LPN to RN Bridge program
Licensed Practical Nurses are now welcome to apply to the LPN to RN Bridge Program at RVCC. The preferred application deadline is November 30th each year. However, applications will continued to be reviewed until February 15th with decisions being made by March 1st.
The program starts in the Summer semester only and continues in the following fall and spring semesters.
Upon successful completion of the nursing courses in the Associate of Science in Nursing program, graduates are eligible to sit for NCLEX-RN Licensing exam.
For general information about the LPN to RN Bridge Nursing program, review our 2026 RVCC Nursing Information Packet!
The program has full approval from the New Hampshire Board of Nursing and national accreditation from the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN).
Registered Nurses (RNs) provide and coordinate patient care, educate patients and the public about various health conditions, and provide advice and emotional support to patients and their family members.
Admission to the LPN to RN Bridge Program:
Prospective students are encouraged to review the Nursing Information Packet found in the Overview tab to learn about the specific program requirements.
Admission Requirements
- Submit an application for the LPN to RN Bridge.
- Have official college transcripts sent to RVCC.
- Hold a current, unencumbered Practical Nursing License in New Hampshire or New England region.
- Successfully complete the NLN Nursing Acceleration Challenge Exam (NACE) I: Foundations of Nursing with a required overall percent correct score of 68% or better. Test scores are valid for a period of 12 months prior to application deadline.
- Complete all core Liberal Arts courses with a “C” or better. To be eligible for transfer, courses should be < 10 years old.
The following courses or their equivalent must be completed before being accepted into the program.
LPN courses (equivalent to RVCC PN courses)
College Composition and Math elective should be completed prior to starting the summer nursing class.
Other core Liberal Arts co-requisite courses include:
Microbiology elective
Humanities/Fine Arts/World Language elective
We recommend students complete the co-requisite electives prior to the Fall semester due to the rigorous schedule in the Nursing program.
Application Review
Because of the limited number of spaces, the program is very competitive. In order for an application to be reviewed, all admission requirements must be submitted to the Office of Admissions by the preferred deadline of November 30. After that date, completed applications will be reviewed until all seats are filled or February 15th. Students will be notified of acceptance by March 1st.
Upon acceptance to the Nursing Program, other requirements include:
• A physical exam within 12 months
• Immunization verification for TDaP, MMR, Varicella, and Hepatitis B (or waiver)
• AHA BLS for Healthcare Providers
• Two-step TB test
• Verification of health insurance
- Flu vaccines are mandated by the clinical sites and are therefore required by a specified date of the fall semester for all nursing programs at RVCC.
Please explore this step by step NLN student guide for further information on how to set up for your NLN account, register for the exam, and access prep materials. As the NLN is a third-party examination service, RVCC is unable to assist in completing these tasks, or answering questions about the exam, login information or associated costs. The NLN-Student-Guide does include a contact for customer service should you run into any challenges in these areas.
Once you have created an account, you will have 90 days (about 3 months) access to a PDF (Adobe) workbook with general information regarding the NACE exams and test-taking strategies. There is a comprehensive overview that summarizes the key facts and concepts. In addition to the workbook, the candidate has access to a practice item bank with retired questions from the NACE exam. Students can access all these materials once they have created their NLN account.
Course Sequencing
Courses to complete during LPN program / prior to starting LPN to RN Bridge
Semester 1 (Summer)
Semester 2 (Fall)
Semester 3 (Spring)
RVCC Nursing Handbook
The RVCC Nursing Student Handbook is an important tool to ensure understanding of the program policies and expectations of nursing students; please review carefully. During the first week of class, we will review these policies and answer any questions you may have. Along with this handbook, please review the RVCC Student
Handbook for general policies and procedures. Program policies are subject to revision. Nursing students are notified by written notice of revisions. can be found in the hyperlink below, and is updated every summer.
RVCC 2025-2026 Registered Nursing Program Handbook (pdf)
Faculty
S. Kuykendall
Connie Powell
Faculty | Nursing ClaremontProfessor; Program Director
Cynthia Smith
Faculty | Nursing ClaremontAssociate Professor; Clinical Coordinator
Health Sciences and Services18-19 Credits Required
of students qualify for financial aid