Program Overview
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The Accelerated BSN Program is a full-time, 15-month Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree program that prepares pre-licensure students who already have earned at least 60 college credits or a bachelor’s degree in another area of study to enter the profession of nursing as beginning practitioners. Candidates are required to have previously earned all general education requirements prior to being accepted into the program. The 120-credit Accelerated Program includes 60 credits of professional nursing completed both online and on-campus at Thomas Edison State University. A criminal background check, drug screen, health and immunization verification, malpractice and health insurance, and CPR certification are required prior to the start of classes.
Download our Degree Program Profile Sheet for an overview of our Accelerated BSN program.
Graduates of the Accelerated Program are eligible to sit for the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses NCLEX-RN®. Students should check their state board of nursing for any restrictions. Satisfactory performance on the NCLEX-RN® as prescribed by the respective state results in the graduate being known as a registered nurse RN. Success on the NCLEX-RN® in any state entitles the RN to apply for licensure in every other state.
The policies stated here apply only to students enrolling in the Accelerated Program with degree requirements effective July 1, 2021. Due to the distinct nature of the program, many policies that apply to other W. Cary Edwards School of Nursing and Health Professions students do not apply to students in this program. Please check the Accelerated BSN Program website, Student Handbook or with the BSN academic advisor with any questions. Additionally, please review the Student Handbook for course, clinical, and testing policies.
Graduates of this program will receive 9 graduate nursing credits included in the BSN degree requirements. Students will be eligible to apply to the Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program only after they have earned the BSN degree and have successfully passed the NCLEX-RN®. The 9 credits grade of B or better will be accepted as transfer credit upon admission to the MSN program, depending on the chosen area of study.
Graduate credits that were earned more than seven years prior to the student's enrollment date may not be applied to either the MSN degree or certificate without the permission of the dean.
Program Requirements
I. General Education Featured Courses (45 Credits)
A. Intellectual and Practical Skills (15 Credits)
B. Civic and Global Leadership (9 Credits)
| SOC-101 | Our Changing World An Introduction to Sociology | 3 |
| ETH-230 | Ethics in the Digital Age | 3 |
| POS-110 | American Government | 3 |
C. Knowledge of Human Cultures (15 Credits)
Select two featured courses from the list below
| HIS-114 | American History II | 3 |
| HIS-121 | Introduction to World History I | 3 |
| HUM-103 | Introduction to the Humanities III: Music | 3 |
| PHI-130 | Introduction to Critical Reasoning | 3 |
| FIL-110 | American Cinema | 3 |
D. Scientific Knowledge (6 Credits)
Professional Degree Requirements (75 Credits)
| BIO-211 | Anatomy and Physiology I with Lab | 4 |
| BIO-212 | Anatomy and Physiology II with Lab | 4 |
| BIO-251 | Introduction to Microbiology with Lab | 4 |
| MAT-105 | Applied Liberal Arts Mathematics | 3 |
Term 1
| - | Hybrid | |
| NUR-322 | Fundamentals of Nursing | 4 |
| NUR-328 | Health Assessment and Health Promotion | 3 |
| - | Online | |
| NUR-332 | Introduction to Critical Thinking in Nursing | 1 |
Term 2
| - | Hybrid | |
| NUR-338 | Applying the Nursing Process to Alteration in Health | 4 |
| - | Online | |
| NUR-342 | Advancing Nursing Practice | 3 |
Term 3
| - | Hybrid | |
| NUR-345 | Nursing Care of Clients with Alterations in Behavioral Health | 3 |
| NUR-348 | Nursing Care of Clients with Acute and Chronic Conditions | 4 |
Term 4
| - | Hybrid | |
| NUR-421 | Women’s Health Across the Lifespan | 3 |
| - | Online | |
| NUR-419 | Exploring Evidence-Based Practice and Research in Nursing | 3 |
Term 5
| - | Hybrid | |
| NUR-422 | Nursing Care of Infants, Children, and Adolescents | 3 |
| - | Online | |
| NUR-443 | Public Health Nursing | 4 |
| NUR-529 | Health Policy | 3 |
Term 6
| - | Hybrid | |
| NUR-442 | Nursing Care in the Community | 3 |
| - | Online | |
| NUR-428 | Leadership and Management in Nursing | 3 |
| NUR-531 | Nursing Informatics: Concepts and Issues | 3 |
Term 7
| - | Hybrid | |
| NUR-432 | Nursing Care of Clients with Complex Health Conditions | 4 |
| - | Online | |
| NUR-582 | Financial Management in Nursing Practice | 3 |
Term 8
| - | Hybrid | |
| NUR-450 | Transition to Professional Practice | 3 |
| - | Online | |
| NUR-445 | Validating Nursing Competence | 3 |
Total Credit Hours: 120
NOTE: Three graduate courses, Health Policy (NUR-529); Nursing Informatics Concepts and Issues (NUR-531); and Financial Management in Nursing Practice (NUR-582) will be completed by all BSN degree students as part of the professional nursing requirements. These 9 graduate credits may apply to the MSN degree requirements at Thomas Edison State University upon acceptance to that degree program. A grade of B or better is required in these courses for transfer. Graduate credits that were earned more than seven years prior to the student’s enrollment date may not be applied to either the MSN degree or certificate without the permission of the dean of the W. Cary Edwards School of Nursing and Health Professions. Accelerated BSN Program students may apply to the MSN program after successful completion of the BSN program and passing the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses NCLEX-RN®.
Admission Criteria
The W. Cary Edwards School of Nursing and Health Professions uses a holistic approach to review applications for the Accelerated BSN Program. If an applicant meets the basic requirements, they are invited to interview with the Undergraduate Admissions Committee. Submission of an application does not guarantee an interview. Additionally, an invitation to interview does not guarantee admission into the program. All applicants must have the following:
- Official transcripts showing successful completion of general education and nursing prerequisites prior to acceptance with an average GPA of 3.0 or better. (see the list of general education requirements and prerequisite courses).
- Official transcripts showing a grade of C (73) or better in all science and statistics prerequisite courses. NOTE: credit for prior nursing courses will not be accepted.
- An official score report showing scores of 70 percent or higher in each subcategory of the ATI Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS).
- A current resume.
- A personal statement that includes why the applicant wants to be a nurse, why the applicant should be accepted into the program, and any other relevant information.
- Contact information for two references (academic/ professional).
- For students of international universities, all transcripts must be evaluated by an approved agency. An official course-by-course evaluation must be submitted.
- The W. Cary Edwards School of Nursing and Health Professions has the discretion to require an applicant to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), regardless of the applicant’s native language.
- The ability to meet all essential requirements of the program.