IVCC bridge program streamlines step to RN

When Katie Busch and Vicki Mead wanted to take the next step in their nursing careers, Illinois Valley Community College’s LPN-to-RN bridge program seemed a perfect fit.

Licensed practical nurses returning to the program can earn an associate’s degree after completing just one more year of study. IVCC’s program recognizes work experience and eliminates the need to repeat some prerequisite science courses, a prospect that had previously discouraged some students.

“Repeating courses could add as much as a full year’s coursework for students already balancing jobs, college and family life,” said Laura Hodgson, a nursing navigator. “We took out a lot of roadblocks to advancing in the degree program.”

“Students still must have completed anatomy and physiology and microbiology before they enter the bridge program but will have satisfied the requirements by completing those courses earlier,” said Director of Nursing Sue Smith. “This impacts IVCC graduates who are returning after some years away, and prospective students who trained in colleges that did not have the same course lineup.”

Whatever stage they enter the program, students can count on support from Smith and Hodgson, who help students develop plans for success.

“It may sound clichéd but you’re not just a number to me. Every student has diverse needs according to their prior education experience,” Hodgson said.

IVCC’s nursing program is structured so students can complete two years of coursework to become eligible for the LPN exam. Some choose to enter the workforce immediately, while other graduates move immediately into the RN program.

Busch and Mead graduated from IVCC’s LPN program and recently returned after years of working in the field. Busch moved to Texas, became a nurse in a COVID ward, and started a family. Mead worked in a surgeon’s office, a hospital, and now at the Illinois Veterans Home in La Salle.

Busch realized she wanted to pursue her nursing career – but not in Texas, where college choices were at least an hour’s drive away.

“The nursing program at IVCC was one of the reasons we moved back to this area. I felt I got a good education and was well prepared. As a new graduate, I had a lot of knowledge, and the skills came quickly. I knew some people did not feel prepared after they graduated, but I did,” Busch said.

She returned to a program that supported her then and now. “My instructors remembered my name, and that was something special after five years!”

She adapted to electronic textbooks and classrooms full of younger classmates. “Before, I broke my back with a 6-pound textbook, and now all these other students were pulling up the E-text with no problem and maneuvering through the assignments!” She quickly caught up with them.

Busch had a lot of questions, and she did not have to wait long for answers. “The instructors answered questions before they were even asked! For adults trying to manage time, family, school and another job, we need to have answers up front.”

Like Busch, Mead valued the summer refresher course that introduces the fall program with test- and note-taking strategies and other survival skills. She says the past prerequisite requirement held her back from returning to college earlier. The prerequisite “was an obstacle. I did not want to spend two years to complete the year I had left.”

At first, she was nervous about how long she had been away.

“I thought it would be difficult going back at this age (40-plus), but I don’t stand out. There is a real variety of age groups, a lot of diversity.”

Mead and Busch returned to a program they trusted and where they could flourish.

“Most of the nurses I work with have gone to IVCC and the College has a good reputation for passing the NCLEX (nursing board exams), and it’s just a 10-minute drive for me,” Mead said.

She had investigated other programs, including some online ones, but they were short on clinical hands-on experience.

Mead is satisfied that the experience she acquired in the field is valued in the program.

“They are open to the experience I have. I have learned a lot already but this time I am diving in deeper, and the program has helped me.”

Busch enjoys the opportunities the program gives her to work with real patients in hospital settings. And she is happy to be back on familiar ground.

“Here, they take the time to get to know you.”

IVCC’s Nursing Program offers a dynamic healthcare learning environment with classroom, lab, hands-on and virtual experiences. Applications for Fall 2025 are being accepted until March 2025. For additional information on the bridge program, contact Smith at sue_smith@ivcc.edu or Hodgson at laura_hodgson@ivcc.edu.