LPN to RN Licensure and Accreditation: What You Need to Know

The job of the registered nurse (RN) isn’t much different from the job of the licensed practical nurse (LPN). As an RN, you’ll required to have more education, so when working as an RN, you’ll typically have increased responsibilities and receive a slightly higher paycheck. To help you earn your RN license as quickly as possible, many schools offer LPN to RN programs. These programs allow you to become an RN without repeating the classes you already took as part of your LPN program. Once you complete this program, you’ll qualify to be licensed as an RN. Here’s what you need to know about earning this license and how that related to program accreditation.

RN Licensing Requirements

RN licensing is regulated by the state, so the exact criteria you have to meet depend on where you live. In most states, you’ll have to complete an RN educational program, do a certain number of clinical hours where you’ll work with real patients under close supervision, and pass a licensing exam. You may notice that your state requires education programs to be accredited. If you attend an unaccredited LPN to RN program, you may not qualify to get your RN license.

What is Accreditation?

Accreditation is a way for state licensing programs and students considering different colleges to know that the education available at a specific program is going to adequately prepared students for a career in nursing. If a college is not accredited, there’s no way of knowing whether or not the program is legitimate. Although not as prominent as they have been in the past, diploma mills do still exist – these are “colleges” that don’t actually teach you much – they just take your money and give you a degree. Accreditation is a way to keep diploma mills at bay, and this is especially important in the nursing field, since you’ll have patients’ health in your hands when working as an RN.

Accreditation Agencies

There are three types of accreditation: National, Regional, and Specialized. National and regional accreditation agencies look at the school as a whole. In the United States, there are five national accrediting agencies: the Distance Education and Training Council, the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools, the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology, the Accrediting Council for Continuing Education and Training, and the Council on Occupational Education. Your school might be accredited by one or by all of these. There are also countless regional accreditation agencies, which look at the comprehensive school environment.

The type of accreditation that should concern you as an RN, though, is specialized accreditation. this type of accreditation looks at a single program instead of the school in general – in this case, they’ll be looking at the school’s nursing department. In order to apply for you RN license, the program you attend must be accredited by either the National League of Nursing Accreditation Commission (NLNAC) and the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). Check with your state requirements to ensure that you meet your location’s requirements when it comes to attending an accredited program.

Online Accreditation

In the past, online colleges weren’t accredited, which severely limited their usefulness to nurses. Today, however, online programs can be accredited, which allows you to consider these LPN to RN options if you want to get an advanced degree. Keep in mind that since all states do require you to have clinical hours along with your nursing education, you’ll need to look for an online school that partners with a local hospital or other healthcare facility to you can get this offline experience working with patients.

Exam Preparation

The main benefit to attending an accredited program if you are a nursing student is that it will prepare you for your state’s nursing exam so you can be issued an RN license. If accreditation wasn’t required by the state, it might be tempting to choose a diploma mill instead of a legitimate program, since you’ll have to do less work, but in the end, you won’t be prepared to work as a nurse. You aren’t cheating the system – you’re cheating yourself. In the end, an accredited program only benefits you, as it will make it easier to pass the licensing exam, and you’ll be prepared and confident to work with patients in a nursing role.

Licensed practical nurses will eventually hit a ceiling in terms of job responsibilities and pay scale. For the LPN seeking a career advancement as a registered nurse, the right LPN to RN program can open doors to new opportunities within the nursing profession. Below are the best colleges offering LPN to RN and related nursing degree programs.

Top LPN to RN Online Degree Programs

LPN to BSN

Indiana State University >> The LPN to RN program offered by Indiana State University has excellent curriculum that gives students the ability to further their education without requiring them to quit their day jobs. This program is created for nurses that have busy schedules by offering the program online giving greater flexibility than other more traditional programs. This online RN/BSN training program is the only one of its kind, and offers distance learning courses enabling nurses to earn their baccalaureate job without requiring a full time commitment.

LPN to RN Bridge
LPN to BSN

The College Network >> The LPN/LVN to RN (ADN) program offers an exciting new way for nurses to earn their NLNAC accredited degree in half the time and cost of traditional programs with NO Campus Attendance. Nurses can earn their degree in 12-18 months with no waiting list and local clinicals. The College Network has worked with the National League for Nursing to develop and deliver these programs to assure they are up-to-date with current standards and regulations.

RN to BSN RN to MSN MSN - Nurse Admin MSN - Nurse Education	Kaplan University >> Kaplan University's RN to BSN and RN to MSN programs allow students to accelerate their degrees to the next level. The MSNs in Nurse Administration or Nurse Education teach advanced skills in nursing. Graduates of these programs pursue management or teaching positions. Kaplan is also among the largest online educators in the world.
BS in Nursing (BSN)	Walden University >> The BSN program from Walden University gives the education and skills necessary for students of nursing to keep pace with the rapidly changing health care industry by providing a strong foundation of core concepts and insights into the future development of this field. MSN programs are also offered in nurse education, nurse informatics, and nurse management.
BS in Nursing (BSN)	Liberty University >> Liberty University provides a RN to BSN program for registered nursing seeking to obtain their Bachelors of Science degree. This program goes beyond the framework taught for the registered nurse certification and gives a competitive edge that will enable advancement in health care fields. The MSN program in acute care develops the framework to provide health care services in more complex patient issues that arise.
BS in Nursing (BSN)	South University >> The MSN programs in General, Adult Health, and Nurse Education at South University provide excellent curriculum for top notch medical care. The adult health program focuses on providing adult health care for a wide range of medical needs while the nurse education program develops teaching and coaching skills to train future medical professionals. The school also offers RN to BSN and RN to MSN programs. These programs advance students' understanding of complex medical theory and also give the skills necessary for advancement into management.
BS in Nursing (BSN)	Utica College >> Small classes and a professionally-trained faculty known for their clinical experience and knowledge of the field give Utica College online RN to BSN students the foundation for the next stage of their educational and professional careers. In addition to those with associate's degrees, Utica College embraces transfer students, accepting up to 90 credits.
BS in Nursing (BSN)	Herzing University >> At Herzing University, the RN to BSN program gives registered nurses the education and knowledge they need to advance beyond their coworkers and become leaders in their organization. Masters of Science programs in Nurse Education and Nurse Management are developed to provide an excellent knowledge of nursing's complex health care areas necessary to lead and teach the future nursing talent that will provide healthcare in the nation's health care facilities.
BS in Nursing (BSN)	Grand Canyon University >> Grand Canyon University provides a dual degree in MBA/MSN. This program prepares candidates for a rewarding career in management of health care fields. The school also has an excellent RN to BSN program for registered nurses desiring to advance within their company or field. The course work greatly expands the student's knowledge of nursing concepts. A MSN in Nursing Education and Nursing Leadership is offered for professionals that desire to teach and shape the future of the health care industry.
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