By Rosanny Crumpton
If you’re wondering how you can become a nurse in 16 months — Northeastern University in Charlotte has a way!
The Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program at Northeastern University Charlotte is the first and only program of its kind in North Carolina. Students who have as few as 62 college credits, an associate degree, or a non-nursing bachelor’s degree can bridge into the Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing program and complete it in 16 uninterrupted months.
Given the new degree completion track aspect of the program, Northeastern University Charlotte will be able to serve more future students than they ever have.
While their nursing program was launched in 2017, the degree completion track is what’s new and what makes this program one of a kind in our state. Northeastern University Charlotte is proudly preparing their 500th nurse to graduate in the Charlotte region since 2017.
Angela Hosking, Northeastern University Charlotte CEO and regional dean, and Dr. Grace Buttriss, program director/clinical professor at Northeastern University Charlotte, explained that the growth in the nursing program and the need for more nurses in the Charlotte region led Northeastern University Charlotte to grow and develop this program for prospective nurses.
Buttriss shared that the very first Northeastern University Charlotte’s nursing class had seven graduates. In December 2023, they will have a graduating class of 69 students. The school’s success rate is evident not only by the clear growth but also by the job offers students receive within a few short months of graduating.
Due to this novel program, they recently received 100 new seats from the North Carolina Board of Nursing. They can now accommodate 296 students. Many nursing programs are currently full. With three graduations and three admittance cycles throughout the year, Northeastern University Charlotte can accommodate the need for nursing students, unlike other programs.
“There’s never been a better time to consider a degree in healthcare,” said Hosking as she described the demographic of their current students.
Students in the program are people who want to make a difference. This program offers a hybrid approach that includes clinical rotations at hospitals and about one day a week on campus at their state-of-the-art testing, skills lab and simulation center.
Recent upgrades to the space include modern technology in their four simulation rooms that offer hands-on experience to help students gain the confidence that will lead them to work with human beings. It is the unique investment into the space, the experienced faculty, and the uniqueness of this rich program that makes it appealing to prospective students.
Students in the program are adults at many stages of life with varying career experience. Students from various work history backgrounds and those from a wide age range (from 19 to 62 years old) now attend the school, said Buttriss. A total of 44 percent of students are Black and Brown, and a total of 50 percent are from minority groups, when including male students.
While the administration doesn’t recommend that students work full-time while enrolled in the program, some students who work through community partnerships and scholarship programs attend the school. This allows students to gain work exposure and experience.
Northeastern University Charlotte offers $26,000 in scholarships, with the option for additional scholarships that other partners have provided.
“It’s a global University (with 14 campuses worldwide), but because we have local roots, we work with our Charlotte industry partners to find ways that we can contribute to the pipeline with our experiential education in a meaningful way that is really helping the region and helping the student to get the career that they want,” said Hosking.
They partner with neighboring colleges and universities such as Johnson C. Smith University and Central Piedmont Community College, as well as community partners such as Atrium Health among others.
In addition to the Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program, Northeastern University Charlotte offers these programs: master’s in applied behavior analysis, professional doctorate in education, bachelor’s degree in healthcare administration, professional doctorate in law and policy with a healthcare concentration, and a Master of Public Health. In the fall of 2025, the school will offer a master’s degree in speech and language pathology.
in U.S. News & World Report ranks Northeastern University Charlotte among the Top 50 Best Colleges in the country.