Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program
The Idaho State University-Meridian Accelerated Nursing undergraduate degree is offered to individuals who have a bachelor's degree in another discipline and wish to make a career change. This program is three semesters in length and admits up to 50 students every summer semester. Classes are taught on the Meridian campus through three formats: online, interactive telecommunication, and face to face. Clinical experiences are offered in the simulation lab and at a variety of off- campus settings, including community hospitals, community health facilities, service agencies, and schools.
The Accelerated Program provides learning opportunities for undergraduate students in a variety of classroom and clinical settings to prepare students to take the National Council Licensure Examination Registered Nurse (NCLEX-RN) to secure licensure as a professional nurse.
More Information
Questions related to this degree program should be addressed to:
Program Overview
Program Information and Outcomes
The School of Nursing offers one program application a year that opens in the Fall semester and is due in early Spring semester. The Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing program will admit 30 students for the start of the Summer Semester, around the second week in May.
Please see the Accelerated BSN Program Curriculum for the upper division nursing courses and structure of the 3-semester nursing program.
If you have questions after looking through the School of Nursing website, please see the Undergraduate Frequently Asked Questions page for more information.
Undergraduate Nursing Programs Student Handbook
Program Outcomes
Completion of the undergraduate program provides the graduate with the abilities to:
- Evaluate critical thinking skills based upon nursing knowledge integration, the sciences and the humanities, in planning direct and indirect care for diverse populations in rural or urban settings.
- Develop individual traits and personal power to interact constructively with clients, families and communities.
- Evaluate the broad range of technology requirements.
- Create effective communication with clients, families, communities and other health care providers using verbal, non-verbal, electronic and/or written modalities.
- Evaluate the principles of population health needs.
- Value behaviors congruent with current standards of professional practice, and promote the nursing profession.
- Appraise basic nursing science information and develop expertise in the comprehensive care of clients, families, and communities.
The Importance of a Bachelor's Degree in Nursing
The Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing is a critical first step for a career in professional nursing. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), the national voice for baccalaureate and graduate nursing programs, recognizes the BS degree in nursing as the minimum educational requirement for a professional nursing practice. Recommendations by AACN state that education has a significant impact on the knowledge and competencies of the nurse clinician.
Nurses with BS degrees are well-prepared to meet the demands placed on today's nurse. Bachelor of Science nurses are prized for their skills in critical thinking, leadership, case management, and health promotion, and for their ability to practice across a variety of inpatient and outpatient settings. Nurse executives, federal agencies, the military, leading nursing organizations, health care foundations, community hospitals, and minority nurse advocacy groups all recognize the unique value that baccalaureate-prepared nurses bring to the practice setting. Following the nursing curriculum prepares students to become professional registered nurses and includes the following essential components of all baccalaureate nursing programs: a liberal education, professional values, core competencies, core knowledge, and role development.
Finances
Cost of Attendance
Accelerated Program Estimated Costs - Per Semester page.
Scholarships
The School of Nursing annually awards approximately $40,000 in scholarships, and the School of Nursing scholarship application is available annually in April.
Please see the Scholarship Office website for more information about scholarship opportunities available through ISU. For the list of nursing scholarships under Division of Health Science, please see the "Scholarship Listings by College" web page.
Scholarship Resources Outside of ISU
The ISU Scholarship Office also maintains a page with other scholarship resources outside of ISU.
Prerequisite Courses
Our 14 prerequisite courses are separated into 2 different lists, labeled as Set A and Set B courses. All prerequisite courses must be completed with a C grade or higher.
The Set A courses are used to calculate an applicant's nursing application GPA and must be completed prior to applying to the nursing program. A minimum 3.0 GPA is required for the nursing application and the Set A GPA calculation is 55% of an applicant's ranking in the application process. All Set A prerequisite courses must be completed within 10 years of application date.
The Set B courses can be in progress during the semester applicant applies in, so long as they are successfully completed before starting the program. Most students will have two or three of the Set B courses completed and then finish the remaining courses during the semester they apply in. All Set B prerequisite courses must be completed within 10 years of application date, with Pathobiology and Pharmacotherapy completed with 5 years of application date.
If courses are taken outside of Idaho State University, official transcripts verifying successful completion must be submitted to the ISU Registrar’s Office as part of the ISU application process.
Petitions to the School of Nursing may be required to establish equivalency for courses taken from other colleges or universities.
Accelerated BSN Program Requirements
Set A Prerequisite Courses |
||
Set A (completed before applying to SON) |
ISU Course |
ISU Credits |
| Introductory Microbiology with Lab | BIOL 2221 & 2221L | 4 |
| Anatomy & Physiology 1 with Lab | BIOL 2227 & 2227L or BIOL 3301 & 3301L | 4 |
| Anatomy & Physiology 2 with Lab | BIOL 2228 & 2228L or BIOL 3302 & 3302L | 4 |
| Introduction to General Chemistry | CHEM 1101 or CHEM 1111 & 1111L | 3 or 5 |
| Introduction to Psychology | PSYC 1101 | 3 |
| Child Development | PSYC 2225 | 3 |
| Cultural Diversity Course |
Use Objective 9 in the ISU General Education
Program for guidance
|
3 |
Set B Prerequisite Courses |
||
Set B (completed before starting program) |
ISU Course |
ISU Credits |
| Introduction to Pathobiology | BIOL 2229 or BIOL 3305 | 3 |
| Essentials of Organic & Biochemistry with Lab | CHEM 1102 & 1103 | 4 |
| Nutrition for Health Professionals | NTD 3340 | 3 |
| Introduction to Information Research | LLIB 1115 | 3 |
| Medical Ethics | PHIL 2230 | 3 |
| Statistical Reasoning | MATH 1153 | 3 |
| Pharmacotherapy for Nursing | PPRA 3315 | 4 |
School of Nursing Petition Process
School of Nursing Undergraduate Petition Form
Petitioning Courses
For any course that does not transfer into ISU as equivalent, students are welcome to submit a petition to the School of Nursing to see if the faculty will accept their course in place of the given School of Nursing undergraduate requirement. Students are also welcome to submit a petition for a course they would like to take to see if the School of Nursing would pre-approve the course for our undergraduate requirements.
Petitions must include:
- A completed form, including a signature and date
- A copy of the course description for the course (a course syllabus is preferred)
- An unofficial transcript with course completion (not needed if seeking preapproval for a course)
Please send the completed information to the School of Nursing via email at sonadvis@isu.edu. Staff will process your petition and send to the faculty for review for the final decision. If the faculty approves your petition, an approved nursing petition means that your course will satisfy the undergraduate nursing requirement but will not show as equivalent to the ISU course in your ISU transcript. The petition process usually takes 2-3 weeks.
Petitioning Other Requirements
In some cases, students may want to petition School of Nursing requirements other than courses. These may include, but are not limited to, undergraduate nursing application requirements, undergraduate nursing admission requirements, or graduation requirements. These petitions must include:
- A completed form, including a signature and date
- A statement explaining the need for the petition
- Any documentation you may have to support the petition
Students should contact the School of Nursing Academic Advisor for guidance on their nursing petition and/or University Petition.
Eligibility and Selection
The applicant is required to apply to Idaho State University and to the School of Nursing. The applicant must apply to and meet all requirements for admission to Idaho State University.
To apply to Idaho State University, please fill out an Undergraduate Application.
*There is a $50.00 application fee to Idaho State University. Apply as a Post-Baccalaureate Student/Nursing Pre-Major.
Acceptance to the School of Nursing is competitive and meeting admission requirements does not guarantee acceptance. In addition to the general requirements of Idaho State University, the student must comply with the following School of Nursing Accelerated BSN Program Requirements:
- Earned Bachelor of Science (B.S.) or Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) from a regionally accredited college or university before applying.
- Cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher among Set A prerequisite courses for application eligibility.
- Cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher among Set A and B at the time of admission.
- Mandatory attendance at the orientation for the Accelerated Nursing Program to be held on the ISU-Meridian campus following admission.
To apply to the School of Nursing Accelerated program, please visit the ISU Community Moodle site.
*There is a $50.00 application fee to the School of Nursing.
Applicant selection is based upon:
- Prerequisite GPA - The GPA is ranked based upon the calculation of grades from the prerequisite courses (Set A).
- Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS) - The "BSN Program Percentile Rank" score is used for admission ranking.
- Personal Interview – Applicants will be contacted for a personal interview in early 2019 upon receipt of the completed application.
Application and Admission Requirements for Summer 2021 Admission
- Submit your unofficial transcripts for review to sonadvis@isu.edu and meet with adviser to discuss courses, petition process, program information, and application requirements.
- Complete any required course petition(s) by January 15, 2021.
- Compete Set A course requirements and take the ATI Test of Essential Academic Skills (ATI TEAS).
- Meet with adviser to verify application eligibility for nursing program application.
- Email sonadvis@isu.edu
- Submit required documentation and compete application from November 10, 2020 through February 10, 2021.
Acceptance to the SON is competitive and meeting admission requirements does not guarantee acceptance. Admission decisions will be made and sent out via email in early March. If not accepted, contact a nursing adviser to discuss options.
Admission Process once accepted:
- Complete admission requirements.
- Successfully complete remaining Set B prerequisite courses.
- Attend mandatory orientation, typically held sometime during the first 2 weeks of April for summer admission.