College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences

Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing

Degree Options

• Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN)

The information on this page pertains to program requirements for students who matriculated in the 2024-2025 academic year.  View requirements for previous catalog years here.

Program Overview

At the heart of Drake's ABSN program lies a commitment to fostering compassionate, competent, and culturally competent nursing professionals. Students will embark on a rigorous curriculum blending theoretical instruction with hands-on clinical practice, guided by experienced faculty dedicated to student success. Whether delving into nursing foundational courses or developing critical thinking and clinical reasoning skills in real-world healthcare settings, students will emerge prepared to meet the evolving needs of diverse patient populations with confidence and expertise. 

Science meets humanity as Drake's ABSN program embraces a holistic approach to nursing education, emphasizing the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration, ethical decision-making, and lifelong learning. Through partnerships with top healthcare institutions and community organizations, students will gain invaluable insights into the complexities of modern healthcare delivery while championing health equity and social justice. As graduates of Drake's ABSN program, nurses will be poised to lead change, drive innovation, and make a meaningful difference in the lives of individuals, families, and communities across the globe. 

The ABSN program covers 12 months (fall, spring, summer) of coursework and experiential training. Students can pursue membership in student organizations, providing the chance to network with fellow students at Drake and from across the state and country. 

Drake University ABSN End of Program Student Learning Outcomes (EPSLO)

1. Support professional nursing practice decisions with concepts and theories from the biological, physical, and social sciences. (Domain 1: Knowledge for nursing practice) 
2. Apply nursing process and clinical judgment skills when providing holistic, person-centered nursing care for diverse populations with a commitment to equity and inclusion. (Domain 2: Person-centered care) 
3. Analyze the social determinants of health when planning population-focused nursing care with attention to outcomes, cost, and equity to transform lives and strengthen communities. (Domain 3: Population health) 
4. Utilize methods of discovery to inform nursing practice and improve outcomes with curiosity and creativity. (Domain 4: Scholarship for the nursing discipline) 
5. Model leadership by acting with integrity and purpose when planning and implementing safe, quality nursing care, coordinating the health care team, and tasked with oversight and accountability for care management. (Domain 5: Quality and safety) 
6. Collaborate with patients, families and the interdisciplinary team with joyful accountability and a commitment to equity and inclusion to promote safe, quality outcomes while presuming the best in each other.  (Domain 6: Interprofessional partnerships) 
7. Employ the skills of a change agent to optimize system effectiveness through innovation and evidence-based practice with robust communication, collaboration, and teamwork. (Domain 7: Systems-based practice) 
8. Use patient care technology and information systems when providing nursing care in a variety of settings. (Domain 8: Informatics and healthcare technologies) 
9. Comply with professional standards of moral, ethical, and legal conduct in practice through civility, caring and respect. (Domain 9: Professionalism) 
10. Operationalize a commitment to life-long learning for quality practice to serve our communities with integrity, purpose, and optimism about the future. (Domain 10: Personal, professional and leadership development) 

Requirements for Major

The following is a list of courses that ABSN students would take at Drake while completing the ABSN program. 

Course Credits ATHL 275 – Patient Centered Approach to Quality Care 2 HSCI 182 – Population Health 3 NURS 151 -  Introduction to Professional Nursing 3 NURS 154 – Health Assessment 3 NURS 155 – Nursing Informatics and Technology  2 NURS 156 – Leadership & Transition to Prof. Nursing 4 NURS 160 – Care Management Concepts I 3 NURS 165 - Care Management Concepts II 3 NURS 170 – Care Management Concepts III 3 NURS 172 – Nursing Research & Evidenced Based Practice 3 NURS 185 – Care Management Practicum I 5 NURS 190– Care Management Practicum II 5 NURS 195 – Care Management Practicum III 5 PHAR 170 – Pathophysiology/Pharmacology 4 PHAR 171 - Healthcare Systems and Policies 3 TOTAL 51

ABSN Admission

Admission to the Drake University Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program is based on academic and personal qualifications that are necessary for successful, competent practice as a nurse. Candidates are evaluated on the basis of the fit between their personal goals and the mission and goals of the ABSN program.  Prior education, work experience, honors, awards, service to others, and leadership activities are also considered in the admission process. Prior shadowing in a nursing environment is helpful, but not required.

No admission exam required!

Students may apply to our ABSN program by meeting the following requirements.  Please note that these are the requirements applicants must meet in order for their applications to be considered complete.  Meeting these requirements does not guarantee admission to the ABSN program. 

• Submit an application through the Centralized Application for Nursing Programs (NursingCAS).
• Complete the required Drake-specific questions within the NursingCAS application.
• Request official transcripts from all colleges you have attended to be sent to NursingCAS.
• Complete at least 70 credit hours of undergraduate coursework.
• No minimum GPA is required, although 3.0 (as calculated in NursingCAS) is considered competitive.
• Complete (or be in the process of completing) the prerequisite coursework outlined in the table below.  All required courses must be completed by the end of the summer term prior to entering the ABSN program.

 

Subject	Courses/Credit Hours	Drake Courses
Anatomy and Physiology A complete year course sequence in anatomy (one semester) and physiology (one semester) is required.  Students may take a combined anatomy/physiology sequence, but they must take both semesters in order to fulfill the requirement.  Labs are required.	2 courses/8 credit hours (including labs)	HSCI 125/L and 141/L (PHAR 125 may replace HSCI 125); or BIO 018/L and 129
Microbiology A one-semester course in microbiology is required.  A course intended for health care majors is recommended.  A lab is required.	1 course/4 credit hours (including lab)	BIO 103/L
General (Inorganic) Chemistry A one-semester course in general (inorganic) chemistry is required.  A lab is required.	1 course/4 credit hours (including lab)	CHEM 001 and 003, or 002 and 004
General Psychology A one-semester introductory course in psychology is required.  This course must fulfill the prerequisite requirements for developmental psychology.  A lab is not required.	1 course/3 credit hours	PSY 001 (4 credit hours)
Developmental Psychology Requirement for students entering the ABSN program in Fall 2025 and later.  A one-semester course in human development across the lifespan is required.  Students may take a combined course sequence in child and adolescent development and adult development and aging, but they must take both courses in order to fulfill the requirement.  A lab is not required.	1 course/3 credit hours	HSCI 146 or the combined PSY 042 and 044 sequence together.
Ethics or Sociology A one-semester course in ethics or sociology is required.  Students may submit non-traditional ethics or sociology courses for syllabus review.	1 course/3 credit hours	SOC 001 or Values and Ethics AOI
Nutrition A one-semester course in nutrition is required.  A course intended for health care majors is recommended.  A lab is not required.	1 course/2 credit hours	BIO 032 or PHAR 126
Statistics A one-semester course in general statistics is required.  Business statistics, psychology statistics, or biological science statistics courses are accepted.	1 course/3 credit hours	STAT 060, 071, or HSCI 060
Writing A one-semester course in college-level English writing or composition is required.  Students may submit discipline-specific writing courses for syllabus review.	1 course/3 credit hours	FYS or Written Communication AOI
General Electives 40 semester credit hours in general electives are required; Drake requires students to complete a minimum of 70 credit hours of undergraduate coursework. Note: students completing developmental psychology need 37 credit hours of general electives.	40 credit hours	Drake Curriculum Areas of Inquiry

 

Students must earn a grade of C or higher in order to fulfill prerequisite courses.  Students who wish to fulfill prerequisites using Advanced Placement (AP) scores must earn a 4 or higher on the AP exam.  Students may transfer in a cumulative maximum of 66 credit hours from all 2-year institutions they have attended.  Please see Drake University's Transfer Credit Information page or contact the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences at (515) 271-3018 for more information. 

Drake University's Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program operates on a rolling admission process.  We will review and admit students until the class is full and a sufficient number of applicants have been identified for the wait list.  We recommend submitting application materials early in order to ensure your application is processed and considered in a timely manner.

Tuition and Fees

Official tuition and fees are set on an annual basis by the Drake University Office of Finance and Administration, approved by the Board of Trustees and administered through the Office of Student Accounts.  Information regarding tuition and fees for the current academic year in the Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program can be found on the Financial Aid Office website.  Here, you will also find additional resources and other opportunities for financial assistance.

 

Technical Standards for the ABSN Program

Please view our Technical Standards for the ABSN Program. 

 

REGULATIONS AND ACADEMIC REQUIREMENTS

Students should become familiar with the General Information section of this catalog, which covers many regulations that affect all Drake University students. The College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences also has a number of specific regulations and requirements that must be met to progress through the curriculum. Some of these are listed below; others are available in the College Student Handbook (http://www.drake.edu/cphs/handbookspolicies/).

Many courses have prerequisite requirements. Admission to a course is denied if prerequisite courses have not been successfully completed. Therefore, deviations from the curriculum as it is structured require careful consideration. Course prerequisites may be found in the area of the catalog.

The Office of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management is responsible for coordinating the registration process, verifying appropriate registration of courses, approving educational plan waivers and transfer credit requests, updating degree audits with regard to substitutions, waivers and transfer courses, answering student questions regarding registration, credit completion, course transfer process and study-abroad opportunities, and coordinating and communicating opportunities for internship, study abroad, research and postgraduate study. The final responsibility for completion of graduation requirements, however, belongs to the student and, accordingly, each student should become familiar not only with the curriculum but also with the academic regulations of the college.

Iowa Board of Nursing Approval and ACEN Accreditation

*The Iowa Board of Nursing has approved Drake University's Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) proposal, qualifying graduates to take the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) required for practice as a registered nurse. The program is in the process of pursuing accreditation through the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN).