South Piedmont Community College has launched an LPN-to-RN Bridge Program specifically designed to help LPNs advance their careers in a shortened amount of time.
“We’re thrilled to be able to offer this to our community,” said Executive Director of Nursing Ashley Steagall. “With this program, we are offering current LPNs a direct, streamlined path to career advancement. We’re also doing our part to produce the highly trained nursing professionals that are needed within our community. If you’re an LPN looking to take the next steps, come check out South Piedmont’s LPN-to-RN Bridge Program.”
The LPN-to-RN Bridge Program is a one-year, in-person course of study that will build on the skills and knowledge that licensed practical nurses use in their day-to-day work.
“We’ll fill in all the gaps that they need to be able to become registered nurses, things like advanced assessment skills, the legalities of being an RN, things they haven’t used in the LPN practice,” Steagall said.
According to Lightcast, a provider of workforce data, 27 percent more registered nurses – or nearly 5,000 RNs – will be needed in the five-county region that includes Anson, Union, Carrabus, Mecklenburg and Stanly counties by 2034. South Piedmont serves Anson and Union counties, but South Piedmont alumni go on to work at healthcare providers throughout the broader region and beyond.
RNs earn higher wages than LPNs, making the LPN-to-RN Bridge Program a great option for nurses looking to increase their earnings.
“It’s just an incredible opportunity for working LPNs. They don’t have to come back and start over, doing two years of coursework. They already have a huge foundation, and South Piedmont recognizes that and is offering them a way to build on that foundation to take their careers to the next level,” Steagall said.
LPNs will train in the College’s recently renovated nursing simulation lab that includes several high-fidelity manikins capable of simulating real nursing scenarios.
For more information on the LPN-to-RN Bridge, email healthadmissions@spcc.edu.
To apply for the program, visit spcc.edu/admissions-aid/how-to-apply.
Applications are being accepted through Nov. 21. Classes for the first LPN-to-RN Bridge cohort will begin in May 2026.