Responding to a Nursing Shortage: Adelphi’s Accelerated Nursing Program

There's a growing demand for professionals in the medical field-and a concerning shortage of nurses. Adelphi has a solution: the accelerated nursing program.

In just 15 months, students with bachelor's degrees in almost any other subject can change their career-and their lives-by becoming nurses.

That's the goal of Adelphi's Accelerated BS in Nursing (ABSN) program, launched in 2011. The program is helping to answer a critical need for nurses around New York, the tristate area and the nation.

From Any Bachelor's Degree to a Nursing Degree

Some ABSN students might have undergraduate degrees in accounting or finance. Others might have studied to become social workers, artists or teachers. Whatever the case, these students can leverage critical-thinking skills from their previous degrees to help them transition into the healthcare field.

Graduates address a critical need for nurses, so starting salaries can climb to an impressive $110,000 in the New York metropolitan area.

The ABSN curriculum is highly competitive and rigorous, offering coursework that maintains the required credit hours and clinical experiences. Despite its shortened length, the ABSN program remains aligned with the prestigious standards of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) and the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).

Offered at the New Manhattan Center

Adelphi University is expanding its prestigious nursing program to the heart of New York City with the opening of its new Manhattan Center at 529 Fifth Avenue in Summer 2026, located just steps from Grand Central Station and other transit locations-a convenient commute for working professionals in New York City. Applications are already open for this program.

Manhattan Center nursing students will learn their craft in a cutting-edge simulation lab equipped with the latest medical technology and high-fidelity manikins, providing a safe environment for students to master clinical skills.

NCLEX Pass Rates at 100 Percent

So what happens after graduation? Graduates are eligible to sit for the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN), a licensing exam for nurses, and enter professional practice in just 15 months. Irene Auteri '79, PhD '22, director of the ABSN program and assistant professor in the Adelphi University College of Nursing and Public Health (CNPH), learned from the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) that the NCLEX-RN pass rate for Adelphi's ABSN nursing graduates has consistently been 100 percent for first-time test takers.

After acing the exam, ABSN graduates are employed at hospitals across the country, mostly in the tristate area. Adelphi nursing alumni work in all 50 states-in critical care, step-down units, emergency rooms and neonatal intensive care units. Some go on to obtain additional graduate degrees, such as a Master's of Business Administration (MBA), MS in Healthcare Informatics or MS in Emergency Management.

Addressing a Perfect Storm in Nursing Today

Dr. Auteri describes a "perfect storm" currently facing the nursing profession. The most significant challenge, she notes, is the national nursing shortage: "The demand for care is outstripping the system's ability to produce and retain clinicians."

This crisis is compounded by an aging population requiring care over longer lifespans, while the nursing workforce itself is also graying. Recent Department of Labor statistics indicate that a vast portion of current nurses will reach retirement age within the next 10-15 years, taking decades of institutional knowledge with them.

Furthermore, a shortage of qualified faculty at nursing schools continues to limit enrollment, making accelerated pathways like the ABSN more critical than ever.

Answering the Call for More Nurses

"Recognizing the gravity of the Department of Labor's projected 15-year nursing shortage, I have dedicated my first year as director to expanding our ABSN program enrollment," she said. When the ABSN program began in 2011, the program only had 30 students. "While evaluating applications, I noticed that I would need to turn away perfectly qualified applicants to keep our class down to 30 students," she noted. "That is when I approached the CNPH leadership team, and we decided to increase our enrollment to 60 students."

T​he dean of the CNPH, Deborah Hunt, PhD '12, suggested increasing the number of students by admitting them to two entry terms each year. And 20 new students will begin the program in the Manhattan Center in Summer 2026. "This summer, for the first time, we will have four ABSN programs running at the same time. I am thrilled to lead the program into its next chapter of growth," Dr. Auteri noted.

A Pivotal Moment in Nursing

Dr. Auteri joined the leadership team at a pivotal moment in both the country and in nursing. A native of Brooklyn, New York, Dr. Auteri decided to pursue nursing after a particularly harrowing incident in her youth. "I was the first on the scene of a motorcycle accident," she said. "The realization that I lacked the skills to intervene in that critical moment defined my path."

Dr. Auteri is an alumna of Adelphi's RN to BSN program, where she graduated in 1979. She returned to her "academic home" in 2006, working as an adjunct professor. Dr. Auteri's Adelphi roots run deep: Her husband, James W. Ferguson '77, MPH '15, MD, is an alumnus. Half a dozen of her cousins are too. Her family even received the very first Adelphi Alumni Legacy Award in 2009.

In 2026, she will celebrate 20 consecutive years with the CNPH.

Mentoring for Student Success

Expanding the ABSN program isn't all that Dr. Auteri has done. Last year, she founded the Big Brother/Big Sister mentoring program, where seasoned students provide a road map for those just beginning their nursing journey. Twenty-five upperclassmen have already volunteered to serve as 'big brothers/big sisters' for Spring 2026.

"I am so proud of this community of Adelphi students," said Dr. Auteri. "I'm grateful to play a role in their ongoing growth as healthcare leaders."

Learn more at Virtual Info Sessions January 27, Feb 2, Feb 13 or Feb 26.