LVN to RN Bridge Program

This is an accelerated program that assists in advancing your career from LVN-to-RN.  LVNs completing this program will be prepared to perform the following duties:

•  Assess patients’ conditions

•  Record patients’ medical histories and symptoms

•  Observe patients and record their observations

•  Administer patients’ medicines and treatments

•  Set up plans for patients’ care or contribute information to existing plans

•  Consult and collaborate with doctors and other healthcare professionals

•  Operate and monitor medical equipment

•  Help perform diagnostic tests and analyze the results

•  Teach patients and their families how to manage illnesses or injuries

•  Explain what to do at home after treatment

Most registered nurses work as part of a team with physicians and other healthcare specialists. Some registered nurses oversee licensed practical nurses, nursing assistants, and home health aides.

 

 Visit U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

View the LVN to RN Bridge Degree Plan

The LVN-RN student can expect to be on the McKinney Campus a minimum of 2 to 3 days per week (Monday through Thursday) between the hours of 8:00am to 5:00pm.  Occasionally, attendance on a Friday may be required.  Students will attend Clinical at an assigned Health Care Facility in and around the Dallas area.  Clinical hours can be between 8 to 12 hours a day, 1 day a week.  There are no summer, night or weekend hours.

LVN-to-RN Accelerated Program is only for current Licensed Vocational Nurses.

The LVN-RN Program meets in the Spring and Fall over 3 semesters.

     
For the next admission start, see the application tab below.

    
Notice to Potential Students:  At this time, the LVN-RN Program is unable to accept students who have been unsuccessful in other nursing programs.

 
Nursing Students requesting to transfer and are in good standing with their current Nursing Program and have not failed any nursing courses, will only be considered if they meet the application requirements and understand they must start at the beginning of the LVN-RN Program.  See the Nursing Program Student Handbook - Section 10.11 - Transfer to Collin College from Other Colleges/Degree Evaluation.  

 
The following steps are to be followed for application to the LVN-RN Bridge Program.

1.  Application to Collin College:

•  The applicant must apply and be accepted as a student at Collin College before applying to the LVN-RN Program.  Admission to the college does not guarantee admission to the Nursing program.

•  Applicants must have a CWID Student Number.  

•  Official transcripts from all colleges/universities attended (NOT including Collin College transcripts) must be submitted to Admissions at Collin College.  Students will request a transcript evaluation by accessing "Transfer Credit Evaluation Request" through their student Workday account.  This should be completed before applying to the Nursing program.    
 

2.  Application to the LVN-RN Program:

•  Admission into the Nursing program is selective and based on available seats.  Applications are considered for the fall and spring semesters for the Associate of Applied Science Degree (ADN and LVN-RN Bridge programs).  Prospective students must submit an application, unofficial transcripts and TEAS test score from ATI Testing.  

•  Applicants must have an active, unencumbered LVN License from the Texas Board of Nursing.  Applicants with an out-of-state LVN license need to contact the Texas Board of Nursing to transfer the license before applying. 
 

3.  TEAS:  

•  All nursing applicants are required to take the TEAS exam.  There are no exemptions.  A minimum total composite score of 65% is required to be considered for admission.  The Reading and Science component of the TEAS score must be 50% or higher.  Applicants should register for the exam at www.atitesting.com or call 800-667-7531.

•  Applicants must have a TEAS score on file with ATI and available to Collin College on or before the application deadline date.  Applicants are responsible to assure that ATI sends the TEAS score to Collin College.  

•  All Collin College TEAS test dates are through ATI. The TEAS exam will be taken at the McKinney Campus Testing Center (W206), OR, as a online, proctored exam on any date that ATI Testing offers the TEAS.  See available TEAS dates for the McKinney Testing Center below on the TEAS tab.

•  The TEAS score is accepted if it is within one year of the application deadline date. 

•  The TEAS can be taken 2 times per application deadlines.   

 

4.  Prerequisites:  

•  LVN-RN candidates must maintain an overall prerequisites GPA of 2.5 or above from all completed colleges/universities courses applicable to the Nursing degree plan including prerequisites courses. 

• All prerequisite courses must be complete with a grade of "C" or better before applying to the LVN-RN Program by the application deadline date  The LVN-RN Application will not be accepted with any of the prerequisites missing or in progress.
  • There are 4 prerequisites:

BIOL 2401 (Anatomy and Physiology I),

BIOL 2402 (Anatomy and Physiology II),

BIOL 2420 (Microbiology), and

PSYC 2301 (General Psychology).  

•  The Biology courses do not expire after 5 years for the LVN-RN Program.

•  Provisional admission is granted according to a point system.  Points are calculated according to the specific program admission criteria sheet.  Criteria Score Sheet.  Students are admitted to the Nursing program on a provisional status pending successful completion of the background check, immunizations and completion of functional abilities/core performance standards.   

 

5.   Waitlist:

• The top 10-15% of qualified, unadmitted applicants whose admission criteria scores are passing but are not high enough to make the initial acceptance list, will be ranked and placed on a waitlist.  If a waitlisted applicant is not granted acceptance into the current class cohort, the applicant will be guaranteed admittance to the program in the following application cycle.   

6.   Application:

• The LVN-RN Application is online and can only be accessed through the student Workday account.  Applicants will need to apply to Collin College to become a student and have a student Workday account.  Applicants will go to the Application tab and follow the instructions listed on the Student Help Guide - Declare Program of Student - Selective Admissions.  

7.   Immunizations:

• Immunization records are NOT to be submitted at the time of application. Accepted students will be provided instructions on how to submit immunization records. Since some immunization are given over time, you are strongly encouraged to carefully review immunization requirements before applying.  See the Immunization Checklist for Clinical.
• Each of our clinical facilities has requirements that must be met in order to be allowed entry to the facility and to participate in clinical experiences.  Most of the requirements are standardized between healthcare organizations.  However, some have specific requirements related to patient population.  In order to meet program outcomes and complete your clinical experience you must comply with the clinical agency requirements.  If you choose to not comply with the agency's requirements, we cannot guarantee completion of the Nursing program.  

8.  Provisional acceptance into the LVN-RN program, students are required to:

• Purchase Liability Insurance (provided through the school, included with tuition).
• Purchase school-approved uniforms for clinical experiences.
• Obtain CPR certification - Basic Life Support (BLS) must be from American Health Association.
• Have a Physical Form completed by your physician.  See the Immunizations and Physical Form.
• Complete all required immunizations.
• Complete a TB (Tuberculosis) skin test and provide a copy of the results annually.  See the Nursing Program Student Handbook - Section 10.30 - Health Record Requirements - No. 3 Tuberculosis (TB) PPD or Mantoux skin test annually.
• Agree to a criminal background check.  See the Nursing Program Student Handbook - Section 10.4 Criminal Background Checks - TBON Background Check.
• Complete drug screening on a date specified by the Director of Nursing.
• Health Insurance documentation.  All Nursing students must provide documentation of having a health insurance policy.
• Purchase required supplies, uniforms, and textbooks to include mandatory instructional resources from ATI or other designated provider.

View Tuition and Fees

 

The nursing student should anticipate other costs in addition to books, tuition and fees paid to the college for courses taken.

 

 A few general additional fees include:

•  Uniforms and/or lab coat (as applicable to the specific program).

•  ATI learning materials

•  Collin College Nursing Student ID

•  CPR Certification

•  Skills packet or medical equipment (as applicable to the specific program).

•  Drug testing

•  NCLEX-PN or NCLEX-RN Registration (as applicable to the specific program), State Board of Nursing fee (as applicable to the specific program)

•  FBI fingerprints and background check

•  Health insurance

•  Physical exams

•  Immunizations

•  Online instructional resources

 

This list is not necessarily all inclusive and is subject to change.  Special fees and charges may be added as necessary and as approved by the Board of Trustees of Collin College.

The next admission will be SPRING 2026 with an application deadline date of September 12, 2025.  The application is available in Workday.  All applicants must have a student account in Workday to apply.  If you are not a student of Collin College, you will need to apply through the Apply Texas website.  After you become a student and have a Workday student account, follow the attached directions to apply to the LVN-RN Bridge Program for Spring 2026.    

 

STUDENT GUIDE to DECLARE PROGRAM OF STUDY for SELECTIVE ADMISSION

 

 

Notice to Potential Students:  At this time, the LVN-to-RN Bridge program is not able to accept any students that have been unsuccessful in other nursing programs.  

 

Nursing Students requesting to transfer and are in good standing with their current Nursing Program and have not failed any nursing courses, will only be considered if they meet the application requirements and understand they will start at the beginning of the LVN-RN Program.  See the Nursing Program Student Handbook - Section 10.11 - Transfer to Collin College from Other Colleges/Degree Evaluation.  

2025 - Available Dates

September 9, 11

 

•  All nursing applicants are required to complete the TEAS exam. There are no exemptions. A minimum total composite score of 65% is required to be considered for admission. The Reading and Science components of the TEAS score must be 50% or higher.

•  Applicants should register for the exam at www.atitesting.com or call 800-667-7531.

•  Applicants must have a TEAS score on file with ATI and available to Collin College on or before the application deadline date. Applicants are responsible to assure that ATI sends the TEAS score to Collin College.

•  All Collin College TEAS test dates are through ATI. The TEAS exam can be taken at the McKinney Campus Testing Center (W206), OR, as a online proctored exam on any date that ATI Testing offers the TEAS. See available TEAS test dates for the McKinney Testing Center above.

•  The TEAS score is accepted if it is within one year of the application deadline date.

•  The TEAS can be taken 2 times per between admission deadlines.

View Immunization Checklist for Clinical

In response to the Americans with Disabilities Act, a national survey of administrators of health care facilities, which employ nurses, validated a list of essential competencies a nurse must possess in order to function safely and effectively in a variety of clinical settings. Results indicate that relatively high numbers of activities were identified in each essential competency category by the health care agencies as being necessary for nursing practice.

These competencies include:

•  extended walking and standing daily

•  ability to grasp, push, and/or pull

•  ability to bend and stoop

•  moving quickly in response to an emergency

•  using upper body movements

•  ability to reach carrying and moving equipment

•  reaching and/or lifting

 

Other essential competencies identified for nursing care include:

•  vision that allows detecting physical changes

•  hearing that allows responding to physical and verbal cues

•  a sense of touch that allows for assessment and palpation

 

Adaptations most frequently reported as being used by nursing staff were hearing aids, adaptive phones, and calculators.

The LVN-RN Bridge Nursing Program at Collin College has also accepted these physical competencies as expectations for success in the program. Applicants will complete a Functional Abilities/Core Performance Standards Form upon conditional acceptance to the nursing program.

End of Program Student Learning Outcomes (EPSLO):

 

EPSLO #1: The students will demonstrate the knowledge to serve as a member of the profession. 

EPSLO #2: The students will demonstrate the ability to serve as a member of the profession. 

EPSLO #3: The students will demonstrate the knowledge to serve as a provider of patient-centered care. 

EPSLO #4: The students will demonstrate the ability to serve as a provider of patient-centered care using clinical judgment. 

EPSLO #5: The students will demonstrate the knowledge to serve as a patient safety advocate by reducing patient risks of harm, including safe medication administration. 

EPSLO #6: The students will demonstrate the ability to serve as a patient safety advocate by reducing patient risks of harm,

including safe medication administration. 

EPSLO #7: The students will demonstrate the knowledge to serve as a member of the health care team through teamwork and collaboration. 

EPSLO #8: The students will demonstrate the ability to serve as a member of the health care team through communication.