LPN to BSN Program
Advance your education without putting your career on hold through CBC’s LPN to BSN
program! We know nurses lead busy lives, which is why we have created a program that
allows you to balance work, school, and everyday life. At completion of the program,
you will be awarded a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree and will be eligible
to become a Registered Nurse (RN) through the state licensure examination.
The LPN to BSN program will admit a cohort of 16 students once per year during summer quarter (the program’s first cohort will start in winter, with students being admitted summer quarter thereafter). The program is 7 academic quarters in length. Classroom instruction will be offered online throughout the week, with laboratory and clinical instruction taking place on weekends at the Health Science Center in Richland and local healthcare facilities. We also have state-of-the-art simulation labs that provide a safe environment for students to practice clinical skills and scenarios.
As one of only 5 LPN to BSN programs in the state, our program is designed for the working LPN with courses offered online and on the weekends. CBC is proud of its reputation for providing quality nursing education and our programs are highly regarded in the healthcare community. Our graduates consistently surpass national averages for first time pass rates on the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN).
It is strongly encouraged to complete nursing prerequisites before applying to the
program; however, we will still consider your application as long as your prerequisites
are completed before the program start date.
To be considered for the LPN to BSN program, the applicant must have completed 55-58
general education credits, including all of the following (or their equivalents):
- BIOL&160 General Biology with Lab
- BIOL& 241 Human Anatomy and Physiology I
- BIOL&242 Human Anatomy and Physiology II
- BIOL&260 Microbiology
- CHEM& 121 Intro to Chemistry with Lab - or higher
- CMST& 101, 210, 220, or CMST 260 Communication Studies (5 credits)
- ENGL&101 English Composition OR
ENGL& 102 Composition - MATH& 146 Intro to Statistics
- PSYC&100 Introduction to Psychology
- PSYC&200 Lifespan Psychology
- NUTR&101 Nutrition
Note: Nutrition 101 may be taken concurrently during the LPN to BSN program. Students
accepted into the LPN to BSN program are encouraged to complete NUTR& 101 prior to
starting the program.
Transcripts will be reviewed by the CBC Transcript Evaluator to ensure course equivalency.
Prerequisite courses do not have an expiration date; however, prerequisite courses
must be completed prior to starting the LPN-BSN program.
To be eligible for the CBC LPN to BSN program, each of the following requirements must be met.
- Must have a current unrestricted Washington State Licensed Practical Nurse License. Nurses holding a license from another state will need to obtain a Washington LPN license by one month prior to program start date.
- Must be a current student at CBC. If not, you can apply for admission here.
- Submission of official transcripts from all schools the student has attended; please have these sent to Student Records, not the Nursing program. It is the student’s responsibility to follow-up with CBC to ensure that transcripts have arrived and been evaluated.
- Submit the nursing program application by the assigned due date for the program start.
Students are admitted using a holistic admissions. Please see the Application Process
tab on the left side of this page for more information.
Once accepted in the LPN to BSN program, students will need to submit the following:
- Required immunization records
- Current American Heart Association BLS Provider CPR card
- Satisfactory criminal history background check using a college approved vendor. Criminal history background information is required of all nursing students. Information obtained will be considered in determining student eligibility to complete clinical coursework. Inability to participate in clinical experiences due to the information obtained from the background check may result in the student’s inability to satisfactorily completed program degree requirements. Any infraction while enrolled in the nursing program should be self-reported to the coordinator/director. Questions regarding this policy should be directed to the Director for Nursing Programs at 509-544-8318.
Information regarding credit by examination will be updated as it becomes available.
For information regarding tuition for the BSN program, please see Tuition Affordability
on the Pay for College webpage.
BSN Tuition
Program Approval and Accreditation
The CBC BSN nursing programs are approved by the:
Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
655 K Street NW, Suite 750
Washington, D.C. 20001
202-887-6791
Call for Public Comment on BSN Program
The nursing department at Columbia Basin College will be hosting an onsite accreditation visit by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) March 13-15, 2023. The purpose of this visit is to seek continuing nursing accreditation of the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program. In accordance with CCNE’s procedures, the Commission provides the opportunity for program constituents and other interested parties to submit, in writing, third-party comments concerning a program’s qualifications for accreditation. Written third-party comments regarding the CBC BSN program must be received by CCNE no later than February 20, 2023. Only signed comments are accepted by CCNE. All third-party comments submitted to CCNE must be written in English, consistent with CCNE's policy on Conduct of Business in English.
CCNE shares third-party comments with members of the evaluation team prior to the
visit, but at no time during the review process are these comments shared with the
program. During its review of the program, the evaluation team considers third-party
comments that relate to the accreditation standards.
If you have comments regarding the BSN program at Columbia Basin College, please submit
to thirdpartycomments@ccneaccreditation.org.
Or, if you prefer, mail comments to:
Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
Attn: Third-Party Comments
655 K Street, NW, Suite 750
Washington, DC 20001