NATCHITOCHES – Northwestern State University’s Transition to RN pathway provides experienced allied health professionals an opportunity to pursue an Associate of Science in Nursing degree and registered nursing licensure while building on their previous health care education and experience.
Offered at NSU’s Shreveport, Cenla and Leesville campuses, the Transition to RN pathway is designed for licensed or certified health care professionals, including licensed practical nurses, paramedics, military medics, respiratory therapists, occupational therapy assistants and physical therapy assistants. Students complete the pathway in three consecutive semesters through a combination of online coursework and in-person laboratory and clinical experiences.
Krystyna Tabor, MSN, RN, director of the Transition to RN pathway, said the pathway provides a more direct route for allied health professionals such as LPNs, medics, paramedics, occupational therapy assistants, physical therapy assistants and respiratory therapists to pursue nursing education.
To qualify, students must have completed an allied health or nursing certificate or degree program, worked full time for at least one year in that health care field and hold a current, unencumbered certificate or license to practice.
Tabor said students entering the pathway bring valuable health care experience, including caring for patients and responding to challenging situations.
“Those medical professionals tend to deal with the pressure a little bit better,” Tabor said.
After completing the pathway, graduates are eligible to take the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses, or NCLEX-RN. Passing the examination allows graduates to become licensed registered nurses.
“They can work in any environment that any other registered nurse can work in,” Tabor said.
Jackson Taylor of Bossier City is a paramedic enrolled in the Transition to RN pathway. Taylor plans to continue working as a paramedic after becoming a registered nurse and eventually hopes to attend graduate school and pursue training to become a certified registered nurse anesthetist.
Taylor said his experience as a paramedic gives him a foundation he can carry into nursing while the nursing pathway can broaden the knowledge and skills he brings to emergency medical services.
“Paramedics are trained to a high level and nursing is also trained to a high level, and I feel like we can benefit from that,” Taylor said. “I feel like a nurse wanting to be a paramedic would be able to take care of their patients better, and a paramedic wanting to be a nurse would be able to take better care of their patients.”
“This is going to be a good program to have in the area because our paramedics in Shreveport-Bossier are really well trained, and this will be a good way to learn to take care of patients better on the ground and in the air as well,” Taylor said.
Tabor said the Transition to RN pathway expands access to nursing education for health care professionals whose previous education and experience can provide a foundation for registered nursing practice.