Application for first cohort now open to start in Summer 2024
The Ohio State University College of Nursing has opened the application for its new LIVE WELL Licensed Practical Nurse to Bachelor of Science in Nursing (LPN to BSN) Bridge program. The program is supported by a four-year, $4 million grant from the federal Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).
The purpose of the LIVE WELL LPN to BSN Bridge program is to break down barriers that prevent licensed nurses who come from rural or underserved populations from taking the next steps in their careers. This LPN to BSN track is one of a few programs of its kind in the country to provide direct support for students and specifically focus on addressing the barriers that inhibit academic achievement.
"This grant will make a big impact for Ohio. We will be able to provide a pathway for students to directly enter our top-ranked BSN program while providing a supportive infrastructure to help them be successful," said Wendy Bowles, PhD, APRN-CNP, CNE, assistant dean for baccalaureate programs at the College of Nursing and the lead on the LPN to BSN Bridge program. Uniquely, the educational pathway also focuses on populations in rural and medically underserved settings, which will greatly impact expanding opportunities and career ladders in the community. “I am confident that this program will provide a model for other large university settings that want to create an LPN to BSN track.”
Participants will have the unique chance to expand and enhance their educational journey to registered nursing, with the opportunity for financial support for eligible students. The program emphasizes health equity and combines theoretical knowledge with hands-on clinical experience and guidance from engaged and experienced preceptors. Courses cover various topics including advanced nursing concepts, research, community health, leadership and evidence-based practice. The program’s curriculum can be completed in two years.
At a time in which skilled nurses are in high demand at healthcare facilities across the country, the grant support afforded to the LPN to BSN Bridge program increases the capacity of the Ohio State College of Nursing to educate future healthcare clinicians and leaders. The first cohort for the LPN to BSN program, which will begin studies in Summer 2024, will consist of eight students, with each subsequent cohort increasing in size. That is in addition to the more than 170 traditional BSN students who begin their studies every year.
Other College of Nursing faculty who will help lead the LPN to BSN track include Becky Lorenz, PhD, RN; Candy Rinehart, DNP, APRN-CNP, FAANP; Amy Jauch, DNP, RN, CNE; Bevra Brinkman, DNP, APRN-CNS; Kelly Sullivan, DNP, APRN-CNP; and Portia Zaire, MSN Ed, BSN, RN, CNE.
Applications for the first cohort of the LPN to BSN program will be accepted until March 1, 2024. To learn more and apply, visit this website.
This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Nurse, Education, Practice, Quality and Retention - Pathway to Registered Nurse Program (NEPQR-PRNP) Grant UD749618 entitled the LIVEWELL LPN to BSN Bridge Program as part of an award totaling $3,999,074. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by HRSA, HHS, or the U.S. Government. For more information, please visit HRSA.gov.
