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College of Nursing: Building a Purposeful Career

Keiser University offers an Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing program designed for career changers, working professionals, and degree holders ready to enter the nursing profession and make a real difference in patient care.

Master Clinical Skills Through Hands-On Nursing Education

Build psychomotor skills, critical thinking, and direct patient care competencies through structured clinical placements in diverse healthcare settings.

Learn from Experienced Nursing Faculty

Study under faculty who bring real-world professional nursing practice into the classroom, guiding students through every stage of the clinical placement process.

Study at Florida Campuses

Choose from multiple campus locations in beautiful Florida.

Launch a Rewarding Career as a Registered Nurse

Complete the accelerated BSN program in as few as 16 months and qualify to sit for the NCLEX-RN licensing exam to become a licensed RN.

At a Glance

120

Credit Hours

18

Courses

40

Months*

4

Week Terms

  • Up to 12 credits of transfer credit*
  • Qualifies graduates to sit for NCLEX-RN licensing exam
  • Career opportunities as a registered nurse, clinical care specialist, and more
  • Available On Campus
  • Financial aid for those who qualify**

* Time to degree completion and the number of transfer credits are estimates, not intended as a guarantee, and can vary based on many case-by-case factors.
** Speak with a dedicated financial aid counselor to explore all your financial aid and funding options.

Nursing, BSN (Accelerated) Overview

Keiser University’s Accelerated Bachelor of Science (ABSN) in Nursing equips graduates of non-nursing bachelor’s degree programs with the knowledge, clinical experience, and professional competencies required for entry into nursing practice. The accelerated nursing program covers the full spectrum of nursing education, from foundational science prerequisite courses and physical assessment through advanced care management, nursing curriculum for community settings, and health outcomes research. ABSN students gain direct patient care experience through structured clinical placements, building the confidence and skill set needed to deliver safe, compassionate, patient-centered care.

Program Mission

The College of Nursing at Keiser University utilizes a “students first” philosophy to increase access to nursing education for a diverse student body at the undergraduate and graduate level and prepares students to provide holistic nursing care to improve individual, community, and global health outcomes. Keiser University’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing program enables students to provide evidence-based collaborative care to diverse patient populations in varied settings.

Program Goals

  1. Demonstrate leadership, clinical decision-making, and effective communication skills to provide and evaluate safe, high-quality nursing care.
  2. Creatively engage in rational inquiry, utilizing evidence-based nursing knowledge to give holistic care of patients in a continuum of healthcare environments.
  3. Employ information management and patient care technologies to enhance the delivery of quality patient care.
  4. Engage in system and organizational level policy to provide safe, high-quality care.
  5. Collaborate with interprofessional healthcare teams to ethically design and manage care of families and individuals across the lifespan

Program Outcomes

Keiser University’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing program prepares students to deliver evidence-based, collaborative care to individuals, families, and communities across a variety of healthcare settings. The Programmatic Student Learning Outcomes represent a culmination of measurable competencies that support graduate readiness to practice effectively within today’s complex healthcare environment.

BSN Program Outcomes

The Programmatic Student Learning Outcomes are:

  • CARE COORDINATION: Utilizes effective leadership, communication and collaboration for shared decision making with the patient and multidisciplinary healthcare providers in the deliberate organization, design and management of safe, high quality and high value care for culturally and spiritually diverse patients across the continuum of healthcare environments.
  • RESEARCH AND TRANSLATION: Engages in scientific inquiry with a spirit of creativity, utilizes evidence-based nursing knowledge, and translates data and information into nursing practice to address common clinical scenarios.
  • INFORMATION MANAGEMENT: Utilizes patient care technology and information systems to communicate, collaborate and support clinical decision-making in the delivery of quality patient care in a variety of healthcare settings.
  • ADVOCACY AND POLICY: Integrates professional nursing values, ethical, legal, and theoretical practice frameworks fundamental to the discipline of nursing to influence health promotion, disease prevention, healthcare policy, and regulation across the lifespan and practice environments.

Prerequisites for Major Courses

Admission to the ABSN program requires completion of the following before beginning nursing major courses:

  • Bachelor’s or Graduate degree in a non-nursing discipline from an accredited school, with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, or the last 60 credits of the degree with a 3.0 GPA.
  • An acceptable background check in accordance with the Nurse Practice Act upon enrollment.
  • Personal interview with the BSN Program Director or Designee, and approval from the BSN Admissions Committee.
  • Minimum cumulative 3.0 GPA for general education and science prerequisite courses.
  • Prerequisite courses of DEP2004 Lifespan Development (3 credits) and STA2023 Statistics (3 credits) with a “C” or better earned prior to acceptance.
  • Minimum grade of “B” in the following additional science courses prior to beginning nursing major courses:
    • Human Anatomy & Physiology I (4 credits)
    • Human Anatomy & Physiology II (4 credits)
    • General Chemistry I (3 credits)
    • General Chemistry Lab (1 credit)
    • Microbiology with lab (4 credits)
  • Satisfactory drug screening and completion of all required health screening in accordance with the Nurse Practice Act and clinical requirements.
  • A Wonderlic SLE minimum score of 23 is required. The exam must be administered on site at a Keiser University campus. Applicants who fail to achieve the minimum required score on the Wonderlic SLE will be allowed to retest after a 24-hour period. If the candidate fails to achieve the minimum required score on the retest, the candidate may retest after 60 days. A fourth attempt may be made 120 days after the third attempt. Applicants who do not achieve the required score after four attempts must wait 12 months before re-starting the Wonderlic SLE testing cycle.

Program Highlights

The Keiser University ABSN program stands out for its accelerated format, giving students with a prior bachelor’s degree a focused, efficient path to professional nursing practice. Curriculum spans nursing care coordination, patient safety, therapeutic communication, critical analysis, health equity, and public health, with robust support for clinical placement services throughout the program. Two campus residencies build hands-on clinical skills and prepare ABSN students for real-world nursing roles. A dedicated clinical placement services team assists students with finding and securing clinical placements in appropriate healthcare settings, including hospitals, community settings, and specialty practices. Students complete the program eligible to sit for the NCLEX-RN licensing exam.

Estimated Student Costs

Required and Optional Fees for Programs: Fees are costs set by the university in addition to tuition (and room and board, if applicable). These fees may be required for your program or optional depending on the courses you take, and they support the costs associated with completing an approved program of study. Fees are defined in the university’s catalog or supplement and listed on the school’s billing statement or invoice. Fees that are optional will not be paid using GI Bill® benefits and will be the responsibility of the student choosing these additional options. For additional guidance, please see your Program Director or Admissions Counselor.

Accreditation Statuses

Keiser University holds institutional accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). Learn more about Keiser University accreditation. Baccalaureate degree nursing programs at Keiser University campuses are in candidacy status for initial accreditation with the Accrediting Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN), 3390 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 1400, Atlanta, Georgia 30326, 404-975-5000, fax 404-975-5020. www.acenursing.org. For additional information, click here for a campus-by-campus list of ACEN accreditation statements for ASN programs and candidacy status for BSN programs.

Program Outline

Available On-Campus

Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree Courses
This beginning program of professional nursing study is designed for graduates of bachelor’s or graduate degree programs. To receive a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing, students must complete an additional 76 credit hours of nursing coursework as described below. The length of this program is approximately 40 months (this will vary based on the amount of general education transfer credits awarded), as is the case with most bachelor’s degrees; however, since eligible students have already 40 months working toward bachelor’s requirements, most students will complete this program 16 months.  A combined total of 120 credit hours is required for the degree. Students must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher, and Nursing Core courses must be completed with a grade of “B’ or higher to proceed successfully through the program.
 
Keiser University’s ABSN program offers a direct path to professional nursing practice. This accelerated baccalaureate degree program builds on prior academic knowledge while developing the clinical experience, leadership skills, and evidence-based competencies needed to practice as a registered nurse. Students complete nursing courses across patient safety, health promotion, therapeutic communication, critical analysis, and nursing care coordination, preparing graduates to sit for the NCLEX-RN licensing exam upon successful completion.

Lower Division Courses

General Education Requirements (22.0 credit hours prerequisites and 22.0 block credit hours)
General Chemistry I 3.0 credit hours
General Chemistry Lab 1.0 credit hours
Human Anatomy & Physiology I 4.0 credit hours
Microbiology I 4.0 credit hours
Human Anatomy & Physiology II 4.0 credit hours
Lifespan Development 3.0 credit hours
Statistics 3.0 credit hours

Upper Division Courses

Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing Major Courses (76.0 credit hours)
Professional Nursing I & II for ABSN 2.0 credit hours
Pathophysiology for BSN 4.0 credit hours
Physical Assessment in Healthcare 3.0 credit hours
Clinical Decision Making in Evidence Based Practice 2.0 credit hours
Care Management I 8.0 credit hours
Nursing Quality and Safety in Healthcare 2.0 credit hours
Care Management II 9.0 credit hours
Nursing Pharmacotherapeutics 4.0 credit hours
Ethical and Legal Aspects of Nursing Practice 3.0 credit hours
Information Technology for Nursing 3.0 credit hours
Care Management III 8.0 credit hours
Health Promotion, Disease Prevention: A Community Perspective 4.0 credit hours
Nursing Research for Evidence-Based Practice 3.0 credit hours
Mental Health Concepts in Nursing 2.0 credit hours
Public Policy and Risk Management in Nursing 3.0 credit hours
Advanced Care Management 11.0 credit hours
Professional Nursing III 2.0 credit hours
Nursing Leadership in Systems of Healthcare 3.0 credit hours

If you’re someone who cares about…

Helping others heal, wants to lead in a fast-paced clinical environment, and sees a career built on purpose rather than routine,

a degree in nursing might be exactly the right path.

Nursing students bring compassion, focus, and resilience to every patient interaction. They combine critical thinking with therapeutic communication to deliver patient-centered care across diverse healthcare settings.

Whether the goal involves acute care, community settings, health equity, or public health, this accelerated program gives driven individuals the clinical experience and the credential to get there faster.

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Top 25 university in the country in providing Social Mobility, including being ranked #1 in 2023
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The Chronicle of Higher Education

#2 Best 4-year graduation rates, private, nonprofit, nonresidential
(2023, The Chronicle of Higher Ed.)

What Jobs Can You Get with an Accelerated BSN Degree?

Graduates of Keiser University’s accelerated baccalaureate degree in nursing enter the workforce prepared for registered nurse roles across a wide range of healthcare environments. This accelerated BSN program strengthens clinical care knowledge, nursing practice skills, and leadership capacity, positioning graduates for entry-level and advanced clinical positions. The BSN degree also serves as the foundation for graduate nursing education, including MSN and DNP programs, supporting long-term nursing career advancement.

Career Pathways in Nursing

  • Registered nurse (hospital and clinical settings)
  • Surgical and perioperative nurse
  • Emergency department RN
  • Medical-surgical nurse
  • Pediatric nurse
  • Labor and delivery nurse
  • Rehabilitation nurse
  • Home health nurse
  • Hospice and palliative care nurse
  • Oncology nurse
  • Public health nurse
  • Nurse case manager
  • Travel nurse
accelerated-nursing-bs-degree-

Gain Job-Ready Skills for a Nursing Career:

  • Evidence-based nursing practice and clinical decision-making
  • Patient-centered care and therapeutic communication
  • Nursing care coordination across the lifespan
  • Critical thinking and critical analysis in clinical settings
  • Health promotion and disease prevention strategies
  • Patient safety and quality improvement
  • Psychomotor skills for direct patient care
  • Leadership skills for interprofessional healthcare teams

Keiser University offers career-focused degree programs designed to support working adults, traditional students, and career changers. With experienced faculty and comprehensive student support, Keiser helps learners achieve their personal and professional goals at all levels.

See What Sets Keiser Apart

Robert Santoyo is a student in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program at Keiser University. His path to nursing began about 15 years ago, but after serving 12 years in the Coast Guard Reserves, he is now returning to pursue the career he originally intended. Drawn to the fast-paced, high-stakes nature of emergency care, he is particularly interested in working in critical, life-and-death situations.

He chose Keiser University because of its strong military support and the ease of transitioning from military to academic life. Throughout the program, he gained valuable hands-on experience in hospital settings, working closely with nurses and developing a deeper understanding of the profession. As he prepares to graduate, he reflects on the importance of dedication and balance, encouraging future nursing students to commit fully to their studies while also making time for family and personal well-being. Despite challenges like long hours and demanding patient loads, he emphasizes the supportive nature of the nursing community.

Students Testimonials

At Keiser University we are here to help you succeed by providing the professional and academic foundation to meet your educational goals and objectives.

Jacvelyne Michel
Keiser University Nursing Student

I chose to study at Keiser University because they offer the accelerated nursing program which I could get my BS in in 16 months. They push us to do our best and they’re very fixated on us passing all of our classes and understanding the concepts. And they really prepare us well for the NCLEX exam.

Tom Buchanan
Keiser University Nursing Student

Tom Buchanan, a military veteran and nursing student, says Keiser helped him transition into a meaningful healthcare career where he could continue serving his community. He appreciates the strong support available to veterans, including a dedicated VA adviser who is responsive, helpful, and committed to ensuring students fully use the benefits they earned through service.

Jillian Bellis
Keiser University Nursing Student

Jillian Bellis, a nursing student, says Keiser University gave her the opportunity to return to school and pursue her lifelong passion for nursing. She highlights key benefits of Keiser, including flexible pathways for adult learners and career changers, supportive programs designed for students at different life stages, and the chance to pursue meaningful, career-focused education later in life.

Solange Mondesir
Keiser University College of Nursing Student

Seeing Keiser nurses out in the field – Keiser pushes out good nurses. So, I know I’m going to be prepared once I step out of the program.

How to Apply

  1. Submit your online application.
  2. Speak with an admissions advisor.
  3. Provide transcripts or transfer credits.
  4. Enroll and choose your start date.

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Speak to Your Advisor: 1-888-534-7379

Keiser University’s accelerated BSN program gives career changers, degree holders, and working professionals a direct path into nursing practice. Whether pursuing an Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing, students gain the clinical experience, nursing education, and NCLEX-RN preparation needed to enter the nursing profession with confidence. Small class sizes, experienced faculty, and dedicated clinical placement support set Keiser apart as a top choice among nursing schools in Florida.

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Accredited University

Keiser University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), ensuring your education meets rigorous academic standards.

Flexible Learning Options

Study on-campus at Florida locations with one class at a time. Small class sizes create an environment where faculty know students by name and provide individualized support throughout the nursing program.

Financial Services

We guide you through the financial aid process and provide assistance. Grants, scholarships, and financial aid are available for students who qualify to help manage the cost of your education.

Top Questions About Earning an Accelerated BSN Degree

Can I complete the accelerated nursing program online at Keiser University?

The ABSN program at Keiser University takes place on-campus to provide the hands-on clinical experiences and lab work essential for nursing education. Students receive direct instruction from nursing faculty and complete clinical hours in partner healthcare facilities throughout Florida.

What makes the ABSN program different from a traditional BSN program?

The accelerated BSN program at Keiser targets students who already hold a completed bachelor’s degree or graduate degree in a non-nursing discipline. Because prior bachelor’s degree coursework and science prerequisite courses reduce the general education requirements, ABSN students can complete the nursing curriculum in approximately 16 months rather than the standard 40 months.. This accelerated format delivers the same rigorous nursing education in a condensed, intensive structure.

What careers can I pursue after completing the ABSN program?

Graduates of the accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing qualify to sit for the NCLEX-RN licensing exam. Upon passing, licensed RN opportunities span hospitals, community settings, public health agencies, specialty clinics, long-term care, and more. The accelerated BSN degree also serves as the entry point for advanced nursing programs including the MSN and DNP at Keiser University.

Can I transfer credits from another institution?

Yes, Keiser University accepts transfer credits for undergraduate and graduate-level programs. Our admissions team will work with you to review your transcripts and determine your transfer eligibility. Credits transfer based on several factors including accreditation and course equivalency. Learn more about credit transfer requirements and eligibility requirements.

Is financial aid available for nursing students?

Absolutely. Students in the nursing program may qualify for grants, scholarships, and tuition assistance programs. Military veterans may also qualify for education benefits. Speak with a dedicated financial aid counselor to explore all available options and create a plan that fits your situation. Learn more about Keiser University’s Financial Services.

Does the ABSN program hold nursing accreditation?

Baccalaureate degree nursing programs at Keiser University campuses are in candidacy status for initial accreditation with the Accrediting Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN), 3390 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 1400, Atlanta, Georgia 30326, 404-975-5000, fax 404-975-5020. www.acenursing.org. For additional information, click here for a campus-by-campus list of ACEN accreditation statements for ASN programs and candidacy status for BSN programs.

What prerequisite courses do I need before starting the program?

Admission requirements include:

  • Prerequisite courses of Lifespan Development (3 credits) and Statistics (3 credits) with a “C” or better earned prior to acceptance.
  • Minimum grade of “B” in the following additional science courses prior to beginning nursing major courses:
  • Human Anatomy & Physiology I (4 credits)
  • Human Anatomy & Physiology II (4 credits)
  • General Chemistry I (3 credits)
  • General Chemistry Lab (1 credit)
  • Microbiology with lab (4 credits)

How does the clinical placement process work?

The clinical placement process at Keiser University pairs ABSN students with appropriate clinical placements in hospitals, community settings, and specialty healthcare environments. A dedicated clinical placement services team guides students through each step, from identifying eligible sites to meeting clinical requirements. Clinical placement support continues throughout the program, ensuring students complete the required clinical hours across diverse healthcare settings. Students residing in different areas may work with the clinical placement services team to secure placements near their location.

How much does it cost to earn this degree?

Tuition at Keiser University varies by degree program. Keiser offers financial aid, military and veteran benefits, scholarships, and tuition reimbursement to those who qualify. For more detailed cost information, please contact an admissions advisor. Get more information about Keiser University’s tuition and costs.

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By clicking the "Submit" button, I authorize Keiser University to make or allow the placement of recurring marketing calls, emails, and texts to me at the phone number that I have provided, including through the use of automated technology or a prerecorded or artificial voice. I understand that I am not required to provide my phone number as a condition of purchasing any property, goods, or services. Privacy Policy