Virginia, VA | LPN to BSN Nursing School Program

Why Do a Virginia LPN to BSN?

A Licensed Practical Nurse in Virginia makes a good living and has plenty of job opportunities. So why pursue an LPN to BSN program in Virginia? Because a BSN provides a nurse with specialized knowledge that opens up a plethora of job opportunities both within and outside of a traditional health care setting and allows a nurse to pursue a career that is directly based on their interests, whether they lie in patient care, research, education or beyond. Private sector jobs, management positions, and more become available to a BSN, both vastly increasing salary potential, and also allowing students to follow personal interests both within their education and when they re-enter the work force. From Cancer and pharmaceutical research to the instruction of Certified Nursing Assistants, a BSN provides the opportunity to go beyond patient care and delve into any number of occupational streams. And with the BSN also offering the advantage of preparing students for licensure as a Registered Nurse, who make $60,000 on average in the state, it may just allow a currently licensed LPN to pursue their dreams.

How to Do an LPN to BSN in Virginia

It takes around 2.5 to 3 years of full time study to complete an LPN to BSN in Virginia, which can be completed at night, or, in some cases, online. However, if this seems like too much, there are also part time options available at most schools. A BSN does not lead to a higher level of licensure than an Associate Degree, Nursing—nurses in a BSN also take the national Registered Nurse licensing examination, the NCLEX-RN. What it does, though, is create the potential for greater specialization, diverse career opportunities, and more for LPN to BSN students.

Just like LPN training in Virginia, an LPN to BSN in the state requires general education courses like statistics and psychology, and science courses such as chemistry upon entry. But, most of the program focuses on nursing-specific education in areas like clinical study and theory, and focused topics such as pediatrics, medication, assessment, legal issues in health care, even bioterrorism and more. Indeed, it is through the extra time allotted to a BSN that an LPN can pursue the areas of nursing that they find the most interesting towards an enjoyable and personally gratifying career path.

An LPN to BSN program leads to licensure as a Registered Nurse via the NCLEX-RN. The test carries a $130 application fee paid to the Virginia Board of Nursing and an additional $200 to exam administrators Pearson Vue. Once completed, earning potential skyrockets. RNs make fifty percent more than LPNs—an average of around $60,000 per year (according to BLS.gov) in Virginia—and once one has completed an LPN to BSN program, they have expanded opportunities in positions of great responsibility both within a health care setting and in the private sphere.
Virginia LPN to BSN