “Principles of Pharmacology,” “Medical-Surgical Nursing Concepts,” and “Concepts of Mental Health Nursing.”
All Galen Florida campuses have clinical affiliation agreements with local extended care homes, community service agencies, and acute care institutions for clinical rotations. Summer, autumn, winter, and spring quarters start classes. This is one of the few Florida LPN to RN bridge program that may require SAT and ACT scores. A current, unencumbered LPN license and a 2.5 LPN GPA are also required.
2. Gainesville Santa Fe College
Santa Fe College’s LPN Nursing Bridge Program is one of Florida’s best due to its low student-to-faculty ratio and clinical focus.
Ten students are accepted each cycle into the college’s Bridge Program. Some material is provided online, but most are delivered in classrooms at the Gainesville campus. You’ll also spend up to half your time in the college’s advanced simulation lab and clinical rotations at North Florida Regional Medical Center, North Florida/South Georgia Veterans Health System, and University of Florida Health.
It takes 3.5 semesters (14 months) to finish the 62-credit curriculum. Students must pass an IV Therapy certification class before admission. Several preparatory courses are also required. Candidates must have a valid, unencumbered Florida LPN licensure and a 2.5 GPA in all related coursework to apply to this program. Santa Fe College’s Nursing Bridge Program awards an Associate of Science in Nursing, unlike other Florida LPN to RN bridge program.
3. Ocala, Fort Myers, Tampa/Brandon Rasmussen University
This Florida LPN to RN bridge program lets you transfer up to 42 credits from previous academic and job experience toward its 102-quarter-credit Associate Degree in Nursing. Program completion takes 12–18 months for most students.
Rasmussen combines online courses with in-person classes, lab simulations, and clinicals. Florida’s LPN-to-RN program starts in January, April, July, and October. This program requires an unencumbered LPN license. Rasmussen’s ADN meets Minnesota, Illinois, Kansas, Florida, and Wisconsin RN licensing criteria.
4. Dale Mabry Hillsborough Community College
Hillsborough Community College’s Dale Mabry campus hosts an expedited 63-credit LPN to RN bridge program. Hillsborough’s LPN license alone will get you advanced credit, unlike other Florida LPN to RN bridge program that require a transition course on LPN-RN responsibilities. Although you won’t join the college’s typical nursing cohort, your program will be similar.
This Florida LPN-to-RN program combines classroom and distance learning: “Essential Concepts of Patient Care Management,” “Critical Thinking in Nursing Practice,” and “Concepts of Adult Health I & II.”
The summer-starting program is offered annually. Plan to spend 15 hours a week on didactic classes and clinical rotations for three semesters (one year). Hillsborough Community College’s high-tech simulation lab improves hands-on skills. Hillsborough County hospitals and mental health centers host clinical rotations.
Before entering this program, you must finish 21 prerequisite credits. The TEAS exam and Florida LPN licensing are also required. ASN degrees are awarded upon graduation.
5. Palm Beach State College-Lake Worth
Palm Beach State College’s 42-credit Transition Program prepares LPNs and licensed paramedics for the NCLEX-RN exam. Applicants must have an LPN license and a 2.5 GPA in related subjects. Students who score 75 percent or better on the ACEN can enter the regular nursing program in the first or second semester.
There are two completion tracks for this Florida LPN-to-RN program: full-time for two years and part-time for three years. Working LPNs with Saturday clinical rotations can attend the part-time track on weekends and evenings.
This Florida LPN to RN bridge program requires an Introduction to Concepts for Professional Nursing, 10 prerequisite courses, and 20 general education credits before starting classes. Topics include “Concepts for Nursing Practice I, II, & III.” Nurses can take prerequisite and theory courses online. Graduate with an ADN.
6. Broward College-Fort Lauderdale
Through the LPN-RN Transition Program, students receive experiential credits and advanced standing to skip the two-part Fundamentals of Nursing program. They must complete 62 credits of fundamental nursing training, including “Health Alterations 1, 11, & III,” “Health Care of Women,” and “Pediatric Health Care.”
Five semesters (17 months) make up this Florida LPN-to-RN curriculum. Full-time and part-time completion tracks are available at Broward’s North, Central, and South campuses.
Clinical rotations and Broward Health Sciences Simulation Center coursework will total 728 clinical hours. Broward Health System, Memorial HealthCare System, TENET, and Cleveland Clinic host clinical rotations.
You must apply separately to Broward College and its Health Sciences section. Broward College’s LPN-RN Transition Program requires current, unrestricted LPN licensing and one year of practical experience. Admission is based on prerequisite GPAs and HESI results. Florida LPN to RN bridge program that award ADNs include this one.
7. Lake City, Florida Gateway College
Two LPN to RN Bridge programs are offered at Florida Gateway College. The standard LPN-RN Bridge track is full-time and meets throughout the day, whereas the Fast-Track track meets on Monday and Wednesday nights.
The former takes three semesters and the latter a year. Both tracks include a two-semester “Transition to Adult Health” course that compares LPN and RN nursing practice. After completing this course, regular LPN-RN Bridge track students will earn 10 experiential credits, and Fast Track students will get 12 experiential credits for the 72-credit ADN program.
Only licensed Florida LPNs with six months of experience can enter these programs. One of the few Florida LPN-to-RN programs that needs SAT or ACT scores in addition to TEAS and Upward Mobility. Your HESI A2 nursing admission exam score must be 75% or higher. Florida LPN-to-RN graduates receive an ADN.
8. Herzing University-Orlando
Versatility makes Herzing University-Orlando’s LPN transition programs exceptional in Florida. The university provides LPN-to-ASN and LPN-to-BSN. Either program graduates can take the NCLEX-RN. Distance nursing teaches prerequisites, but core nursing courses must be attended in person.
You can finish the LPN-to-ASN track in 16 months with 70 credits. In 28 months, the 120-credit LPN-to-BSN program can be completed. The “Transition to Professional Nursing” course compares LPN and RN clinical competence, clinical judgment, evidence-based practice, and other aspects of their scope of practice. You’ll also get 13 LPN program credits.
Only active, unrestricted LPN licensees can enter this program. A cumulative LPN GPA of 3.5 or better is usually required for LPN-to-BSN admission. The TEAS test is only required if your LPN course’s cumulative GPA is less than 3.0. Herzing’s Tampa campus offers LPN-to-ASN.
9. Manatee-Sarasota-Bradenton College
The 72-credit LPN-RN Transition Nursing Program at State College of Florida, Manatee–Sarasota should take three semesters to complete. The curriculum begins with an 8-credit “Nursing Transitions” course that will test your LPN abilities and knowledge and introduce nursing concepts essential to your RN career. After 30 credits of fundamental nursing courses, you’ll receive 12 experiential credits for your ADN.
SCF’s innovative simulation center and clinical rotations at Manatee and Sarasota County hospitals provide hands-on experience. Clinical rotation timetables depend on site and preceptor availability.
The LPN-RN Transition Nursing Program at SCF is one of Florida’s best. This curriculum requires cumulative GPAs of 3.0 or above in required anatomy, physiology, written communications, and math coursework. This Florida LPN-to-RN program requires an unencumbered LPN license and 12 months of professional LPN experience.
10. St. Johns River State College-Orange Park
The LPN Bridge to ASN program at St. Johns River State College is one of the best in Florida. The 72-credit curriculum includes 32 core nursing credits, 19 general education credits, and 11 nursing-related credits. The LPN licensure and experience will earn you 10 experiential credits toward your ASN. Core nursing courses include an LPN transition program that compares practical and associate degree nurses.
This hybrid curriculum combines online learning with St. Johns River’s St. Augustine campus classes. Students attend Tuesday and Thursday afternoon classes. One day a week, Putnam, St. Johns, and Clay County hospitals host clinical rotations. You should finish the curriculum in four semesters.
Priority is given to applicants from the tri-county area for enrollment in the top LPN to RN program. To participate, candidates must submit separate applications to both St. Johns River State College and the LPN to the Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN) program. This limited-access program favors St. Johns River-educated licensed practical nurses, even though the college has an open admission policy.
11. Northwest Florida State College-Niceville
Northwest Florida State College offers advanced placement to LPNs in its conventional ASN curriculum. Current LPN students and unencumbered Florida LPNs can apply to this LPN-to-RN program. HESI Fundamentals Exam is required, and LPN candidates must be licensed before sessions begin.
The program’s points system considers HESI scores and GPA from LPN and ASN training. Okaloosa and Walton County citizens are preferred.
This Florida LPN-to-RN program awards 11 experience credits toward the 72-credit curriculum. The four-semester program contains “Nursing Process I, II, III, & IV” and “Pharmacologic Principles in Nursing I & II.” You must complete Anatomy, Physiology, English Composition, and Math prerequisites by the start of your second semester.
12. Ocala College of Central Florida
The NCLEX-RN pass rate of College of Central Florida’s one-year LPN to ADN Bridge Nursing program proves its excellence! This may be because CCF requires more qualified LPNs than most Florida LPN-to-RN programs. Before starting training, your clinical abilities will be assessed to ensure you can care for at least two acute care patients.
Though tailored to LPNs, the 60-credit program, which can be completed in one year, covers the same material as the college’s second year of nursing. The curriculum offers a 7-credit Bridge Clinical Concept course to introduce RN nursing. Behavioral Concepts in Nursing and Professional Issues in Nursing are other core nursing classes. You’ll learn new psychomotor skills in CCF’s full-scale Simulation Center and perfect them during clinical rotations at Ocala and Marion County hospitals.
FAQs
1. What is the shortest duration to become an LPN?
Fast-track LPN programs offer a more expedited path, typically spanning between six to nine months.
2. How long does the LPN to BSN program at Berkeley last?
The Berkeley LPN to BSN program entails eight semesters upon admission. It’s specifically tailored for LPNs with limited or no prior clinical experience.
3. What is the average duration of RN to BSN programs?
RN to BSN programs differ from traditional bachelor’s degrees, often completed in one to two years based on transferred credits from an ADN program and enrollment status.
4. Is UC Berkeley renowned for nursing education?
UC Berkeley’s School of Health Studies stands as a beacon of excellence in nursing education, offering LPN to B.S.N. degrees and Practical Nurse certificate programs. These programs equip students for fulfilling careers in the healthcare sector and broaden their professional horizons.
Conclusion
The LPN to RN program at several nursing schools offers licensed practical nurses attractive ways to move up in their jobs. These schools will be able to give LPNs who want to become registered nurses good training and chances to do so. The US schools and colleges are very dedicated to providing excellent nursing education, and this is clear at all levels, from community colleges to state colleges and private schools.
As LPNs start the process of becoming RNs, they can pick from a variety of recognized programs that are tailored to their needs and goals. This gives them a bright future in the healthcare system, which is always changing.
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