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The Fastest Online BSN 
Minimal Prerequisites
Unparalleled SupportPlease visit our state authorizations page to see whether this program is available in your area.
Your time and experience are valuable, which is why Wilkes University offers one of the fastest online Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN). In just 12 months, get the support and clinical experience you need to change your career—and change lives—as a registered nurse (RN).
The Wilkes online ABSN is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) and has:
Please note: the minimum requirements are outlined below. Admissions may request additional information for a more in-depth review.
View state authorizations to confirm if this program is available in your area.
Our Accelerated BSN program is designed to build on your bachelor’s degree in any field.
While prior nursing experience isn't mandatory, we do require six prerequisite courses before you can enroll. This will ensure that you are prepared for the accelerated and intense nature of the program.
If you have not completed all of the prerequisite courses below, an admissions counselor will guide you through the process and timeline. Click here to schedule an appointment.
Upon graduation, you will be fully prepared to join the nursing profession—this includes taking the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN) exam and becoming a licensed registered nurse (RN).
The online ABSN curriculum builds your confidence and skills to:
Clinical Placement Support
In addition to your coursework, you’ll need experience with real patients to practice what you’ve learned in the online classroom. This practical experience, called clinicals, is a requisite component of a nursing degree.
Your clinical experience offers rotations in various specialties, teaching you how to apply nursing concepts in diverse health care settings. Wilkes handles this for you — at no extra charge — because we want you to succeed.
For our ABSN program, Wilkes policy prohibits students from reaching out directly to secure placement; our placement team handles this for you. We assign a clinical placement group to secure a clinical site with a preceptor or clinical group.* By taking on the logistics of this task, we free up your time to focus on your education.
*Your placement site may be up to 125 miles from your location and may include weekend hours.
Student Support
Wilkes understands the need for student support — online ABSN programs are fast-paced and rigorous. A dedicated Enrollment Counselor is by your side to ensure you have what you need to apply for the program and helps you navigate the application process. Once enrolled, we assign a Student Success team to work with you to ensure you have access to the resources you need along the way. Your Student Success team is your guide from orientation through graduation.
* The baccalaureate degree in nursing/master's degree in nursing/ Doctor of Nursing Practice and post-graduate/APRN certificate programs at Wilkes University are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (www.ccneaccreditation.org)
The Wilkes Clinical Placement team works with you to offer a high-quality placement experience that is compliant, meets the University and national guidance for clinical requirements and prepares you for success in your future practice.
To accompany online classroom learning and test-taking, nurses also need clinical experience to practice what they’ve learned in theory. Hands-on patient care is a requisite component of a nursing degree and must be practiced on real patients in clinical settings.
During clinical rotations, nursing students are under the close supervision of their preceptor. They are given specific instructions to follow while keeping clinical practice guidelines and best practices in mind. Students are placed in a variety of health care facility settings. Clinicals are very similar to an internship or being an apprentice; students assume the role of the nurse and provide care for real patients, but they benefit from the supervision and guidance of their preceptors and other health care professionals.
Nursing students must complete a specified number of clinical hours as determined by the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). Please note, these are not paid positions, but they count toward the degree.
This course is designed to facilitate the integration of physical assessment skills as an essential element of the nursing process. The components of physical assessment, including the health history and physical examination, are organized to allow the student to proceed from an assessment of the overall function of a client to the more specific functions of each body system.
Requirement: Sophomore standing in the Nursing program and Accelerated Baccalaureate Program for Second Degree Students. (Credits: 3)
For a complete list of courses and course descriptions, access our comprehensive program guide.
This course is designed to assist students in understanding the multidisciplinary science of pharmacology based on human systems. Content includes drug classifications, indications, adverse effects and contraindications, age-related variables, dosages, and nursing implications. Using critical thinking skills related to drug therapy, clinical decision-making is developed. (Credits: 3)
This course introduces the student to the profession of nursing. Use of the nursing process is emphasized in meeting the human needs of clients identified as individuals, families, and communities. Nursing theory is correlated with clinical practice in the Clinical Nursing Simulation Center skills lab and selected clinical agencies. 12 hours of clinical practice. (Credits: 12)
Being able to put your career aside is one of the most important elements for success as a student in this program. Your academics deserve your undivided attention for the 12 months that it takes to fulfill your dream of becoming a nurse. While the days feel long and the weeks feel short, I can assure you from my experience as a student at Wilkes University, absolutely every single second spent studying, learning, and engaging at clinicals has been worth it. I am amazed at the amount of knowledge I have gained in only 6 months of this program, and the lifelong relationships I have formed with my classmates.”
Celia Rossini, Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing
Submit your information to access a comprehensive digital program guide. One of our dedicated admissions counselors will contact you shortly to discuss next-steps.
Burned-out workers from the recent pandemic, retiring baby boomer nurses, and an aging population with increased demands for care are contributing to a nursing shortage.* According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the demand for RNs is expected to grow from 3 million in 2019 to 3.3 million in 2030 — a 9% increase, or an additional 277,000 new jobs.
The BLS reports that more than half of all nurses work in state, local and private hospitals, but there are many opportunities to work in other environments such as physician’s offices, home health, outpatient care centers and public health facilities. Some nurses travel throughout the United States and worldwide to care for patients in places with inadequate care.
There is considerable opportunity for bachelor’s-prepared nurses, and the salary is favorable. According to the BLS, registered nurses with a bachelor’s degree earned $75,330 in 2020.
*Source: AACN
We do the heavy lifting for you. For more information on the nursing clinicals placement process, visit our Clinical Placement Services page, access your free program guide, or email us at admissions@onlinenursingdegrees.wilkes.edu. You can also call us directly at 888-413-5633 or schedule a time to speak with us.
The ABSN program consists of seven courses, which are completed over three terms (one year).
Excluding nursing clinicals and residencies, all coursework is 100% online. Each course experience is primarily asynchronous.
Tuition for the ABSN program is $20,154 per term.
Yes, financial aid is available to qualifying nursing students. Please fill out a form or schedule an appointment with an admissions counselor to learn if you qualify for financial assistance. You can also give us a call at 888-413-5633. We're happy to help!
Our ABSN program has a rigorous, full-time curriculum that enables students to:
At Wilkes, we support and applaud lifelong learning. We are constantly changing, evolving and growing to meet the needs of our online student nurses. We look ahead to the degree programs, experiences and opportunities our students will need to succeed, and that includes complimentary nursing clinical placement services.
Our online nursing programs offer a variety of options for working nurses. Whether you're looking to advance your current role or broaden your career path and pursue a new specialty, Wilkes has a flexible program for you. Going back to school is a big decision. That's why we offer the mentoring and faculty member support of skilled nurse educators you need to succeed.
We’re here to talk about everything Wilkes, everything nursing and anything you need to make the right choice for your career. We'll even help with the application process. Call us at 888-413-5633 or click the link below to fill out a form and start the conversation. We can’t wait!
Our online nursing degree programs prepare graduates to take the national board certification exam appropriate to their degree or chosen NP concentration. ABSN graduates are eligible to take the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN). Please see our full list of state authorizations to determine whether our program fulfills requirements for licensure in your home state. Wilkes University will not be able to place any students who move to an unauthorized state before or during the program and this may impact your ability to continue with the program.
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To proceed with the Associate Degree in Nursing (R.N.) to M.S.N. program, you are required to have an associate’s degree in nursing and hold a current unencumbered R.N. license.
If you don’t meet these requirements but would still like further information, please contact us.
To proceed with the M.S.N. program, you are required to have a bachelor’s degree in nursing and hold a current unencumbered R.N. license.
If you don’t meet these requirements but would still like further information, please contact us.
To proceed with either the D.N.P., Ph.D. or the Post Graduate A.P.R.N. Certification programs, you are required to have a master’s degree in nursing and hold a current unencumbered R.N. license.
If you don’t meet these requirements but would still like further information, please contact us.
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