Is it time to redirect your career toward the rewarding field of nursing?
The Accelerated Second Degree BSN Track is an innovative program that allows students with non-nursing degrees to quickly become a nurse. The program will prepare you with the necessary skills and knowledge for entry-level nursing positions in a variety of diverse healthcare settings.
The 15-month ASD track is designed for students who already hold a bachelor’s degree in a non-nursing discipline to quickly complete a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Your existing bachelor’s degree will fulfill most of your non-nursing courses, allowing you to focus exclusively on your Nursing studies and earn a traditionally four-year BSN in only 15 months.Â
Because of the intensity of the program, we strongly recommend you not be employed while enrolled in this accelerated program of study.
At Shenandoah, our role is to help you prepare for success in this challenging and satisfying health profession. As a student here, you will have opportunities to share and learn from your fellow students, faculty and practicing nurses, from within the classroom to a range of clinical environments in hospitals and the community.
Learn More About This Program
Our programs are challenging, but the rewards of completing your degree and entering this critical profession are many. We are committed to providing an outstanding education to nurses at all levels—from people entering the profession with a Bachelor’s degree in nursing, to advanced practice nurses seeking doctoral-level training. Our programs are dynamic and responsive to the needs of our students and the health care industry. Shenandoah Nursing offers classes in Winchester at the Health and Life Sciences Building, and in Leesburg at Scholar Plaza, conveniently located on Route 7 just east of Leesburg. We’re excited to share our programs with you.
I wanted to be in healthcare and nursing was the obvious choice. I chose the accelerated second degree program because it was a good fit for my career goals. Transition to professional practice was the best class with Dr. Ballard. It prepared me to be a real nurse. She taught us about orientation to our unit, crucial conversations, nurse residency, Magnet, how to get involved in committees, how to write a portfolio. It got me my job and it got me my clinical ladder promotion. It truly prepared me for professional practice and how to be a real nurse.
Christine Baker |Â Accelerated Second Degree Nursing, ’12
Career and Salary Possibilities
Nursing is the fastest-growing occupation in the U.S. and the demand is expected to rise through 2020. Graduates enjoy high starting salaries and flexible schedules in terms of hours and locations. As a nurse, you’ll have numerous opportunities for specialization and career advancement.
The B.S.N. degree is the entry-level degree for many health care organizations. It prepares you to perform clinical practice in today’s high tech health care environment, using clinical reasoning and critical thinking along with a caring demeanor.
The Eleanor Wade Custer School of Nursing prepares you to deliver, manage and lead nursing care in a variety of health care settings and participate in personal and professional development. You will be ready to do this in many settings, such as hospitals, clinics, medical practices, health departments, hospice and the military. You can work in international care, home care, trauma care or school nursing and pursue graduate studies in advanced practice nursing, nursing education and research.
Career and Salary Examples for Nursing Majors:
- Nurse with BSN:$50,000-$75,000
- Nursing Manager: $81,831
- Nurse Case Manager: $67,342
- Family Nurse Practitioner (NP): $87,866
- Clinical Nurse Manager: $77,671
- Emergency Room Nurse: $67,546
The Career Services Office provides a comprehensive range of services and resources to assist Shenandoah students in their career search. Services offered include resume and cover letter building, mock interviews, and professional dining etiquette workshops.
Classes
Our Nursing program has small classes, and focuses on Ethics and Genomics which is the future of nursing. We also offer Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Relief courses which is very rare. Many schools have one skills lab, where as our students complete three. We don’t just teach skills, we give a reasoning behind the skills, and then preform them in a real world simulations.
You’ll learn to:
- analyze knowledge associated with professional nursing practice and membership within the nursing profession
- demonstrate skill in the delivery, management and leadership of professional nursing care
- demonstrate values consistent with the ethical delivery of professional nursing care
- exemplify unique meanings associated with professional nursing
- actively and intellectually engage in professional nursing experiences
| Course Title | Credit Hours |
| 1st Semester | |
| Health Assessment (3/1) | 3/1** |
| Health Across the Lifespan: Psychiatric Nursing (3/1) | 3/1** |
| Skills for Clinical Nursing Practice I & II | 2/1** |
| Pathophysiology | 3 |
| 2nd Semester | |
| Health Across Lifespan: Adults I | 3/2** |
| Theory, Reasoning, and Research in Nursing | 3Â (Spring entry applicants will take this course during their third semester) |
| Health Across the Lifespan: Adults II | 3/2** |
| Ethics and Genomics | 3 |
| Skills for Nursing Practice III | 0/1** |
| 3rd Semester | |
| Health Across the Lifespan: Children and Adolescents (Pediatrics) | 3/1** |
| Health Across the Lifespan: Families | 3/1** |
| Health Across the Lifespan: Adults III | 3/2** |
| 4th Semester | Â |
| Health Across the Lifespan: Communities | 3/2** |
| Health Across the Lifespan: Clinical Elective | 0/3** |
| Transition to Professional Practice | 2/1** |
| Leadership and Management in Professional Practice | 3 |
| Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Nursing | 3 |
| Â |
Total Nursing Credits:Â 64 Total Credits needed for BSN: 121 |
** Denotes a clinical course. The first number refers to the didactic portion of the course and the second number refers to the clinical portion of the course.
Students are required to have 121 total credits (from General Education, Prerequisite, and Nursing courses) to graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree. A minimum of 30 credits must be taken at Shenandoah University.
Learning support services are available to all students in every course at Shenandoah. Free peer tutoring with a student who has previously succeeded in the course is available for any course across the university. The Writing Center is available for every stage of the writing process from proofreading and bibliography assistance to thesis development. The Math Enrichment Center is available for math and science assistance. Professors and Academic Advisors across the university also have office hours and open door policies to ensure Shenandoah students succeed academically.
Faculty
We have a low faculty-student ratio with small classes and clinical groups so you will receive personal attention from faculty. The result is a close-knit, collaborative community of nursing students, faculty and clinical preceptors.
There is a special bond between Shenandoah University students and their professors. You will enjoy close relationships with faculty members who will mentor you in and out of the classroom. This remains a hallmark of our nursing education.
Shenandoah’s experienced and practicing faculty take every opportunity to provide you with the academic foundation you will need to meet the standards and rising expectations for practice in the nursing profession. They provide an environment where you can be inquisitive, grow and excel.
I would have to say the relationships and connections I built with professors and classmates was the most memorable part of my program. Being such a small school, you have the opportunity to develop close relationships with your peers and create lifelong friendships. When you are surrounded by faculty that want to see you succeed as well as friends and classmates who support you throughout your college and post grad life, you can’t help but feel grateful for the strenuous program that brought you together.
Kelsey Van Sickler | Nursing, ’14
Application Information
Shenandoah University works on rolling admissions and accepts applications throughout the year. Applications are reviewed individually and holistically.
Submit your application, review required admissions materials, find our admissions standards, and learn more about our Transfer Nursing Application Information.
