Nursing: Accelerated Pre-Licensure
Bachelor's Degree
Program Overview
This accelerated program integrates traditional classroom work with laboratory, clinical and hands-on learning and is ideal for students looking to fast-track their careers. As one of the primary healthcare professionals to interact with patients, you will find that the profession is not just about administering medication and following orders; it’s about mastering technical skills, making quick decisions, understanding interdisciplinary methods and mastering the art of personal interaction with patients, family members, clinical team members and administrators.
Your education will focus on the two core competencies: quality and safety within nursing healthcare environment. Our nurse-patient learning model will also emphasize patient-centered care, interprofessionalism, and critical thinking in an educational setting where classes are small and the student-to-faculty ratio does not exceed 10-to-1 in clinical settings.
What makes this program different?
- Carilion Clinic. As a student at Radford University Carilion located in downtown Roanoke, Virginia, you will be part of a healthcare clinic that employs nearly 13,000 healthcare professionals and has facilities that span over 200 miles. You will have access to state-of-the-art equipment and facilities, national leaders in all areas of healthcare practice and administration, clinical rotations totaling 600 hours largely within Carilion Clinic facilities, and opportunities to learn in the company of medical students, doctoral students, mater's students and other undergraduates.
Carilion Clinic has received Magnet Recognition by the American Nurses Credentialing Center which is the highest honor a hospital can receive for the quality of its nursing professionals.
- Admitted to Your Program. As a new student, you will begin your studies immediately as a nursing student; not a pre-nursing student. With support from your faculty and classmates, we fully expect that you will rise to meet the program's demands and progress toward your degree.
- The Fast-track. In the Accelerated BSN program, you will complete your degree requirements in 16 months. You will demonstrate your dedication and commitment to prospective nurse employers; you will enter the workforce sooner than your peers and begin earning a salary two years ahead of those in four-year programs; you will learn in an intensive environment that most closely mimics the daily demands of practicing nurses.
- Interprofessionalism. We provide our students with opportunities to interact and learn beside a broad range of healthcare providers, so they’re prepared to collaborate across specialties from the start of their careers.
- Research and Adaptation. Nurses are lifelong learners who must be able to evolve with advances in technology, medicine and science. As a student at Radford University Carilion, you will spend time learning about medical and scientific research in coursework that will teach the habits of mind to allow growth throughout your entire healthcare career.
NCLEX-RN Pass Rate
NCLEX-RN 2020 first-time pass rate: 80.90% | National average 90.29% |
Career Path
After receiving your BSN, you will take the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN) to gain licensure to become a practicing nurse.
Many of our graduates have career jobs lined up prior to graduation, and they become successful healthcare professionals across a wide range of practice areas, including:
- Hospitals (inpatient and outpatient)
- Physician offices
- Long-term care facilities
- Home healthcare services
- Employment services
- Rehabilitation centers
- Government agencies
- Outpatient care centers
- Social assistance agencies
- Educational institutions
- Research institutions
- Public health
Many of our ABSN students pursue careers as Nurse Practitioners, which ranks among the top 30 high-growth professions with a projected 10-year growth rate of over 36%, according to data recently released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This rate exceeds the average among the 30 high-growth professions and provides a clear indication that the career outlook in nursing is bright.
Admission Requirements
This four-semester, 16-month program is designed for students looking for an intensive, accelerated path to the BSN. Students entering are expected to have an earned bachelor’s degree in a non-nursing field and have the commitment to study full-time for 16 months, including fall, spring and summer semesters. It is a full-time program, and thus students are not encouraged to carry outside employment while enrolled as an ABSN student. We are looking for motivated students with backgrounds that demonstrate the ability to handle challenging work in a fast-paced environment.
- Baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution with a cumulative GPA of 2.8 or higher.
- Completion of the following pre-requisite coursework:
4 credit Chemistry I and II (must include a lab)
4 credit Anatomy and Physiology I and II
4 credit Microbiology
3 credit Nutrition
3 credit Lifespan Development
3 credit Introduction to Statistics
- The deadline for receipt of completed applications is 5 p.m. January 15 for the Fall cohort and 5 p.m. September 15 for the Spring cohort.
- Writing sample, one page or less, double-spaced, 12-font on the following topic: Please describe your motivation for pursuing a BSN degree and why you want to do so at Radford University Carilion.
- Resume documenting previous education and work experience.
- Completion of all prerequisite coursework by the end of the semester preceding the cohort start.
- Students seeking entry into the Accelerated Bachelor of Science Nursing program who have been program dismissed from another nursing program must wait for two years to be considered for admission at Radford University Carilion
- Students who have failed one nursing course at another institution must submit a letter of good academic standing from their previous nursing institution.
Accreditation
The baccalaureate degree programs in nursing and master's degree programs in nursing at Radford University Carilion are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, 655 K Street, NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20001, 202-887-6791.
The nursing pre-licensure degree programs are approved by the Virginia Board of Nursing, 9960 Mayland Drive, Suite 300, Henrico Virginia 23233-1463.
Accelerated BSN Curriculum
Program of Study - Fall Cohort
Fall Semester 1 | Spring Semester | ||||
IPEH 401 | Foundations of IP Leadership | 2 | IPEH 402 | Foundations of IP Leadership II | 2 |
NURS 300 | Pharmacology | 3 | NURS 314 | Nursing Process in Psychiatric/Mental Health | 3 |
NURS 301 | Dosage Calculation | 1 | NURS 317 | Nursing Process in Gerontology | 2 |
NURS 303 | Foundations of Professional Nursing Practice | 3 | NURS 354 | Nursing Process Applications for AB.S.N. I | 3 |
NURS 340 | Health Assessment | 3 | NURS 358C | Clinical Practicum for AB.S.N. I | 4 |
NURS 351 | Professional Nursing Skills for AB.S.N. | 4 | NURS 410 | Research Applications in Healthcare | 3 |
NURS 321 | Pathophysiology | 3 | |||
TOTAL | 19 | TOTAL | 17 |
Summer Semester | Fall Semester 2 | ||||
NURS 320 | Informatics and Technology in Health Care | 3 | NURS 423 | Community and Population Health | 3 |
NURS 334 | Nursing Process of the Childbearing Family | 2 | NURS 461 | Nursing Process Applications for AB.S.N. III | 3 |
NURS 336 | Nursing Process for Children | 2 | NURS 457 | Professional Nursing Practice for AB.S.N. | 2 |
NURS 361 | Nursing Process Applications for AB.S.N. II | 3 | NURS 471 | Leadership and Health Policy in Nursing for AB.S.N. | 3 |
NURS 369C | Clinical Practicum for AB.S.N. II | 4 | NURS 479C | Clinical Practicum for AB.S.N. III | 5 |
TOTAL | 14 | TOTAL | 16 |
Program of Study - Spring Cohort
Spring Semester 1 | Summer Semester | ||||
INDS 100 | Introduction to Healthcare Delivery Systems | 1 | IPEH 200 | Foundamentals of Teamwork (online) | 1 |
NURS 300 | Pharmacology | 3 | NURS 314 | Nursing Practice in Psychiatric/Mental Health | 3 |
NURS 301 | Dosage Calculation | 1 | NURS 317 | Nursing Process in Gerontology | 2 |
NURS 303 | Foundations of Professional Nursing Practice | 3 | NURS 320 | Informatics and Technology in Health Care | 3 |
NURS 340 | Health Assessment | 3 | NURS 354 | Nursing Process Application for AB.S.N. I | 3 |
NURS 351 | Professional Nursing Skills for AB.S.N. | 4 | NURS 358C | Clinical Practicum for AB.S.N. I | 4 |
NURS 321 | Pathophysiology | 3 | |||
TOTAL | 18 | TOTAL | 16 |
Fall Semester | Spring Semester 2 | ||||
NURS 334 | Nursing Process of the Childbearing Family | 2 | NURS 423 | Community and Population Health | 3 |
NURS 336 | Nursing Process for Children | 2 | NURS 457 | Professional Nursing Practice for AB.S.N. | 2 |
NURS 361 | Nursing Process Applications for AB.S.N. II | 3 | NURS 461 | Nursing Process Applications for AB.S.N. III | 3 |
IPEH 350 | IP Healthcare Exploration (online) | 2 | NURS 471 | Leadership and Health Policy in Nursing AB.S.N. | 3 |
NURS 369C | Clinical Practicum for AB.S.N. II | 4 | NURS 479C | Clinical Practicum for AB.S.N. III | 5 |
NURS 410 | Research Applications in Healthcare | 3 | |||
TOTAL | 16 | TOTAL | 16 |