LPN to Associate Degree Nursing Bridge

Designed for licensed practical and vocational nurses who want to become registered nurses, this rigorous associate degree program provides the coursework and hands-on clinical experience to ready you for registered nursing positions in hospitals, long-term care centers, clinics and other healthcare facilities. Graduates are prepared to take the National Council Licensing Exam (NCLEX) to become a licensed registered nurse in Minnesota, North Dakota or South Dakota.

You’ll learn to:

• Make nursing judgments using evidence-based research and clinical reasoning for quality patient care across diverse populations.
• Recognize the patient as the source of control and a full partner in their care, and to respect patient preferences, values and needs.
• Function effectively within nursing and inter-professional teams, fostering open communication, mutual respect and shared decisions to achieve quality patient care
• Promote quality care and a safe environment through system effectiveness and individual performance
• Participate in quality improvement
• Demonstrate accountability to professional nursing values by adhering to legal and ethical principles and participating in continuous professional development
• Utilize information and technology to communicate, manage knowledge, mitigate error and support decision-making
• Apply nursing leadership concepts to high-quality care 

Accreditation

See program accreditation at Accreditation.

Program outcomes

See exam pass rates at Pass rates.

Related Programs

You may also be interested in the Health Sciences Broad Field Transfer Pathway.

Our associate of applied science degree programs make it possible for you to easily transfer to a four-year college or university to pursue an advanced degree. The LPN to Associate Degree Nursing Bridge program offers automatic acceptance and seamless transfer into the flexible, online RN bachelor’s degree program at Minnesota State University Moorhead. There are many advantages of beginning your postsecondary studies at M State, including cost savings due to our low tuition rate and smaller class sizes with personalized instruction. Learn more about your transfer options at Transfer Programs and Pathways.

State Licensure Information

This program meets educational requirements for professional licensure or certification in the states of Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota. Learn more about licensure in other states at Nursing. 

Appeals, Transfer and Progression

Visit Appeals, Transfer and Progression to learn more.

Facilities

Explore 360 views of where you'd learn, study, test and practice in this M State program:

Moorhead campus

Classroom

Simulation lab

Fergus Falls campus

Wadena campus

Detroit Lakes campus

Beginning fall 2025, M State will offer an opportunity to easily bridge into our LPN to Associate Degree Nursing Bridge program! To qualify, you must:

• Have graduated from the M State Practical Nursing Program within the past 10 years
• Hold a current, unencumbered practical nursing license

Please see Admission Requirements in the How to Apply section to learn more, apply and grow your nursing career!

This program is competitive and has some special requirements for admission. Learn more:

LPN Associate Degree Nursing Bridge Admissions Requirements - Fall

LPN Associate Degree Nursing Bridge Admissions Requirements - Spring

Welcome to the M State nursing program! See the accepted nursing students page for essential resources and instructions.

Learn how to apply for graduation and the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX).