Selective Admission Requirements
Admission into the Bridge Program is selective and competitive and admission to Richland Community College does not guarantee acceptance to the program. Students must meet the minimum admission criteria to be eligible to apply. Once the criteria have been met, students are scored on a rubric and those with the highest scores are offered conditional admission. Availability of faculty clinical space may impact the entry decision.
The Bridge Program follows the Health Professions’ selective admissions process. Students use the online Pre-Advisement Plan on myRichland to apply during the designated application period. For spring admission, applications are accepted between August 1 to September 1. For fall admission, applications are accepted between January 2 and February 1. Out-of-district applicants are considered for the program when space is available.
To receive transfer credit for courses completed at another institution, official transcripts must be submitted to the Office of the Registrar.
Prerequisites to Apply
- Graduate of a State-approved Practical Nursing Program
- Current Illinois LPN license or eligibility to be licensed before program begins. Student must have a current unencumbered LPN license to begin the Bridge program.
- Completion of (or be in progress to complete) ENGL 101, BIOL 201 and PSYCH 110 with a ‘C’ or better. ENGL 101, BIOL 201 and PSYCH 110 must be complete prior to start of semester for which the student is applying.
- Eligibility for MATH 110 or MATH 113 or completion of MATH 099 with a ‘C’ or better
- ‘C’ or better in all prerequisites and program courses and a Program GPA of 2.75 or better
The Program GPA is calculated using grades and credits earned in any completed Bridge program course. Program courses that can be taken prior to admission include BIOL 201, BIOL 202, BIOL 220, ENGL 101, Fine Art Elective, HLTH 197, PSYCH 110, PSYCH 145, and SOCIO 110. Transfer and Richland Credits are used in calculating the program GPA. Students who have completed BIOL 201, BIOL 202 or BIOL 220 must have completed one within the past 5 years.
Curriculum Requirements
Graduation Requirements
- Total Credit Hours: 71 credit hours in courses numbered 100 and above
- Cumulative Grade Point Average: 2.0 (‘C’) or better for all work applicable toward the degree
- Residency: 15 credit hours or more at Richland Community College
- Course Requirement: ‘C’ or better in all prerequisite and program courses
- Meet standards of the ANA Code of Ethics, the Professional Integrity Policy. and Health Professions Standards of Conduct
Additional Program Considerations
All AAS degrees include a required minimum of 15 general education credits. Students must earn a grade of ‘C’ or better in the program prerequisites, core curriculum courses, and general education courses.
Required Courses
| BIOL 202 | Human Anatomy and Physiology 2 | 4.0 |
| BIOL 220 | Microbiology | 4.0 |
| HLTH 197 | Special Topics in Healthcare | 1.0-3.0 |
| | Or | |
| HLTH 290 | Health Internship | 1.0-2.0 |
| | Or | |
| HLTH 297 | Advanced Topics in Healthcare | 1.0-3.0 |
| NURS 111 | Nursing Foundations | 2.0 |
| NURS 152 | Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing | 4.0 |
| NURS 154 | Pharmacological Principles for Nursing Practice | 3.0 |
| NURS 155 | Medical-Surgical Nursing II Care of the Chronically Ill Clie | 5.0 |
| NURS 206 | Family Health Nursing | 6.0 |
| NURS 250 | Medical-Surgical III Care of the Surgical Client | 5.0 |
| NURS 252 | Medical-Surgical IV Care of the Acutely Ill Client | 5.0 |
| NURS 254 | Transition from Education to Practice | 5.0 |
| PSYCH 145 | Human Growth & Development | 3.0 |
| SOCIO 110 | Introduction to Sociology | 3.0 |
Fine Arts Electives
Number of Credit Hours Required: 3.00
Suggested Course Sequence
First Semester
| NURS 111 | Nursing Foundations | 2.0 |
| NURS 152 | Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing | 4.0 |
| NURS 154 | Pharmacological Principles for Nursing Practice | 3.0 |
| NURS 155 | Medical-Surgical Nursing II Care of the Chronically Ill Clie | 5.0 |
| PSYCH 145 | Human Growth & Development | 3.0 |
| BIOL 202 | Human Anatomy and Physiology 2 | 4.0 |
Second Semester
Third Semester
| NURS 252 | Medical-Surgical IV Care of the Acutely Ill Client | 5.0 |
| NURS 254 | Transition from Education to Practice | 5.0 |
| HLTH 197 | Special Topics in Healthcare | 1.0-3.0 |
| | Or | |
| HLTH 290 | Health Internship | 1.0-2.0 |
| | Or | |
| HLTH 297 | Advanced Topics in Healthcare | 1.0-3.0 |
| | Fine Arts Elective | 3.0 |
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Phone: 217.875.7200, ext 6267
Email: admissions@richland.edu