Students in new accelerated nursing program at Ohio State ready for careers

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Students in new accelerated nursing program at Ohio State ready for careers

Full-time program can be completed in as few as 18 months

A new program at The Ohio State University College of Nursing is helping students with a degree and an interest in a career in health care reach their goals at an accelerated pace.

The college launched the Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (aBSN) program in 2024 for students who have finished college in a non-nursing field but desire to have a career in nursing. The full-time program can be completed in as few as 18 months.

That appealed to Sophie Janssen, an Ohio State health sciences graduate. Janssen is in the first cohort of students in the aBSN program and is preparing to graduate in December.

"I feel like I'm learning a lot quicker than if I had taken the traditional program," she said. "Every class I'm in is specific to nursing, so I feel like I'm learning a lot quicker and I'm getting all the information in. I feel pretty ready for graduation."

Megan Trainer is also in the first cohort of aBSN students. She said she was excited to find out Ohio State offered an accelerated program.

"It was ideal for me because I had already been to Ohio State," she said. "I think the price point was also a huge option for me when it came to the accelerated programs. I just needed something that would bridge the degree that I already had to getting my nursing core classes done."

The program is another option for students to start a career in an in-demand job. Ohio State President Walter "Ted" Carter Jr. set a goal of doubling undergraduate enrollment in the College of Nursing to meet an urgent workforce need as part of his new strategic plan.

"I think the biggest reason for adding this program to what we already offer at the College of Nursing is to continue to expand our availability of nurses," said Kaitlyn Kolcun, assistant clinical professor of nursing. "Throughout the U.S., we're still undergoing massive nursing shortages post-pandemic, as well as with the baby boomer generation retiring. The need for nurses is increasing and this offers another pathway for folks to obtain that nursing degree."

Students in the aBSN complete both coursework and real-world clinical experience with health care professionals in Ohio, including at the Wexner Medical Center, to prepare them for a nursing career. Program graduates are eligible to take the National Council Licensure Exam for Registered Nursing, the standardized test required by State Boards of Nursing for RN licensure.

For Janssen and Trainer, the aBSN program offers an opportunity to continue their careers at Ohio State. Both are working at the Wexner Medical Center as patient care associates and have applied for nursing positions.

"We are seeing so many more people interested in the program, because a lot of them want to stay at Ohio State," said Taylor Mullin, instructor of clinical practice at the college. "Some of them work at the medical center, so they get the luxury of getting their tuition paid for and then not having to pay for another degree."'

Graduates from the program have the flexibility in choosing a career path in a variety of settings, including hospitals, research clinics, in-home care and more.

Those interested in the Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing program can learn more at the program website.

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