Accelerated BSN Program

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)

TESU Featured Courses are listed as a guide. Other courses may satisfy the areas and can be viewed on our website under General Education Courses.  For more information see About Our General Education Program.  To plan your program please contact an Advisor.

A. Intellectual and Practical Skills (15 Credits)

ENC-101English Composition I

3

ENC-102English Composition II

3

COM-209Public Speaking

3

HPS-200Statistics for the Health Professions

3

SOS-110Critical Information Literacy

3

For all TESU course options that will satisfy this area of the degree, go to Intellectual and Practical Skills.

B. Civic and Global Leadership (9 Credits)

SOC-101Our Changing World An Introduction to Sociology

3

ETH-230Ethics in the Digital Age

3

POS-110American Government

3

For additional TESU course options that will satisfy this area of the degree, go to Civic and Global Leadership.

C. Knowledge of Human Cultures (15 Credits)

PSY-101Introduction to Psychology

3

PSY-211Developmental Psychology

3

HIS-113American History I

3

Select two featured courses from the list below
HIS-114American History II

3

HIS-121Introduction to World History I

3

HUM-103Introduction to the Humanities III: Music

3

PHI-130Introduction to Critical Reasoning

3

FIL-110American Cinema

3

For additional TESU course options that will satisfy this area of the degree, go to Knowledge of Human Cultures

D. Scientific Knowledge (6 Credits)

BIO-208The Science of Nutrition

3

CHE-111General Chemistry I

3

Professional Degree Requirements (75 Credits)

BIO-211Anatomy and Physiology I with Lab

4

BIO-212Anatomy and Physiology II with Lab

4

BIO-251Introduction to Microbiology with Lab

4

MAT-105Applied Liberal Arts Mathematics

3

Term 1

-
Hybrid

NUR-322Fundamentals of Nursing

4

NUR-328Health Assessment and Health Promotion

3

-
Online

NUR-332Introduction to Critical Thinking in Nursing

1

Term 2

-
Hybrid

NUR-338Applying the Nursing Process to Alteration in Health

4

-
Online

NUR-342Advancing Nursing Practice

3

Term 3

-
Hybrid

NUR-345Nursing Care of Clients with Alterations in Behavioral Health

3

NUR-348Nursing Care of Clients with Acute and Chronic Conditions

4

Term 4

-
Hybrid

NUR-421Women’s Health Across the Lifespan

3

-
Online

NUR-419Exploring Evidence-Based Practice and Research in Nursing

3

Term 5

-
Hybrid

NUR-422Nursing Care of Infants, Children, and Adolescents

3

-
Online

NUR-443Public Health Nursing

4

NUR-529Health Policy

3

Term 6

-
Hybrid

NUR-442Nursing Care in the Community

3

-
Online

NUR-428Leadership and Management in Nursing

3

NUR-531Nursing Informatics: Concepts and Issues

3

Term 7

-
Hybrid

NUR-432Nursing Care of Clients with Complex Health Conditions

4

-
Online

NUR-582Financial Management in Nursing Practice

3

Term 8

-
Hybrid

NUR-450Transition to Professional Practice

3

-
Online

NUR-445Validating 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.

Learning Outcomes

On completion of the Bachelor of Science in Nursing BSN degree program, the graduate will be able to:

  • integrate current knowledge, ethical principles, evidence-based findings, and clinical reasoning to direct nursing practice decisions.
  • apply principles of cultural humility and cultural sensitivity to inter-personal relationships and client/population-focused care.
  • participate in inter-professional collaboration to promote optimal client outcomes.
  • explore the effects of health policy on the financing, organization, and delivery of healthcare to individuals and populations.
  • employ a range of information technologies and ethical standards to acquire knowledge, manage data, communicate information, and guide & validate nursing practice.
  • demonstrate leadership skills and professionalism based on an understanding of the multidimensional role of the professional nurse.