Drake Nursing Program Receives Iowa Board of Nursing Approval 

Tuesday, February 24th, 2026

The Iowa Board of Nursing approved Drake University’s Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program, marking a major milestone toward accreditation. 

Drake accepted its first cohort of nursing students in the fall of 2024. Those 19 students completed the one-year program in August 2025, and just a few weeks later, a second cohort of students began their nursing journey. 

“Our program is small but mighty,” said Abby Rail, Assistant Professor of Nursing. “As faculty, we love the one-on-one attention we can give each student to adapt to their individual needs.” 

Drake student nurses complete 600 hours of hands-on, clinical work during their program. Students hone their skills in a wide range of medical settings, from major hospital ICUs to specialty clinics and at-home care. 

On campus, students work with high-tech medical simulation mannekins and prepare for the NCLEX – a national accreditation exam for nurses. 

“We strive to create a whole-person nursing curriculum that prepares our students not only for the clinical demands of nursing, but also to thrive as professional nurses and future leaders, advocates, and innovators for years to come,” Rail said. “Our program is as much cultivating the strength and the heart of the nurse as much as it is about the science and art of nursing.” 

The Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) will visit Drake in the fall of 2026 to review the ABSN program. Upon granting of initial accreditation by the ACEN Board of Commissioners, the program’s accreditation will apply retroactively to May 2025, including the first two cohorts of Drake-educated nurses. 

“Our first group of students was incredibly wonderful to work with and set a very high bar for future groups,” Rail said. “Our current cohort of students is a fabulous group of hard-working and compassionate humans and has risen to that challenge.”