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Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing

Program Overview

The University of Providence’s accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree program (ABSN) is a 12-month program designed to prepare students for a rewarding career as a registered nurse. The accelerated BSN program combines online and in-person lessons with in-person skill labs and clinical immersions at one of our two clinical locations in Anchorage, AK, or Lewistown, MT.

The accelerated BSN program is designed for applicants who have previously earned a bachelor’s degree in any field. Students enrolled in our program are expected to relocate to or reside in the greater Anchorage or Lewistown area before the program’s start in January and through the program’s conclusion in December. Due to the intense nature and high demand of the accelerated BSN program, students are encouraged to refrain from outside employment while enrolled.

The accelerated BSN program is recognized by EduMed as one of 2024’s Best Online Nursing Programs in Montana. The accelerated BSN program was ranked alongside just 6% of post-secondary institutions, meeting specific program requirements and accreditation standards.

The program is offered alongside the university’s existing catalog of Bachelor and Master of Science in nursing programs. The accelerated BSN program is taught by passionate, experienced faculty who are invested in helping students reach their professional goals and a successful nursing career. The University of Providence’s accelerated BSN curriculum emphasizes a quality education centered around serving all patients. This is reflected in clinical rotations focusing on various nursing skills and practices.

Program Highlights

Clinical Locations In Lewistown, MT, and Anchorage, AK

Accelerated BSN students will engage in a combination of educational skill labs and guided clinical immersions. By utilizing clinical facilities in Lewistown, MT, and Anchorage, Alaska – along with our partnerships with Central Montana Medical Center in Lewistown and Providence Alaska Medical Center in Anchorage, students will be exposed to various nursing disciplines, practices, and specialties.

 

**(Lewistown Applicants) Dormitories are NOT available to students at our Lewistown, MT site.  Students in Lewistown will need to find unaffiliated housing in the local community. In addition, Lewistown students will need to provide their own transportation to clinicals, labs, and classes as directed.**

**(Anchorage Applicants) Providence Alaska provides reduced-price dormitories for nursing students to reside on the medical center campus.  Clinicals, Labs, study rooms, and meeting places are within a 5-minute walk from the medical center. Students who choose to reside in Providence, Alaska, dormitories will be required to reach out to the Anchorage site coordinator to set that up.**

Intensive, Full-Time Course Immersion

Accelerated BSN students are required to complete 54 credits of nursing coursework. Accelerated BSN coursework is delivered over a 12-month period beginning in January and concluding in December. Coursework, skill labs, simulations, and clinicals will be dispersed over three semesters, each containing two eight-week learning intensives. Students are expected to attend courses on a full-time basis, with minimal breaks between eight-week intensives and semesters. Due to the program’s intensity, students should not expect to maintain outside employment while enrolled.

Program Accreditation

The University of Providence is regionally accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU) and the Montana Board of Nursing. In addition, all baccalaureate and master’s degree programs at the University of Providence are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).

Exam-Preparedness

Graduates of the accelerated BSN degree program are eligible to sit for national licensure through the National Council Licensure Exam (NCLEX), the exam required to become licensed to practice as a Registered Nurse (RN). The accelerated BSN degree program prepares students to sit for the NCLEX exam.

 

University of Providence NCLEX Pass Rates

2020 – 94.12% | 2021 – 86.36% | 2022 – 69.70% | 2023 – 80.50% | 2024 – 96.43

Application Information

Requirements & Eligibility

Application: Applicants must submit a completed application through NursingCAS

High School Transcripts: Applicants must submit their official high school transcript

Official transcripts must be uploaded directly to NursingCAS from your high school.

Include transcripts from any dual enrollment or other pre-college programs

Include results of any AP tests

Degree Requirements: Applicants must possess a bachelor’s degree in ANY field

College Transcripts: Applicants must submit their undergraduate university transcripts

Transcripts must be uploaded to NursingCAS from the college/university

GPA Requirements:  Applicants must have a minimum GPA of 2.75

If a minimum 2.75 GPA was not achieved in prior high school or college coursework, an admissions essay/academic review may be required of the applicant.

Pre-Requisite Courses: Applicants must complete the following courses:

Anatomy & Physiology I (with Labs) | 4 Semester Credits**

Anatomy & Physiology II (with Labs) | 4 Semester Credits**

Microbiology (with Lab) | 4 Semester Credits

Statistics | 3 Semester Credits

Nutrition | 3 Semester Credits

 

2026 COHORT APPLICANTS MUST COMPLETE ALL PREREQUISITES PRIOR TO JUNE 15th, 2025. For prerequisites to qualify for credit, they must be completed by the student with a grade of C (75%) or higher. Both Anatomy & Physiology courses and Microbiology need to be completed within the last 10 years.

Deadlines

Application reviews for the accelerated BSN program start on April 1st until June 15th. Courses begin annually in January and run through December of the same year. Applicants must apply to the Lewistown, MT, or Anchorage, AK clinical site. Those accepted must relocate to or reside in these locations at the time of the program’s start.

 

Important 2026 Cohort Deadlines

Applications for the 2025 BSN Cohort has closed as of June 15, 2024.

Applications for the 2026 BSN Cohort will be reviewed from April 1, 2025 to June 15, 2025.

Learn more about our admissions process on the Undergraduate Admission Page.

Program Vision

At the University of Providence Great Falls Nursing Program, our vision is to set the standard for nursing excellence through transformative education, innovation, and compassionate care. We aspire to empower our students with the knowledge, skills, and ethical grounding necessary to lead in the dynamic field of healthcare. Our commitment extends beyond academic excellence to nurturing a community of professionals who are dedicated to improving health outcomes, advocating for vulnerable populations, and contributing to the global health landscape with integrity and respect. We envision our graduates as pioneers of change, equipped to address the complexities of modern healthcare with confidence, empathy, and unwavering dedication to the well-being of all individuals.

Program Mission

The program’s mission is “to prepare graduates for accountable and professional nursing practice that is relationship-based, vigilant, theory-guided, and grounded in the best possible evidence.”

A graduate of the program will be a leader in healthcare. Graduates will be excellent communicators, clinicians, and leaders of change. A graduate is a lifelong learner and will enhance the nursing profession by providing nursing evidence-based practice that is population-centered, as well as grounded in spiritual, ethical, and compassionate care.

Conceptual Framework

The program’s mission is supported by a conceptual framework consisting of the following constructs:

Relationship-Based Care

The University of Providence’s Accelerated BSN Degree Completion Program honors the patient and family as the center of the care delivery team. In relationship-based practice, excellent patient care outcomes are achieved through collaborative and sacred relationships among the patient, his or her family, and the healthcare team.

Vigilance

Nursing vigilance is reflected in unwavering attention to both the patient and the care delivery environment. This vigilance protects patients from harm and ensures their safe passage as they journey through the continuum of their care experience.

Professional Accountability

The professional nurse is accountable for nursing outcomes of care delivery by ensuring vigilant care processes, maintaining expertise in practice, and creating healing care environments. The professional nurse is answerable for practice that consistently meets established standards. This accountability includes the steadfast pursuit of opportunities to coach and mentor other members of the inter-professional healthcare team. Nurses are at all times responsible for their own self-care, professional development, and proactive career management.

Change

Constant, complex change is the expected norm and sets the context for contemporary life in health care delivery. Professional nurses thrive in–and are prepared to lead and manage positive change in improving health, with patients, colleagues, and communities.

Program Themes

Nursing students at the University of Providence will learn these themes and more:

  • Compassion, ethics, and spirituality
  • Patient and family-centered care
  • Leadership and effective advocacy
  • Evidence-based practice
  • Population and Community Health
  • Transforming healthcare
  • Safety and quality outcomes
  • Professional accountability
  • Collaboration and inter-professional teams
  • Reflective practice and lifelong development

Program Information

Learning Outcomes

Traditional BSN students at the University of Providence will achieve these outcomes and more:

  1. Integrate a compassionate and ethical understanding of the human experience into nursing practice using the foundations of a liberal arts education.
  2. Apply leadership concepts, skills, and decision-making to engage healthcare teams in creating, promoting, and managing safety and quality outcomes.
  3. Apply nursing practices informed by research, evidence-based practice, and innovation to optimize health.
  4. Utilize information technology to communicate, mitigate errors, and make improved clinical decisions related to the care of diverse populations.
  5. Advocate to influence change in legal, political, social, and economic factors that transform healthcare delivery.
  6. Collaborate with the inter-professional team to improve patient/family outcomes and the work environment.
  7. Provide compassionate, spiritual, ethical, and culturally appropriate care across the lifespan and the continuum of care.
  8. Practice preventive care, health promotion, and disease intervention across care settings for self, individuals, families, the community, and populations.
  9. Assume professional accountability to uphold the standards of nursing practice as defined by the Nurse Practice Act (in the state in which the nurse practices) and the ANA Code of Ethics.
  10. Demonstrate reflective nursing practice.
Skills You’ll Learn

Accelerated BSN students at the University of Providence will learn these skills and more:

  • Critical thinking
  • Complex problem solving
  • Coordinating care of individuals, families, and community
  • Vital sign monitoring and time management
Program Curriculum

The University of Providence’s accelerated BSN program is administered over 12 months, starting in January and concluding in December. Students will enroll in 3 semesters with an average of 3 classes per semester or 8 – 10 average credit hours per semester. Students will complete a total of 54 credits upon graduation. Courses are delivered in two eight-week intensives per semester. Students progress through the course in the cohort model respective to their designated clinical site location.

Learn More: Accelerated BSN Program Completion Track

 

Accelerated BSN Courses

  • NRS 313: Nursing Practice Fundamentals (4 Semester Credits)
  • NRS 370: Introduction to Professional Nursing (1 Semester Credit)
  • NRS 372: Nursing Concepts I (4 Semester Credits)
  • NRS 374: Nursing Concepts II (3 Semester Credits)
  • NRS 376: Pathophysiology & Pharmacology Concepts I (3 Semester Credits)
  • NRS 378: Pathophysiology & Pharmacology Concepts II (3 Semester Credits)
  • NRS 410: Evidence-Based Nursing Practice (3 Semester Credits)
  • NRS 412: Nursing Ethics & Spirituality (3 Semester Credits)
  • NRS 414: Population Health (3 Semester Credits)
  • NRS 417: Perspectives In Global Healthcare (2 Semester Credits)
  • NRS 421: Nursing Leadership: Fostering Quality & Safety in Organizations (4 Semester Credits)
  • NRS 423: Introduction to Nursing Informatics (2 Semester Credits)
  • NRS 425: Health Promotion In Nursing (3 Semester Credits)
  • NRS 430: Clinical Concepts I (3 Semester Credits)
  • NRS 440: Clinical Concepts II (3 Semester Credits)
  • NRS 450: Transition to Nursing Practice (6 Semester Credits)
  • NRS 474: Nursing Concepts III (3 Semester Credits)
  • NRS 495: Senior Seminar (1 Semester Credits)

 

Total Accelerated BSN Nursing Semester Credits: 54

Healthcare Professionals Tuition Incentive

The University of Providence is committed to supporting the healthcare workforce by empowering current healthcare professionals to start, enhance or advance their career in healthcare. The Healthcare Professionals Tuition Incentive (HPTI) Program provides currently employed healthcare professionals with the opportunity to apply tuition discounts to in-demand programs offered through our School of Health Professions catalog.

Visit the Healthcare Professionals Tuition Incentive Program page to learn more.

 

Providence Health & Services Partnership

Our unique partnership with Providence Health allows eligible Providence Caregivers and their dependents to receive an exceptional education from an accredited, faith-based, university. Caregivers and their dependents who enroll at the University of Providence may receive many possible benefits, such as discounted tuition rates and preferred admission, as part of their education benefits. Visit the Providence Human Resources Service Portal to learn more about caregiver education benefits, the application process for our programs, and tuition discounts.

Careers with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing

Registered Nurses are the largest group of professionals within the healthcare system, holding over 3.1 million jobs in 2021. In addition, registered nursing jobs are projected to grow between 2021 and 2031, adding 195,400 jobs in the same period, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Registered nurses work across the healthcare continuum – including hospitals, clinics, physician offices, long-term care facilities, and specialty care facilities. In addition to different locations, registered nurses with a BSN can work in various roles within nursing – including acute care, critical care, home health, geriatric care, and more.

 

Program Costs

The University of Providence is committed to affordability and providing pricing transparency for all School of Health Professions programs. Pricing transparency at UP includes:

  • Accessible and up-to-date information on tuition costs, university fees, application and admission fees, deposit amounts, and additional program costs.
  • Cost of attendance worksheets outlining specific tuition layouts by program and semester.
  • Information about scholarship opportunities and tuition discounts for specific groups.
  • Information about the financial aid process.

 

Visit our Tuition and Fees page to access the latest pricing information. Access the Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing Estimated Cost Breakdown sheet to view pricing information for this degree program, including a cost breakdown by semester and associated program costs. Visit our Financial Aid page to learn more about the financial aid process.

Accreditation

The University of Providence’s Bachelor and Masters of Science in Nursing programs are fully accredited through regional and national accrediting boards.

Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities

The University of Providence is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. Information can be found on the NWCCU website, and Comments can be directed to the NWCCU staff at the following address:

 

Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities

8060 165th Avenue NE, Suite 100

Redmond, WA 98052

(425) 558-4224

www.nwccu.org

Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education

The baccalaureate and master’s degree programs in nursing at the University of Providence are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.

 

655 K Street, NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20001, (202) 887-6791.

https://www.ccneaccreditation.org

 

*The Traditional Bachelor of Science in Nursing program is currently seeking accreditation through the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.

*The Post-Masters Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Concentration Certificate is currently seeking accreditation through the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.

Montana Board of Nursing

The University of Providence is accredited by the Montana Board of Nursing. Information can be found on the Montana Nursing Board website, and Comments can be directed to the Montana Nursing Board staff at the following address:

 

Montana Board of Nursing

PO Box 200513

Helena, MT 59620-0513

(406) 841-2380

https://boards.bsd.dli.mt.gov/nursing/

Contact Information

Email

Danette Schloeder, DNP, RNC-OB, C-EFM, C-ONQS

Director, Accelerated Nursing Program; Assistant Professor of Nursing
Email
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