Program Overview
Return to the W. Cary Edwards School of Nursing and Health Professions Homepage
The Accelerated BSN Program is a full-time, 15-month Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree program that prepares pre-licensure students who have already 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 must complete all general education requirements before applying to and being accepted into the program. Conditional admission may be offered to competitive applicants who have completed all requirements except the six nursing pre-requisites. Students receiving conditional admission must earn a grade of C or higher in each nursing pre-requisite course before starting the program. The 120-credit Accelerated BSN Program includes 60 credits of professional nursing completed both online and on-campus at Thomas Edison State University.
Graduates of the Accelerated BSN Program are prepared to sit for the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN). Students must check the specific state board of nursing to see if the program meets the educational requirements for that state. Satisfactory performance on the NCLEX-RN® results in the graduate being known as a registered nurse.
The policies stated here apply only to students enrolling in the Accelerated BSN Program with degree requirements effective July 1, 2024. 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 a nursing advisor with any questions. Additionally, please review the Student Handbook for course, clinical, and testing policies.
Three graduate courses, US Health Policy and Global Health (NUR-5290), Nursing Informatics Concepts and Issues (NUR-5310), and Financial Management in Nursing Practice (NUR-5820) will be completed by all BSN degree students as part of the professional nursing requirements. These 9 graduate credits may apply to the Master of Science Nursing 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. Students will be eligible to apply to the Master of Science in Nursing program only after they have earned the BSN degree and have successfully passed the NCLEX-RN®. The 9 credits grade of B (83) 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 graduate degree or certificate without the permission of the dean of the W. Cary Edwards School of Nursing and Health Professions.
View the Degree Program Profile Sheet here.
Program Requirements
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. Students are encouraged to make regular appointments with their nursing academic advisor with questions about the general education and required courses.
|
A. Intellectual and Practical Skills (15 Credits)
B. Civic and Global Leadership (9 Credits)
| SOC-1010 | Our Changing World: An Introduction to Sociology | 3 |
| ETH-2200 | Leading the Way: A Path Towards Ethical Leadership | 3 |
| POS-1100 | American Government | 3 |
C. Knowledge of Human Cultures (15 Credits)
Select two featured courses from the list below:
D. Scientific Knowledge (6 Credits)
Professional Degree Requirements (72 Credits)
| BIO-2110 | Anatomy and Physiology I with Lab | 4 |
| BIO-2120 | Anatomy and Physiology II with Lab | 4 |
| BIO-2510 | Introduction to Microbiology with Lab | 4 |
Nursing Program Courses
Unit 1
| NUR-3220 | Fundamentals of Nursing | 4 |
| NUR-3280 | Health Assessment and Health Promotion | 3 |
| NUR-3320 | Nursing Science Foundations: Theory, Ethics, and Practice | 1 |
Unit 2
| NUR-3380 | Applying the Nursing Process to Alteration in Health | 4 |
| NUR-3420 | Contemporary Nursing Practice | 3 |
Unit 3
| NUR-3450 | Nursing Care of Clients with Alterations in Behavioral Health | 3 |
| NUR-3480 | Nursing Care of Clients with Acute and Chronic Conditions | 4 |
Unit 4
| NUR-4190 | Exploring Evidence-Based Practice and Research in Nursing | 3 |
| NUR-4210 | Women’s Health Across the Lifespan | 3 |
Unit 5
| NUR-4220 | Nursing Care of Infants, Children, and Adolescents | 3 |
| NUR-4430 | Public Health Nursing | 4 |
| NUR-5290 | US Health Policy and Global Health | 3 |
Unit 6
| NUR-4280 | Leadership and Management in Nursing | 3 |
| NUR-4420 | Nursing Care in the Community | 3 |
| NUR-5310 | Nursing Informatics: Concepts and Issues | 3 |
Unit 7
| NUR-4320 | Nursing Care of Clients with Complex Health Conditions | 4 |
| NUR-5820 | Financial Management in Nursing Practice | 3 |
Unit 8
| NUR-4450 | Validating Nursing Competence | 3 |
| NUR-4500 | Transition to Professional Practice | 3 |
Elective (3 Credits)
For TESU course options, go to
Elective Courses.
Total Credit Hours: 120
Admissions
The W. Cary Edwards School of Nursing and Health Professions uses a holistic admissions review process for the Accelerated B.S.N. Program. The School of Nursing Admissions Committee comprehensively evaluates all completed applications that meet minimum admission requirements. Submission of an application does not guarantee admission, as acceptance is offered on a competitive basis.
For complete information, please review the admissions process details, Frequently Asked Questions, and BSNA Handbook.
Accelerated BSN Admissions Requirements:
- A GPA of 3.0 or higher is preferred
- Completion of a minimum of 60 undergraduate credit hours that includes the TESU Bachelor’s Degree general education requirements1 and prerequisite courses2
|
Pre-requisite Courses Required
|
Semester Credits
|
|
Anatomy and Physiology I with Laboratory
|
4
|
|
Anatomy and Physiology II with Laboratory
|
4
|
|
Chemistry I or Pathophysiology
|
3
|
|
Microbiology with Laboratory
|
4
|
|
Statistics
|
3
|
|
Nutrition
|
3
|
- Personal Statement (minimum 250 words related to admission/educational/career goals).
- ATI TEAS Exam (scores of 70% or better in each subcategory are preferred). This requirement is waived for students who have previously completed a bachelor’s degree.
- Resume is optional.
- An interview may be conducted by the nursing staff.
1 https://www.tesu.edu/academics/courses/general-education
2 Students may be conditionally accepted while completing the prerequisite courses. Placement in the program will depend on prerequisite courses being completed with a grade of “C” or better.