LPN to RN Pathway Nurses to Graduate from Fort Myers Technical College

The first graduating class of the Professional Nursing (LPN-RN) Program at Fort Myers Technical College will graduate on June 30th. The twelve students in the inaugural class have completed more than 450 hours of coursework and 450 hours of clinical practice, all while balancing a full-time workload as an LPN.

“I’ve been working in the medical field for 27 years,” said graduate Janine Walker. “I started as a CNA at the age of 19, then became a medical assistant at 29, and then at 44, I decided it was time to take the next step. And now, at 46, I’m proud to say I’m about to become a Registered Nurse. For anyone out there who thinks it’s too late or too hard to keep moving forward, this program proves otherwise. It’s the perfect opportunity for people who need flexibility while advancing their careers.”

In the spring of 2024, Fort Myers Tech introduced Florida’s first LPN to RN pathway. Nursing Instructor Mary Ann Enns developed the program as part of her Doctor of Nursing Practice in Educational Leadership degree. The pathway cuts the time in half to become a Registered Nurse and saves students more than $53,000.

“It is a miracle that the LPN-RN program for technical colleges even got started in the state of Florida,” Mary Ann Enns said. “Being able to author the curriculum framework for the Department of Education and seeing it played out in real life have been a victory and reward that I never expected. I have seen six other schools get approved by the Board of Nursing to run the Diploma/Professional Nursing (LPN-RN) program in Florida this past year and more schools are likely to join in the near future.”