Career progression in nursing is important, both for nurses and their patients. A study published in BMC Nursing in 2024 highlighted how ascending the career ladder in nursing could improve nurses’ job satisfaction and the quality of care they provide.
If you are already working as a licensed practical nurse (LPN), you may be interested in becoming a registered nurse (RN). Knowing how to go from LPN to RN by earning an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) can be the first step on the path to progressing in your nursing career, especially in Florida, with its expanding population and high demand for nurses.
Which Program Do You Need to Go From LPN to RN?
Nurses who want to go from LPN to RN need additional education, and they can obtain that education through an ADN program.
LPNs (which are called licensed vocational nurses, or LVNs, in Texas and California) should already know how to perform duties such as:
Administering certain medications
Helping patients bathe, dress, and eat
Performing certain types of wound care
Placing catheters
Taking patients’ vital signs
ADN programs teach students how to execute the more advanced responsibilities that RNs perform, such as:
Assessing patients’ conditions
Collaborating with other healthcare professionals
Performing diagnostic tests
Educating patients about their health conditions
Collecting patients’ health history information and documenting their symptoms
Earning an ADN When You Are Already an LPN
Full-time students can typically complete an ADN program in about two years. LPNs who maintain unencumbered, or unrestricted, LPN licenses — which are free from restrictions and limitations — throughout their ADN programs can receive a grant credit block for general education coursework they completed in their practical nursing training. This can reduce the number of quarter credit hours they need to take in an ADN program.
For example, LPNs in the Fortis ADN program in Pensacola, Florida, can get 21 quarter credit hours for the following courses, provided that they maintain unencumbered licenses:
Anatomy and Physiology I (6 quarter credit hours)
Foundations of Nursing (8 quarter credit hours)
Fundamentals of Human Nutrition (3 quarter credit hours)
Human Growth and Development (4 quarter credit hours)
In addition, if the transcripts from their practical nursing programs show that they have taken a general informatics course, LPNs can get an additional 2 quarter hours of credit for that course. Therefore, LPNs have the potential to start ADN programs already having credit for 23 of the 106 quarter credit hours they need to complete the ADN program.
ADN Program Courses
Required ADN courses for LPNs who want to become RNs cover topics such as:
Biology and microbiology
Communication
Pharmacology
Health assessment
Leadership and management
Psychology
ADN courses also cover specific types of nursing, such as:
Medical-surgical nursing
Pediatric nursing
Community nursing
Mental health nursing
Steps to Go From LPN to RN in Florida
Progressing from LPN to RN in Florida is a straightforward process. The steps in that process are outlined below.
Step 1: Maintain an Unencumbered LPN License
LPNs must maintain unencumbered LPN licenses as they apply for, are accepted into, and take courses in an ADN program.
Maintaining an unencumbered LPN license and providing a transcript of your practical nursing training is critical to starting an ADN program with certain credits already earned. In addition, nursing schools can dismiss LPNs from their ADN programs if they do not keep their licenses unencumbered.
Step 2: Apply For and Receive Formal Admission to an ADN Program
Nursing school admissions staff can assist applicants through the ADN admissions process. LPNs will need to complete and submit an application and evidence that they meet all of the ADN program’s eligibility requirements. Nursing schools send formal notifications to inform applicants about whether they have been accepted into ADN programs.
Step 3: Enroll In and Complete ADN Program Coursework
Nursing school staff advise students in ADN programs about the courses they will need to take. Students typically enroll in courses and pay tuition and fees through an online portal.
While enrolled in ADN programs, students also need to comply with nursing school requirements in areas such as minimum grades, attendance, and immunizations. The requirements of nursing schools can differ, so it is important to become familiar with the exact requirements of the nursing school you plan to attend.
Step 4: Pass the NCLEX-RN Exam and Obtain RN Licensure
Upon completion of an ADN program, LPNs who want to become RNs must pass the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN; administered by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing) to become certified as RNs. They also need to obtain licensure as RNs from the board of nursing in the state where they will be practicing.
Benefits of Attending an ADN Program in Florida
Advancing from LPN to RN through the Fortis ADN program in Florida can position individuals for certain benefits of becoming an RN in the Sunshine State. For example:
Demand for nurses in Florida is strong. Nursing shortages are plaguing states all across the country, and Florida is no exception. The state is projected to reach a shortage of 59,000 nurses by 2035, according to the Florida Hospital Association (FHA).
Florida is a top employer of RNs. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that Florida was the third-highest employer of RNs among all U.S. states as of May 2023.
Florida’s population is growing. The U.S. Census Bureau reported that Florida had the second-fastest growing population among all U.S. states as of December 2023. Additional RNs will be needed to provide healthcare services for these new Floridians.
Florida has an aging population. In 2022, a total of 22% of Florida’s population was at least 65 years old, which placed Florida among the four U.S. states with the highest percentage of people in that age category, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Florida’s aging population will drive demand for healthcare professionals, including nurses.
Florida has been recognized as a great place to live. In 2024, personal finance website WalletHub ranked Florida as the second-best state to live in the U.S. based on factors such as quality of life, economy, and safety.
Progress From LPN to RN to Advance on the Nursing Career Path
Working as an LPN offers opportunities to help improve the quality of patient care, and becoming an RN can expand those opportunities even further. When you advance from LPN to RN, you enhance your nursing expertise and take on higher-level responsibilities.
LPNs who want to become RNs can explore the Fortis ADN program in Pensacola, Florida, to learn how earning this degree can prepare them for entry-level RN roles and help them achieve their professional goals. Start progressing on your nursing career path today.
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