Northwestern State University’s Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing program gives students who have already earned a bachelor’s degree in any field a faster path into nursing, building on their previous education through an intensive 16-month program.
Offered at NSU’s campuses in Alexandria and Shreveport, the Accelerated BSN program consists of four consecutive semesters of nursing coursework beginning each summer. Students complete nursing coursework and clinical experiences as they prepare to enter the nursing workforce.
NSU began offering the Accelerated BSN program in Shreveport in 2022 and expanded it to Alexandria the following summer. The CENLA campus welcomed its fourth cohort this summer.
Katrina Seymore, Accelerated BSN program coordinator and an associate professor at NSU’s CENLA campus, said the program is designed for individuals who have already earned a bachelor’s degree and are interested in transitioning to a career in nursing.
“It is a really unique program in that you can do it so quickly. I really see our program being for those students who are out there right now, who have a bachelor’s degree and are working somewhere and realizing, ‘This wasn’t what I thought it was going to be,’” Seymore said. “I want them to see that in 16 months, we can take you from whatever you’re doing now to being a nurse.”
Seymore said the program is offered in Alexandria and Shreveport because both communities have multiple healthcare facilities where students can complete clinical rotations. In central Louisiana, students have access to hospitals and nursing home community partners, with the program’s summer schedule also providing additional opportunities for clinical placements.
Students complete the nursing curriculum over four consecutive semesters, beginning with a combination of pre-nursing and first-level coursework during the summer and progressing through accelerated combinations of upper-level nursing coursework. Students complete fifth-level coursework the following summer and work in a hospital setting during their final level.
Catherine Roy of Alexandria earned her first bachelor’s degree in kinesiology from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. For Roy, the accelerated format offered a way to build on that education while pursuing a nursing career close to home.
“Having a program that is basically designed for students like me was what appealed to me the most,” Roy said. “Instead of doing the traditional route, where it’s longer and you’re kind of starting over in a sense, I get to build upon the foundation that I already received with my kinesiology background. I liked that I was able to do that and still be home and focus solely on nursing.”
After completing the program, Roy plans to take the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses and begin her career in critical care. She hopes to gain experience in an intensive care unit before eventually pursuing further education to become a certified registered nurse anesthetist.
NSU’s Accelerated BSN program is open to applicants with a bachelor’s degree in any field and at least a 3.0 grade point average. For information about the program through NSU’s College of Nursing and School of Allied Health, visit nsula.edu/academics/colleges-