The University of Kentucky College of Nursing understands that all paths are unique, and we are here to help find the best one for you. Students in the Accelerated BSN (ABSN) program come from all walks of life. Whether you:
have a degree in another field;
served as a medic in the U.S. military; or
hold your LPN license, which is currently active to practice, from a regionally accredited institution;
our ABSN degree is designed to meet your needs to pursue a career in nursing.
View a list of UK Core and nursing courses needed to obtain a BSN in Nursing, along with sample plans of study:
NOTE: The State Registered Nurse Aide (SRNA) is required for students to start in Nursing School at UK. The license is not required unless they plan to work as an SRNA. Completion of the SRNA is not required to apply for the program, and students have until the summer before starting Nursing to complete the course. UK does offer an SRNA program, and you can learn more about it on our SRNA info page.
All didactic (lecture-related) content will be online/distance learning. Some courses will have a weekly synchronous (all meet remotely at a certain time) lecture, while other courses will be entirely asynchronous (work completed independently on own time) in nature. In addition, there will be regular opportunities for synchronous exam reviews, office hours, one-on-one meetings, and other activities. The synchronous lecture times will be made available well ahead of each block, and students are expected to attend all lectures (remotely). If a student’s work schedule conflicts with synchronous lecture and is non-
negotiable – the student will be required to provide a letter from their work manager, explaining the situation. Only then will a student absence be considered excused, and lecture recordings will be provided.
On the other hand, both lab and clinical are weekly “face-to-face” (in-person) experiences. The three-hour lab occurs weekly the first two blocks (16 weeks), while the eight-hour weekly clinicals occur all eight blocks (entire program). All weekly labs on the Lexington campus are in the College of Nursing and all weekly clinicals are in the Lexington area. All weekly labs and clinicals on the Ashland campus are in King’s Daughter’s hospital. Lexington-based LPNs have the option to take an LPN-only lab, which takes place once monthly on Sunday afternoon. Currently, there is no LPN-only option in Ashland. Lexington clinicals are scheduled both weekdays and weekends. In Ashland, clinicals are scheduled on weekdays only. In addition, students will be required to attend one-three simulations and deliberate practice every semester, all held face-to-face in the College of Nursing (or at King’s Daughter’s in Ashland).
While that might seem too obvious a question for some, we just want applicants to realize the need for both a reliable, working computer and good, consistent internet connectivity. Taking exams and/or and attempting to engage with faculty and complete homework with a computer that consistently crashes, or poor internet can be very frustrating, stressful, and keep a student from meeting their weekly goals in such a fast- paced accelerated program.
You should plan to spend about 26-30 hours per week (1) in class (synchronous & asynchronous) and
(2) clinical (3) lab &/or (4) simulation. In addition, a general rule of thumb for study time outside of class/lab/clinical is for each credit hour, a student needs to study three hours to earn a “C”. So, for blocks (8- week sessions) when you have 7 credits, studying 21 hours weekly (in ADDITION to the 30 hours of class/lab/clinical/simulation) to earn a C is not an unrealistic plan. In short, you are advised to consider the program your “full time job” for 16 months, which leads us to the next question…
While some ABSN programs do not allow students to work full time, we will simply state, we do not recommend working while in our program. Having said that, we recognize many students simply do not have that option. Ultimately, whether you work, or how much you work, is your call. Before starting the program, we ask at the very least you give this some thought & talk to the people in your life to consider your options. Is there any way to cut back to part-time? Or plan to save vacation days so that you can take a day off a week during peak study times? Are there scholarship options in which to apply (ask your advisor)? Keep in mind that the cutback would be temporary – only 16 months. And it would be a small sacrifice compared to the outstanding potential you will have getting noticed by employers, having a BSN from a highly regarded accelerated nursing program.
While every block will look different, the below is an example of a typical synchronous (you are expected to attend in real-time) schedule might look like. (This is not the actual schedule; it is just an example.)
Absolutely. Once accepted into the program, you will be notified of a (mandatory) zoom orientation date that will occur 2-3 weeks BEFORE your first day of class. On this date, you will be provided access to the on- line Canvas-based (learning management system) orientation to the program. You will complete the self- paced orientation asynchronously (on your own time) over the next two-week period. In addition, you will be given the opportunity to get a jumpstart on some lab-related material (such a med math modules). You are strongly encouraged to build in approximately 10-hrs weekly during the 2-3 weeks before school starts to orient yourself to the program and get a jumpstart on the asynchronous activities.
Then again, one week BEFORE classes start, we will have a daylong (face-to-face; in College of Nursing) ABSN Orientation that will be packed full of information and academic enhancement strategies and resources. In addition, once school starts, there are strategically placed resources inserted throughout our program to help proactively set students up for success.
No, this is not an option in our program. Clinicals for Lexington-based students will be held in Lexington. Clinicals for the Ashland-based students will be held in Ashland.
LPNs currently have the option to participate in an “LPN-Only” skills lab for the first two blocks (Lexington campus only). Rather than meeting weekly on a weekday, the LPNs will meet once a month on a Sunday afternoon. (The LPN-only option is only offered to LPNs and is optional. An LPN may also choose to take lab with non-LPNs during the week.) Otherwise, LPNs will have the same curriculum (including clinical). For instance, LPNs will be in clinicals with students who are not LPNs.
The number of Saturday clinical spots is limited and cannot be guaranteed prior to being accepted to our program. Once accepted, we will work with students very early in the process to determine individual needs for certain clinical days. While we will do our very best to accommodate requests, we cannot “guarantee” a particular lab or clinical date/time. Most labs are scheduled on weekdays from 8-11 am or 1-4 pm. There may be one 4-7 pm weekday lab. There are currently no weekend labs (except LPN-only lab).
Want to learn more about the Accelerated BSN track and where to apply? Click the box below!
The baccalaureate degree program in nursing, master's degree program in nursing, Doctor of Nursing Practice program and post-graduate APRN certificate program at the University of Kentucky College of Nursing is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (http://www.ccneaccreditation.org).
