Accelerated Nursing Program (ABSN, Second Degree)

Our accelerated second bachelor's degree in nursing program features:

• Accelerated completion – graduate in just four consecutive semesters (16 months). You must already have a bachelor's degree in another field to enroll in this program.
• Enhanced employability – More and more employers prefer nurses with a BSN degree
• A future of opportunity – A BSN degree prepares you for entry into graduate education such as our Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program.
• As a GMercyU nursing student, you’ll enter an active nursing community led by our experienced professors and health care leaders from across the region. Our classrooms and labs feature state-of-the-art simulation equipment.

GMercyU’s accelerated nursing program (ABSN) prepares you to become a confident, capable professional nurse with the skills valued by patients and employers. In this second degree nursing program, you can develop the comprehensive health science knowledge, values and practical clinical skills employers demand. In addition, you’ll establish a foundation for your future in the profession, with course content that covers leadership strategies and research capabilities.

GMercyU offers online prerequisite courses in the health sciences specifically designed for students like you who want to make the change to a nursing career. These classes are offered online and feature hands-on, at-home laboratory experiences. Prerequisite online nursing courses are offered at $382 per credit. You may also complete these courses at another accredited college or university. If any of the required prerequisite science courses did not include laboratory sciences or were completed more than seven years ago, you will need to complete and pass these courses before beginning your BSN degree. Virtual Labs for the science courses are not accepted. In addition, the Nutrition course must be taught by a Registered Dietician.

Students must earn a GPA of 3.0 with C+ or higher grades in your math and science prerequisites, including Nutrition.

We offer online health sciences prerequisites that can help you fill any gaps in your knowledge.

• Nutrition (7-week course)
• Developmental Psychology - Across the Lifespan (5-week course)
• Statistics (5-week course)
• Microbiology with Lab (8-week course)
• Anatomy & Physiology I with Lab (8-week course)
• Anatomy & Physiology II with Lab (8-week course)
• Chemistry for the Allied Health Sciences with Lab (8-week course)

Visit our Online Nursing Prerequisites page to learn more.

To register for an upcoming online course, please contact accelerate@gmercyu.edu. All other inquiries about the admissions requirements for the hybrid ABSN program should also be directed to accelerate@gmercyu.edu or by calling 844-707-9359.

Course Sequence

You will also complete clinical rotations in local health care facilities. GMercyU has a wide network of health care affiliations, and your instructors will be able to help you obtain a clinical placement. Clinical placements are subject to hospital availability and some require evening or weekend hours.

This program requires a criminal background check, child abuse clearance, certain immunizations, and other health-related clearances in order to participate in clinical experiences. 

See the undergraduate catalog for more information and course descriptions.

Here are just a few of the places where GMercyU’s nursing students have completed their clinicals and found employment after graduation:

• Abington Jefferson Lansdale
• Einstein Jefferson Montgomery
• Doylestown Hospital
• Grand View Hospital
• Chestnut Hill Hospital
• Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
• Paoli Hospital
• Holy Redeemer Hospital
• Valley Forge Medical Center
• Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
• St. Christopher's Hospital for Children
• St. Luke's
• Foulkeways at Gwynedd
• Souderton Mennonite Community
• St. Mary Medical Center
• Bayada Home Health
• Crossroads Hospice
• Abington School District
• Cooper University Medical Center
• Easter Seals of Philadelphia
• Jefferson Hospital for Neuroscience
• Virtua Our Lady of Lourdes

Laraine Amoia-Watters, EdD, MSN, CRNP
Position: Associate Professor, BSN Program Director
Did You Know? Dr. Amoia-Watters is a member of Sigma Theta Tau, the National Honor Society for Nurses. She coordinates GMercyU's annual spring break trip to Jamaica, a unique service learning opportunity for BSN and Social Work students.
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Patricia Brown O'Hara, RN PhD
Position: Professor, Student Support Specialist for Nursing & Health Profession students
Did You Know? Dr. O'Hara serves on the Board of Trustees at Grand View Hospital and is a Legal Nurse Consultant.
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Nichole Butler, PhD, RN, ACNS-BC, APN
Position: Assistant Professor
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Diane Gilson, MSN, RN, CHSE, CCRN
Position: Assistant Professor
Did You Know? The majority of her professional experience was spent working in the field of critical care nursing in the Medical Intensive Care Unit of Abington Hospital – Jefferson Health.
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Ashley Heidler, MSN, RN, CPN
Position: Professor of Practice
Did You Know? Heidler has presented at national and international conferences on her work relating to mindfulness and the pediatric population.
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 Nancy McCormack, MSN, RN, NC-BC
Position: Professor of Practice
Did You Know? She has worked in various settings, specifically behavioral health and substance abuse (acute, sub-acute, geri-psych, residential units, drug and alcohol units, methadone clinic, chronically homeless programs, and eating disorders). 
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Katherine Mulcahy, MSN, RNC-OB, CNE
Position: Professor of Practice
Did You Know? She has 28 years of nursing experience, primarily in maternal child health.
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Catherine Sargent, PhD, RN, BC, ANCNS
Position: Assistant Professor
Did You Know? She has worked in a wide variety of different health care settings, both inpatient and outpatient and has authored several articles and book chapters.
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Earning your BSN as a second degree will help you achieve a career in the demanding field of nursing. Today's employers increasingly prefer to hire nurses who hold a BSN degree. Nurses who earn a second degree in nursing often offer additional marketable skills that can equip them for future roles in nursing management, education and other areas — even medical journalism or legal consulting.

Most new BSN graduates will need to gain clinical nursing experience before specializing or moving to advanced nursing role. The first step in achieving your goals is to obtain your BSN degree.

For more than 60 years, the Frances M. Maguire College of Nursing and Health Professions at Gwynedd Mercy University has been a leader in nursing education in the Philadelphia area, and graduates of GMercyU's BSN programs are known for their exceptional skills and Mercy values that set them apart as compassionate caregivers, patient advocates, and nursing leaders.

Our accelerated nursing program empowers students to become skilled nurses who provide high quality patient care and serve as leaders in the field. A GMercyU nursing education can prepare you to make the change to a career with real meaning and purpose, a career as a professional registered nurse.