Aims’ LPN to RN Program Addresses the Nationwide Nursing Shortage

Aims Program Helps Experienced LPNs Take the Next Step in Nursing

Ginny Bruns is a recent Aims nursing graduate who completed her associate degree in the LPN to RN track. She began her nursing journey in 2015, earning her LPN credential from Front Range Community College. While she intended to become a registered nurse then, she put that aspiration on hold to help raise her family while working as an LPN. Bruns always wanted to go back to school to become an RN.

Bruns found the Aims LPN to RN track program “rigorous and rewarding” and a path to the next level in her nursing career. “The tests were hard,” she said. “You had to critically think and build on everything you were taught in the previous semesters, even things I had to pull from 10 years ago.”

She credited some of her success to a tight-knit, supportive student cohort and faculty willing to meet students where they were emotionally and academically. One of her instructors, Sarah Zeller, helped Bruns discover she did better on tests in quieter environments. Director of Aims Nursing Education Program, Katrina Einhellig, also offered support. “Katrina’s leadership and responsiveness to student needs was so helpful, like adding a summer refresher class for incoming students who had been out of school for a bit.”

This summer, Bruns has started a new position in a cardiac surgical step-down unit at St. Francis Hospital in Tulsa, Oklahoma. As her family planned to move out of state, Bruns found a job quickly. Becoming an RN brought her a significant salary increase from being an LPN. She plans to pursue a bachelor’s degree in nursing and stay in her current specialty.

Meeting a Critical Workforce Need

Einhellig sees the need for this program in the healthcare industry. “Colorado, as well as probably every other state in the country, has a fairly profound nursing shortage,” she said.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the country will need over 200,000 new RNs annually through 2031 to meet demand due to retirements, population aging and increased healthcare needs. Colorado’s 2023 Colorado Health Institute report projected a more than 10,000-nurse shortage by 2026, particularly in rural and underserved areas.

LPN to RN Track at Aims

The Aims LPN to RN track is a direct path to an Associate of Applied Science in Nursing. The program is a three-semester track that takes one year to complete, beginning in the summer semester and culminating in graduation in May. The formal application process takes place annually in March. 

The curriculum emphasizes acute and critical care training, enabling students to handle complex patient care in hospital settings, including labor and delivery, pediatrics, IV medications and blood administration. The program includes significant clinical work to give students more hands-on experience. 

The faculty in this program are “very dedicated to these students, because they understand what is required to advance in the field,” Einhellig explained. 

“This student population needs support as they make this transition. They’re already working in healthcare, but getting them to be registered nurses is a fairly significant jump.”

To qualify, applicants must already hold an LPN certificate and have at least one year of experience working in the medical field. Prospective students should contact the nursing faculty to confirm they meet the program requirements.

Learn more about the program and the application process at aims.co/nursing.