Nursing Major
Take an accelerated path to a career as a skilled and compassionate registered nurse leader impacting the front lines of healthcare.
College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences | On-Campus
Program Options
Designed for students who have completed at least 70-credit-hours of undergraduate coursework, the ABSN program allows students to complete their Bachelor of Science in Nursing in only 12 months—ready to begin their career immediately following or to pursue advanced training.
Accelerated BSN
This program condenses all the courses and practicum hours into 12 months, providing a streamlined way for those who have already satisfied program prerequisites to earn a BSN degree and begin their careers.
Pre-Nursing/ABSN 3+1
Designed for those just starting their undergraduate education, this program lays the groundwork for a healthcare career during your first three years at Drake. This prepares you to apply to and complete the ABSN program in your fourth year and graduate with two degrees: a Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN).
Meet the Faculty
Your professors are experienced clinicians and master teachers, dedicated to advancing human well-being and forming skilled, compassionate healthcare providers.
Amanda McGraw, BSN, MSN
Assistant Professor, Nursing
Hannah Crocker
Nursing Clinical, Skills & Simulation Learning Lab Instructor
Erin Reagen
Clinical Skills and Simulation Learning Coordinator
Outside the Classroom
Expert classroom instruction is just the beginning. Through simulations, diverse clinical experiences, research opportunities, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and professional training, you’ll be equipped to direct change and positive outcomes right from the start of your career.
Didactic Courses, Labs, and Simulations
The Accelerated BSN curriculum emphasizes concept-based, hands-on practice and skills mastery to build connections between classroom and clinical patient care experiences. From classroom roleplay to realistic patient simulation, you’ll learn to assess, analyze, plan interventions, and evaluate patient outcomes to provide competent, safe, holistic patient care in interactive and real-world settings.
Clinical Experience
Students develop clinical judgment through immersive practicum experiences across the spectrum of care environments and life stages. We believe that a strong foundation of knowledge on what patients experience in the outpatient setting greatly impacts care provided within the hospital. Students receive clinical experience in almost every realm of direct patient care, from the community to intensive and emergent care services, to gain a realistic view of the healthcare system from both patient and professional lenses. Clinical education in the ABSN program culminates with an immersive preceptor learning experience in the final semester, intended to provide a mentored transition into professional nursing practice.
Broadlawns Partnership
Through a unique partnership, Broadlawns Medical Center serves as the primary clinical site for ABSN students. Collaborating with the facility’s Clinical Nurse Educators, faculty aim to provide enhanced clinical learning opportunities targeted to students' needs for professional preparation.
NCLEX Review
Passing the NCLEX licensure exam is the final crucial step toward becoming a registered nurse. From your very first day, the ABSN program begins preparing you for the RN licensing exam by teaching you to “think like a nurse.” This work continues throughout the program and ends with a three-day, cumulative, in-person live review with seasoned, expert nurse educators.
Research
Students in the ABSN program are introduced to quality improvement and evidence-based nursing practice principles during the first semester before engaging in nursing research practice in semesters 2 and 3. You will experience the development of a quality improvement initiative and apply evaluative skills in informatics data analysis.
Careers & Skills
Nurses fill a crucial role in healthcare, and the demand for skilled professionals remains strong. After completing your BSN degree at Drake, you’ll have mastered core clinical skills and gained hands-on experience that equips you to serve in diverse areas of care, including hospitals, clinics, family practices, hospice, schools, community programs, surgery centers, and other healthcare settings.
Whether you plan to step immediately into a nursing role or pursue additional education for advanced practice, you’ll be thoroughly positioned to excel.
Employers
- Home care providers
- Hospice
- Hospitals
- Medical spas
- Public health departments
- Community health centers
- Surgery centers
- Insurance companies
- Long-term care facilities
- Rehabilitation centers
Skills
- Clinical judgment
- Collaborative leadership
- Comprehensive patient assessment and care abilities
- Cultural sensitivity
- Healthcare informatics technologies
- Research to inform evidence-based practice
- Nursing leadership
Salary & Growth Outlook
The national average salary for registered nurses as of 2024. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)
Tuition Information
Drake students earning both their B.S. in Health Sciences and their BSN degrees as part of the Pre-Nursing/ABSN 3+1 program are eligible to continue receiving their undergraduate scholarships in the fall and spring semesters of their fourth year as they complete their ABSN curriculum.
The final summer semester in the ABSN program is billed on a per-credit-hour basis for all students. Additional scholarship and financial aid opportunities may be available through external state, federal, and non-profit agencies (apply separately). All ABSN students are encouraged to submit a FAFSA®.
Take the Next Step
Become a driven, empowering nursing professional who will lead the future of healthcare.
Contact
Dr. Katherine Scott DNP, CPNP-PC (she/her/hers)
Program Director and Assistant Professor of Nursing
katie.scott@drake.edu
515-271-1838
Lauren Sharp, MAC (she/her/hers)
Director of Enrollment Services
lauren.sharp@drake.edu
515-271-2247
