Accelerated Nursing Program (ABSN, Second Degree)

What is an Accelerated Nursing Degree?

An accelerated nursing degree is a second-degree nursing program. It’s designed for students who wish to obtain a nursing degree while already having a bachelor's degree in another field. GMercyU’s accelerated nursing programs in PA are full-time, 16-month, 67-credit degree programs. Visit our Online Nursing Prerequisites page to learn more.

Professional Preparation for a Career that Cares

For more than 50 years, the Frances M. Maguire School of Nursing and Health Professions at Gwynedd Mercy University has been a hub for accelerated nursing programs in Philadelphia.

Our accelerated nursing programs help students become skilled practitioners who go on to provide superior patient care and serve as leaders in the field. Now, we offer innovative accelerated nursing programs in Philadelphia and Bensalem locations which can prepare you to make the change to a career with real meaning and purpose—a career as a registered nurse.

Our Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program is an accelerated nursing degree designed for students who have a bachelor’s degree in another field.

Benefits of a Second Bachelor's in Nursing and Accelerated Nursing Degree

Pursuing an accelerated second degree offers many advantages over a traditional nursing program. You can complete a second bachelor's degree in nursing in 16 months, rather than 4 years, which means you can enter the workforce much more quickly.

Another key benefit of getting your accelerated nursing degree as a second degree BSN is that students who do so are viewed as more determined and driven. You can demonstrate to employers that you thrive in a fast-paced environment. In addition, your first degree provides evidence of experience in other fields, adding to your applicable skills.

Career Options for Graduates of a Second Degree Nursing Program

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 put in clinical time before specializing or moving to administrative roles. However, if you want to become a school nurse, family nurse practitioner, or a psychiatric mental health nurse, an accelerated second degree BSN program from accelerated nursing schools is the first step towards achieving your goals.

The GMercyU Difference

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 four-year degree
A future of opportunity – A BSN degree prepares you for leadership roles and graduate nursing education later in your career, including our Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) programs.
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. You’ll also study at our convenient downtown Philadelphia or Bensalem location, which both feature state-of-the-art simulation equipment and training facilities.

GMercyU’s accelerated nursing program (ABSN) prepares you to become a confident, capable nursing practitioner with the skills valued by patients and employers. In this second degree nursing program, you can develop the comprehensive health science knowledge 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.

As a graduate of our ABSN program, you will be able to:

Synthesize knowledge from the humanities, natural and behavioral/social sciences with current nursing knowledge as a basis for nursing practice
Formulate nursing decisions which reflect consistency with moral, ethical and legal principles
Use current professional standards to evaluate nursing practice of self and other members of the nursing team
Collaborate with other health care providers and consumers in promoting the health and well-being of individuals, families and communities
Demonstrate responsibility and accountability for direct and/or indirect nursing interventions and their outcomes
Refer individuals, families and groups to appropriate community resources
Use evidence-based nursing practice to improve the health of individuals, families and communities
Communicate effectively with diverse groups and disciplines
Function as a leader within nursing and interdisciplinary health teams in a variety of settings
Use the role of advocate to facilitate access to health care
Create a healing environment through the therapeutic use of self when caring for individuals, families, and communities
Analyze the nursing care environment through the use of technological knowledge and skills

More BSN Degree Options to Fit Your Life

If you cannot commit to full-time accelerated nursing programs, or don't meet the prior education requirements for a second bachelor's, we also offer a Weekend BSN program and a four-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree program on our Main Campus in Gwynedd Valley, PA. The Weekend BSN program, which can be completed in just three years, is another second degree nursing program available to students with a bachelor's degree in another field who want to transition to a career in nursing. The four-year undergraduate BSN program is for aspiring nurses who do not already have a bachelor's degree in another field.

A Nursing Educational Community 50 Years in the Making

Gwynedd Mercy University has been a leading nursing school for more than 50 years. The community of nursing experts, scholars, and regional health care leaders we have developed—not to mention our thousands of nursing alumni—is an invaluable resource for your professional development and personal enrichment. It's why the Frances M. Maguire School of Nursing and Health Professions has been a leader in accelerated nursing programs in PA for years.

Our nursing faculty members bring clinical expertise and a passion for the nursing profession to the classroom. In our small classes, they will become your partners and mentors as you bring your future into focus.

Curriculum

The ABSN at GMercyU is a full-time, 16-month, 67-credit second degree BSN program developed for students who hold a bachelor’s degree in another field.

If you graduated from your first bachelor’s program more than seven years ago, your Nutrition course was not taught by a Registered Dietician, or if your major did not include laboratory science courses, you will need to complete and pass prerequisite courses before you can begin your ABSN degree. We offer online health sciences prerequisites that can help you fill any gaps in your knowledge.

Prerequisite Courses
•   Nutrition (taught by a Registered Dietician)
•   Developmental Psychology*
•   Statistics*
•   Microbiology with Lab
•   Anatomy & Physiology I with Lab
•   Anatomy & Physiology II with Lab
•   Chemistry I with Lab
•   Chemistry II with Lab (organic biochemistry)

*Effective August 2019, these two courses must have been successfully completed within the last 10 years. All other courses must have been completed within the last seven years.

Visit our Online Nursing Prerequisites page to learn more.

Required courses

NUR 208	Introduction to Professional Nursing
NUR 209	Fundamentals of Nursing Practice (with clinical practice)
NUR 212	Health Assessment in Nursing (with clinical practice)
NUR 213	Evidence-Based Practice in Nursing
NUR 307	Nursing Care of Adults (with clinical practice)
NUR 313	Contemporary Issues in Professional Nursing
NUR 314	Pharmacology
NUR 315	Pathophysiology
NUR 316	Nursing Care of Clients with Alterations in Behavioral Health (with clinical practice)
NUR 317	Nursing Care of Women, Children, and Families (with clinical experience)
NUR 319	Nursing Care of Adults with Complex Health Care Problems (with clinical practice)
NUR 413	The Older Adult
NUR 417	Genomics in Nursing
NUR 419	Synthesis of Learning for Nursing Practice (with clinical practice)
NUR 422	Health and Illness in the Community (with clinical practice)
NUR 423	Global Health and Health Policy
NUR 431	Nursing Research
RS 231	Morality and Contemporary Health Care
NUR 4001	Leadership and Management in Professional Nursing – Capstone

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 may require night 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 (PDF) for more information and course descriptions.

Begin Your Nursing Journey with GMercyU

Get the training you need for a career that changes lives: earn your Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing with GMercyU's accelerated nursing schools. Call 844-707-9359 or e-mail accelerate@gmercyu.edu to contact an admissions counselor, or begin your online application now!

Accreditation

In addition to the University’s accreditation by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, the baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral programs as well as the post-graduate APRN certificate program in Gwynedd Mercy University's Frances M. Maguire School of Nursing and Health Professions are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, 655 K Street NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20001, 202-887-6791 (www.ccneaccreditation.org). This includes GMercyU's ABSN programs.