Texas County Technical College is preparing to complete its inaugural program on the one-year accelerated LPN to RN cycle.
In September 2014, the Missouri State Board of Nursing granted TCTC approval to offer the Accelerated LPN to RN program once per year instead of the standard once-every-two-years schedule. Not all nursing schools get approved to provide such programs. TCTC said it was proud to accept the opportunity.
The first one-year program began in May 2015. Students will be graduating in May 2016.
“The double turnover rate has been a great step forward and a much-needed addition to our school,” said Charlotte Gray, TCTC president. “As our country continues to need more RNs to serve an aging population, we are able to provide our local community with qualified people to fill those positions quicker.”
While the LPN program is a certificate program and the RN program an associate degree, the LPN program lays a foundation for RN training and provides students experience in the nursing field before working on their associate degrees. Since TCTC offers both programs, it is a natural transition because of the familiarity of the college.
TCTC now offers prospective students the ability to enter the licensed practical nursing program in August, finish the following August, and within nine months enter the accelerated LPN to RN program. Start and end dates allow for an LPN graduate to begin working right after graduation and prepare for entrance into the bridge program by taking, if needed, prerequisites offered through TCTC.
Both the LPN and RN programs are 12 months in length and fully approved by the Missouri State Board of Nursing. In the accelerated LPN to RN curriculum plan, a student attends class one day a week and attends clinicals one day a week. A student can work and go to school concurrently.
Gray said, “with this perfect program match, the staff at TCTC expects to see a true growth in our local nursing field and is optimistic for the future of nursing in our area.”
Texas County Technical College is accepting applications for the May 2016 accelerated LPN to RN program. Call 417-967-5466 for more information and to apply.