Accelerated LPN to RN
Program Details
Academic Associate of Science Degree in Nursing
2-3 Days a Week • 1 Year Program
The Accelerated LPN to RN Program is designed for students who are already currently Missouri Licensed Practical Nurses (LPN), are IV Certified, and have chosen to pursue a career as a Registered Nurse. Completion of the nursing program does not guarantee eligibility to take the licensure examination. Successful completion of the Accelerated LPN to RN program does not guarantee licensure (see section 335.066 RSMO).
Program Length: 3 semesters + prerequisites / 47 weeks
Why Our Accelerated LPN To RN Program Is Right For You
So you’re thinking of becoming an RN? You’ve thought, “I love being an LPN, and having even more autonomy as a nurse would be ideal.” Or maybe, “I’d love to make a higher income. It would be so great to be able to go back for an RN degree to further my education.” If this sounds familiar, you may be in the right place!
Our Accelerated LPN to RN program was built to take you from an LPN to an RN in the shortest, most efficient way possible. If you’re already an LPN and have the required prerequisites, you can start the Accelerated LPN to RN program which takes one year from start to finish.
We’ll help you transition into the RN role by taking on more responsibility and looking at nursing through a new set of eyes. You’ll learn skills that wouldn’t have been taught in your LPN program, then you’ll practice critical thinking as an RN.
The Accelerated LPN to RN program is unique because you can become an LPN, begin working, then come back and “bridge” once you’re ready to advance your career. Students love this option because they can continue working as an LPN while being in school for their RN degree.
Accelerated LPN to RN Program Statistics
- 2023-2024 Job Placement Rate***
- 95%
- 2024 NCLEX-RN Pass Rate*
- 89.47%
- hours spent at clinicals
- 450
- 2023-2024 Retention***
- 92%
- prerequisite classes required
- 5
Why TCTC?
We’re a small school with small class sizes, close to home, and where everyone really does know your name. At some larger schools, you’re stuck in giant classrooms with an impersonal atmosphere and no help in sight, but at TCTC you’re a name, not just a number.
Help is always available and our staff and faculty bend over backward to help out with whatever you’ve got going on as we help you navigate the waters of a nursing program.
Gen-Eds and how they work at TCTC
The bulk of your education here is focused on nursing. By default, our gen-ed classes are built in and taken during your program. This is so you can complete the whole program in a shorter timeframe and get back into the workforce quickly.
Unlike other schools, YOU CAN CHOOSE to take the gen-ed classes before your program begins if you would rather get some classes out of the way early. Some students prefer to lighten the course load for later semesters when the schoolwork gets more intense.
What You'll Learn & Prerequisites and Requirements
- 1st Semester
- 2nd Semester
- 3rd Semester
- Prerequisites
- Requirements for Program
How We Set Our Students Up For Success
NCLEX prep
We know it’s important for you to be confident in passing your licensure exam (the whole reason you’re taking the program to begin with)! Since it’s so integral, we built the NCLEX preparation into the program so you’re practicing for it throughout your entire time at TCTC. In 2024 the NCLEX-RN pass rate for our LPN to RN program was 89.47*, and our Practical Nursing (LPN) program had a NCLEX-PN pass rate of 79.31%**.
After the conclusion of the program we have an NCLEX prep specialist come to our campus and spend 3 days going over material and practice questions. This NCLEX review session really boosts our students’ confidence before taking the exam.
Clinicals
Classroom learning is pointless if you’re not confident practicing your skills in real-life. We wouldn’t want to throw you to the wolves as a new nurse without any hands-on practice, so we make sure that after learning skills in the classroom, you have plenty of time and various scenarios to practice those skills…whether on a computerized mannequin that simulates real-life symptoms or on real patients at healthcare facilities under instructor guidance. You’ll practice your skills in a variety of scenarios at many different locations including Peds/OB Clinics, Labor and Delivery, Walk-In Clinics, ER, OR, ICU, Wound Care, Cancer Center, Dialysis and more.
Simulation and Skills Labs
Our simulation and skills lab allows students to practice their nursing skills in a lower-risk environment. Instructors can make the mannequins show symptoms specific to certain health problems, while the students practice nursing skills on a simulation mannequin. This helps take pressure off of students and allows them to make plenty of mistakes before practicing on a real patient.
Job Placement
TCTC does not have a specific job placement guarantee, but we do everything in our power to help you find and get a job during your last semester of school. As shown by our 95% placement rate for 2023-2024 LPN to RN grads and our 100% placement rate for 2023-2024 LPN grads, this is a job we take seriously. It is typical for almost all of our students to have secured jobs even before they graduate! We help prepare our students for the workforce by :
- Giving class time and instructor help with writing resumes, practicing interview skills, and other skills related to job searching.
- Having local recruiters and healthcare professionals visit your classroom and talk to all students about their facility and any jobs available.
- Constantly alerting students to upcoming career fairs and networking opportunities.
- Passing along job opening information from local healthcare facilities that approach us requesting qualified candidates.
Student Story
“I think TCTC was great. I went there for my LPN and I chose to go back for my RN because I was used to the teachers and how the school worked. Clarice was very helpful in trying to find aid for me and a lot of schools don’t really care. The teachers are the same way, they want you to truly know what you are doing, and they don’t just push you through and hope you pass. They set you up for success and encourage you along the way.”
-Courtney Stewart, LPN Class of 2015 & RN Class of 2017
Objectives & Opportunities
- Program Objectives
- Employment Opportunities