Accelerated LPN – RN
- WVU Parkersburg
Overview
Earn Your Registered Nurse Degree!
The LPN to RN program is an accelerated pathway for Licensed Practical Nurses to complete an Associate of Applied Science degree in Nursing. The program is designed to take 16 months and will prepare students to practice as Registered Nurses in a variety of healthcare settings.
The curriculum will provide students with classroom and clinical experiences to meet the community’s diverse and changing healthcare needs and beyond. Upon completing the LPN to RN program, graduates are eligible to take the National Council License Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN). Successful completion of this examination is required for licensure and practice.
Clinical nursing experiences are offered under faculty supervision at Marietta Health System and WVU Medicine: Camden Clark.
Completion of the nursing courses, general education degree requirements and subsequent posting of the degree provides eligibility for students to apply for licensure as registered nurses. Licensing requirements are the exclusive responsibility of the State Boards of Nursing. Admission to, and graduation from, the nursing program does not guarantee that the West Virginia Board of Examiners for Registered Professional Nurses will endorse the graduate as a candidate to sit for the licensure examination. The Board of Examiners for Registered Professional Nurses may deny testing to any applicant proven guilty of certain infractions such as, but not limited to, fraud, felony or moral misconduct. (West Virginia Code §30-7-11.)
The associate nursing program at West Virginia University at Parkersburg is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN), 3390 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 1400 Atlanta, GA 30326.
The most recent accreditation decision made by the ACEN Board of Commissioners for the associate nursing program is Initial Accreditation. To view the public information disclosed by the ACEN regarding this program, click here.
Application to Program
Our Nursing and Health Sciences programs have limited enrollment and a selective review process. Applicants requesting admission to this program must first meet the requirements for general admission to the college and be admitted to the college. In addition to meeting all general admission criteria for the college, students must complete a separate Nursing and Health Sciences application, provide an official copy of their high school transcript and any prior college transcripts and complete the pre-nursing admission exam. Applications will be accepted year-round. Application forms are available in the Nursing and Health Sciences Division office or click here.
Admission criteria for the Accelerated LPN to RN program include:
- An overall GPA from all colleges of at least 2.0
- An active, unencumbered LPN license
* Licensed practical nurses (LPN) with an active, unencumbered license are no longer required to take the entrance exam, the HESI A2.
** Applicants who have earned an associate degree or higher in any discipline are no longer required to take the entrance exam, the HESI A2.
An admission preference will be given to those applicants who meet all the admission requirements AND have completed BIOL 107/107L.
Additionally, the applicant must be able to engage in educational and training activities in a manner that does not endanger themselves or others. The curricula leading to a degree in nursing from WVU Parkersburg requires students to engage in diverse and complex experiences directed at the acquisition and practice of essential nursing skills and functions. Unique combinations of cognitive, affective, psychomotor, physical and social abilities are required to perform these functions satisfactorily. In addition to being essential to the successful completion of the requirements of a nursing degree, these skills and functions are necessary to ensure the health and safety of patients, fellow students, faculty and other healthcare providers.
Technical standards that describe the non-academic qualifications required in addition to academic qualifications that the college considers essential for entrance to, continuation in and graduation from its nursing degree program can be found in the Student Nurse Handbook. Candidates for a nursing degree must be able to meet these minimum standards with or without reasonable accommodation for successful completion of degree requirements.
It is important to note that completion of the application process does not imply that the applicant will be admitted to the nursing program.
Admission Limitations
Due to space limitations, qualified applicants are ranked according to cumulative grade point averages.
The highest-ranked students who meet the admission requirements by September 15 and March 15 will be admitted first and will begin in the upcoming semester. Other qualified applicants will be placed on a waiting list. On the first day of class, the waiting list is deleted. Because of competition for space, it is possible qualified applicants may not be selected for admission.
Updates to Applications
Students interested in pursuing admission in the next cycle must resubmit a completed application to the Nursing and Health Sciences Division. It is the responsibility of the student to provide appropriate documentation of changes in his/her personal and/or academic record.
To submit your application, email it to arichar2@wvup.edu, fax it to (304) 424-8211, or mail it to Nursing and Health Sciences, 300 Campus Drive, Parkersburg, WV 26101.
Study guides for the HESI A2 exam can be found online. We do not test on Physics or Chemistry. Find dates that the exam is being administered at WVU Parkersburg here. To take the exam, call the business office at (304) 424-8223 to pay the $50 exam fee, then ask to be transferred to the nursing office at (304) 424-8300 to register for the exam.
There are general education courses that will need to be completed either before or after admission to the program. These include PSYC 101, ENGL 101, College 101, BIOL 107, BIOL 108, BIOL 200, MATH 120 or higher, and 3 hours from the Aesthetics strand OR 3 hours from the Human Communication strand for general education courses. It is recommended that you complete BIOL 107 before beginning the program.
Additional Information
Kathy Frum
Dean (Nursing & Health Sciences Division)
Background Checks
Criminal background checks are required for all students entering Nursing and Health Sciences Division programs. The cost associated with the state and federal criminal history checks will be the responsibility of the student. A clinical facility has the right to refuse student access to clinical experiences based on the results of the criminal background check, which may prevent progression in the program. The Nursing and Health Sciences Division reserves the right to nullify a student’s admission based on the results of his or her background check.
Providing false information and/or failure to disclose background information on the application to the program is grounds for immediate dismissal.
- Accreditation Information
- Clinical Practice Requirements
- Drug & Alcohol Testing Policy
- Physical Form
- Technical Standards for Admission
- Uniforms
- Registered Nurse Educational Requirements Alignment with Other States Initial RN Licensure