An Accelerated Solution to the Nationwide Nursing Shortage

The United States needs nurses. The unprecedented demands that the pandemic placed on the nation’s nurses – combined with retirements and an aging workforce – have greatly increased the need for nursing workers in the U.S.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects the need for 1.1 million new registered nurses to stop a shortage that has been building for years.

Bradley University is doing its part to help, and is offering a 15-month accelerated nursing program (ABSN) designed to get more qualified nurses into the workforce, quickly.

The ABSN program is designed for students who have already completed a bachelor’s degree and prerequisites. It prepares students for the licensure exam and arms them with the confidence and experience to make an immediate impact in any health care setting.

“The nursing shortage we are facing as a country impacts every facet of health care,” remarked Dr. Jessica Clark, who serves as Dean of Bradley’s College of Education and Health Sciences. “At Bradley we are taking real steps to bridge that gap. The accelerated program not only ensures a fast track to licensure, but it truly prepares our students in real world clinical settings, allowing them to immediately explore the vocation through community health, critical care, mental health skilled care, surgeries, pediatrics and a number of other settings.”

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that employment opportunities for nurses will grow at 9%, faster than all other occupations.

Bradley's ABSN students have a 100% job placement rate within the first six months and the program boasts a 100% NCLEX (licensure exam) pass rate for undergraduates (for years 2021 and 2022).

Bradley's nursing program options continue to expand. In addition to the ABSN program, the university offers undergraduate majors in Nursing, RN, LPN, as well as graduate-level online programs that include a Masters of Science in Nursing, Doctor of Nursing Practice and Post Master's Certificates.