Nursing, LPN to RN Transition Tracks, AS

Mission Statement

The Bossier Parish Community College Nursing Program is committed to student centered learning through academic instruction, skills laboratory, clinical simulation, clinical experiences, and community partnerships to promote excellence in nursing and the maximum development of student potential within a caring, innovative learning environment in which students advance educational goals. 

Goal

It is the goal of the BPCC Nursing Program to sufficiently prepare entry-level Associate Degree nurses for safe and competent nursing practice utilizing the cognitive, psychomotor, and affective domains, and to meet state and national expectations within the nursing profession.

Student Learning Outcomes

Recipients of the Associate of Science in Nursing will have demonstrated:

1. Professional behaviors including commitment to continued quality improvement, ethical and legal standards of practice, efficient management of resources, patient advocacy, and lifelong learning.
2. Promotion of safety in the workplace to minimize risk of harm to self, patients, family members, and coworkers
3. Use of therapeutic communication techniques which result in optimal relationships with patients and families, and teamwork and collaboration with interdisciplinary team members
4. The ability to provide patient-centered care with regard to cultural and life-span diversity in a variety of healthcare settings
5. Evidence-based practice to inform the nursing process for clinical judgment and critical decision making
6. Use of informatics and technology to document, manage patient records and support decision making.
7. The ability to use the nursing process to assess, plan, and implement patient care to promote positive outcomes

The Associate of Science in Nursing Program at Bossier Parish Community College located in Bossier City, Louisiana is accredited by the: Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN), 3390 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 1400 Atlanta, GA 30326, (404) 975-5000. The most recent accreditation decision made by the ACEN Board of Commissioners for the Associate of Science in Nursing Program is Continuing Accreditation. View the public information disclosed by the ACEN regarding this program on the ACEN website.

The Associate of Science in Nursing Program at Bossier Parish Community College has full approval of the Louisiana State Board of Nursing (LSBN), 17373 Perkins Road, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70810, (225) 755-7500.

Selection Policy

Admission to BPCC clinical level Nursing Program courses is granted on a competitive basis to students who have completed all qualification (prerequisite) courses, met all other requirements, and made application to the program prior to the published deadline. It is important to note that meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee admission into the BPCC Nursing Program courses.

The BPCC Nursing Program maintains highly selective admission criteria in addition to the general admission requirements of BPCC. The competitive selection process is based on a point system utilizing the Nursing Admission Scoring Rubric. Students will be ranked from highest to lowest in numerical order and only students with the highest rubric values will be offered admission into the BPCC clinical level Nursing Program. Applicants not selected must maintain eligibility and reapply for admission at a later time.

The number of nursing students accepted into the nursing program is dependent on Louisiana State Board of Nurses’ (LSBN) faculty-student ratio requirements, availability of clinical sites, and classroom space. It is our belief that educational standards and acceptable ratios in the classroom and clinical setting must be maintained to provide excellence in education, success on the national licensure exam and quality healthcare for the community.

LPN to RN Transition Tracks:

BPCC offers two options for the LPN to continue their education to become an RN: the LPN to RN Transition Track and the LPN to RN Apprenticeship. Both options require an unencumbered license to practice practical nursing and one year of full-time working experience as an LPN.

The LPN to RN Transition Track requires the student to attend class on campus one day per week. Clinical rotations are scheduled every other weekend, for a maximum of five weekends a semester. This “work friendly” option is designed to meet the need of the LPN who is working full-time and does not have hospital medical-surgical experience. The LPN will attend on a part-time basis and the program requires four terms (semesters) to complete with summers off.

The LPN to RN Apprenticeship is currently being piloted in collaboration with the Willis-Knighton Healthcare System (WKHS). To qualify, the LPN must have one year of full-time medical-surgical experience and must be currently employed full-time on a medical-surgical floor. Under this option, the LPN will take theory classes online and earn clinical training hours while working, under the direction of an RN Preceptor and BPCC faculty member. This option requires three terms to complete including a summer session.

All students selected for the LPN to RN Transition Program must provide all required clinical information for the clinical component of the program including a completed health status statement form completed by a physician; laboratory immunization/testing reports for mumps, measles, rubella, tetanus, tuberculosis, varicella zoster, Hepatitis B, and COVID 19 and any others required by the hospital/clinical facility; and documentation of laboratory testing for negative drug/alcohol screening. Students must also maintain current health insurance coverage while in the program and submit a signed consent/release for comprehensive background check. Students must maintain a minimum grade of C (76%) or better in all program course work to remain in the program. Refer to the BPCC Nursing Program Clinical Handbook for specific policies and procedures on program progression and graduation.

Essential Requirements

Admissions to nursing and allied health programs at BPCC are based on academic achievement and additional program specific non-academic criteria. Essential Requirements have been established by each program identifying the occupational-specific technical standards required of students in the program. Decisions to apply for admission to the BPCC Nursing Program should be made after considering the Program Essential Requirements. The Essential Requirements are available in the Nursing Program Application from the Nursing program office (H-133) or posted to the BPCC website.

LPN to RN Transition Program Application Deadlines

LPN to RN Transition Program applications are due by 3:30 p.m. on the first Monday in March or October for admission to the LPN to RN Transition course (NURS 204 ) in the following semester. The LPN to RN Apprenticeship deadline is the first Monday in March. Applications are submitted electronically and must include all required information to be eligible for consideration. Students must contact the nursing office for a link to the application. Applications should be submitted during the last semester of qualification courses. 

Louisiana State Board of Nursing Requirements

All students admitted to the BPCC clinical nursing program must submit to the Louisiana Board of Nursing an authorization form for a Criminal Background Check, an application for enrollment in a clinical nursing program, meet all other requirements of the Louisiana State Board of Nursing and receive approval from the Louisiana State Board of Nursing.

If a student is admitted to the clinical sequence of the program, any subsequent disciplinary action, arrest, criminal charge or conviction, addiction, or impairment, etc. shall also be reported IMMEDIATELY to the Nursing Program Administrator and to the Louisiana State Board of Nursing (LSBN). All required documents shall be forwarded to the LSBN for evaluation in determining the student’s eligibility to continue in the clinical sequence of the program.

Transfer of Credit Policy

Students should refer to the BPCC Catalog for college policies regarding transfer of prerequisite/qualification courses. Transfer of nursing program courses, courses with a NURS prefix, will be evaluated on an individual basis and will be accepted at the discretion of the BPCC Nursing Program Administrator. Any applicant who has attended another nursing program and is not in good standing and/or is not eligible to continue/return to that program will not be eligible for admission into the BPCC Nursing Program for a period of three years following the failure. Determination of acceptable transfer credits will be made according to the following guidelines:

• All NURS prefix courses must have been taken within the three-year time limit to complete the undergraduate program degree requirements. Credit will not be granted for nursing courses taken more than 3 semesters prior to admission into the BPCC Nursing Program.
• Courses must be listed on an official transcript from an accredited college/university, and transcript must show a letter grade of “A,” “B,” or “C” in the course unless “P” is approved by the faculty.
• A grade of “C” or better in each course
• Students shall provide a syllabus and course description for all nursing courses being evaluated for transfer.

Acceptance of transfer students into the BPCC Nursing Program depends on availability of slots in the clinical component of the program.

NCLEX-RN Licensure Exam Policy

All BPCC Nursing Program degree requirements must be completed before the student is eligible to apply to take the NCLEX-RN Examination (National Council Licensure Exam - Registered Nurse). All graduates of the program seeking initial registration in Louisiana must take the NCLEX-RN administered by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing.

Required Courses for Associate of Science in Nursing (LPN to RN Transition Tracks):