College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences

Pre-Nursing/ABSN 3+1

Degree Option

• Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) with a degree in Health Sciences 

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

Students in the Pre-Nursing program complete three years in the pre-nursing track, followed by 1 year (12 months) in the Accelerated Bachelors of Nursing program.  At the end of the ABSN year, students may earn a Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences degree- Clinical and Medical Sciences and an ABSN. In your first three years as a Health Sciences Pre-Nursing student, you will have exposure to a wide range of hands-on health care-related experiences while mastering the foundational skills of a liberal arts education.  You will continue on to complete the 12-month ABSN degree in your final year at Drake.

Students in the pre-nursing program will have full consideration for admission to Drake’s ABSN program as they complete the pre-nursing track. 

Students will also have a nursing faculty mentor and the Office of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management available to provide resources and support during the undergraduate coursework. 

Students can pursue membership in student organizations, providing the chance to network with fellow students at Drake and from across the state and country. 

Students will enroll in Health Sciences courses, which will allow them to gain job shadowing experiences, career exploration opportunities, innovation and practice management skills, and an understanding of the health care system. 

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 Pre-nursing students would take at Drake while completing their bachelor's degree to prepare for admission into the ABSN program. 

Program Notes

Elective credits include Drake Curriculum requirements not fulfilled by required coursework as well as non-required coursework that permits exploration of and/or advanced study in areas of professional interest within the student’s primary degree. Electives should be intentionally selected and provide the student with an opportunity to not only pursue areas of intellectual interest, but also to develop an individual brand that may benefit them in their professional or academic future.

3+1 ABSN students will complete all remaining credits required for completion of their health sciences major through their ABSN coursework. A minimum of 124 total hours will be required to earn a Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences from Drake University. Both degrees will be conferred at the same time.