An accelerated nursing program helps you earn a bachelor of science in nursing degree on a shorter timeline. Most accelerated BSN programs take 12-24 months to complete and comprise online coursework, skill and simulation lab instruction and clinical placements at nearby healthcare facilities.
Because of the growing need for registered nurses, there has never been a better time to earn your Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) with Misericordia University's accelerated nursing program near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Our Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program can fast-track your nursing career if you already have at least 30 credits or a bachelor’s degree in another area. The program uses a rigorous combination of online coursework and in-person labs, simulations, and clinical experiences and is a fantastic choice for students who desire to earn a BSN in as little as 16 months.
What Is an Accelerated BSN Program?
An accelerated BSN program is a pathway to earning a BSN with all the nursing course work you’d learn in a traditional program condensed into a much shorter timeframe.
These programs are usually offered by nursing schools or a nursing program within a university. The Misericordia ABSN program falls under the latter and is offered through Misericordia University. Now let’s take a deeper look at how our program operates.
Find out if an accelerated nursing program is worth it.
How Does an Accelerated Nursing Program Work?
The four semesters of Misericordia University's 16-month ABSN program consist of 54 credits. When you complete our accelerated nursing program, you'll be well-prepared to take the National Council Licensure Exam (NCLEX), thanks to a well-balanced combination of online and in-person education from our helpful, highly-experienced faculty.
Our program has three main components: online classes, skills and simulation labs, and clinical experiences.
Online Coursework
The fundamental nursing principles you'll need to understand for labs, clinicals, and future nursing jobs come through our online accelerated nursing curriculum. Our online learning platform allows for greater flexibility with your coursework.
Assignment and test due dates still stand, but the online platform allows you to learn the content whenever it is most convenient. Additionally, online learning lets you review the material as much as needed if you missed something the first time.
You should prepare to commit a substantial amount of time to your studies each week. After all, these courses serve as a foundation for the nursing skills you'll develop at our nursing education center's hands-on labs and simulations, as well as during clinical rotations at prestigious local hospitals and clinical organizations across the metro Pittsburgh region.
Nursing Labs
Our ABSN students come to our specialized nursing education facility near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to take part in nursing skills and simulation labs. During labs, students learn how to apply the ideas and concepts from the online coursework under the direction of knowledgeable faculty.
The best part of the nursing lab experience is putting your nursing abilities to use in a sophisticated atmosphere that closely resembles a clinical situation. As a result, you will experience what it's like to be a nurse without worrying about endangering a patient's safety.
Labs will help refine your clinical skills as you use cutting-edge hospital equipment and supplies in your Accelerated BSN skills laboratories.
Skills Labs
During skills labs, you’ll hone your nursing skills on a clinical task trainer or full-body manikin and learn how to master skills such as:
- Catheterization
- Nasogastric tube insertion
- Physical assessment
- Measurement of blood pressure, pulse, and respirations
- Wound care
Simulation Labs
Your experiences in the nursing simulation labs will be as near to actual clinical settings as possible – but instead of real patients, you’ll work with high-fidelity manikins. You'll get the chance to put your practical patient care skills to the test. These exercises help develop important problem-solving, teamwork, and critical thinking abilities in a safe environment.
Additional component mixed reality
As a student in our ABSN program, you will participate in simulated scenarios, each of which supports a particular learning aim. Early nursing fundamentals are covered via labs; later, more complicated scenarios will test your clinical judgment in a simulated environment. After-simulation debriefing sessions provide feedback and recommendations on how to improve.
Clinical Placements
Clinical experience is a requirement for all nursing programs. Anticipate gaining valuable nursing experience via clinical rotations within the Allegheny Health Network and other health care institutions across Pittsburgh as an ABSN student at Misericordia University.
You'll get the chance to apply the nursing content from your online courses and in-person skills labs in the real world while working with a small group of peers and highly-experienced nurses.
Clinical Practice Areas
You'll accrue enough clinical practice hours over our 16-month program to satisfy Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing requirements. Working with experienced nurses and other interdisciplinary health care team members, you'll receive relevant, comprehensive patient care experiences in a variety of specialties, including:
- Adult health
- Community health
- Mental health
- Obstetrics
- Pediatrics
You will discover the significance of providing compassionate care when you take part in your clinical rotations, as well as how to:
- Develop confidence in nursing theory and skills, and put them into practice safely.
- Deliver evidence-based, patient-centered nursing care.
- Work collaboratively in a multi-faceted health care setting.
Start Pursuing Your Accelerated Nursing Education
Ready to get moving on your nursing goals? Contact one of Misericordia’s dedicated ABSN admissions counselors to discuss next steps. Your new career is within reach, so make a BSN degree your next priority.