The Duke University School of Nursing stands at the forefront of nursing education, offering an innovative Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) Program. This intensive, 16-month, campus-based program is meticulously crafted for individuals who already hold a bachelor’s degree in a field outside of nursing, providing a fast track into a rewarding nursing career. The Duke ABSN program is not just an accelerated pathway; it’s a comprehensive educational experience that emphasizes crucial concepts like care management, preparing graduates to excel in the ever-evolving healthcare landscape.
This rigorous program integrates all essential elements of a traditional Bachelor of Science in Nursing curriculum while uniquely focusing on the demands of 21st-century healthcare. Students delve into contemporary topics such as technological advancements in medicine, shifts in population demographics, the impact of current sociopolitical factors on health, and the constantly changing landscape of healthcare needs. Woven throughout the ABSN program are critical threads designed to shape well-rounded nursing professionals: professional identity formation, comprehensive care management strategies, leadership development, effective information management, interprofessional collaboration, scholarly inquiry, and contextual relevance in practice.
The accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program is a full-time commitment, requiring 58 credit hours completed over four semesters. This structured 16-month journey involves students undertaking a demanding yet rewarding course load of 12 to 16 credit hours each semester. The curriculum is designed to be both broad and deep, including 6 elective credit hours with an option to take graduate-level courses, allowing for specialized exploration within nursing. A distinctive feature of the ABSN program is its emphasis on practical experience; every credit hour is underpinned by 56 hours of clinical practice, ensuring students are not only academically strong but also clinically proficient.
ABSN Program Outcomes: Shaping Future Nursing Leaders in Care Management
The ABSN program at Duke is built upon a strong foundation that seamlessly integrates nursing education, hands-on clinical practice, and rigorous clinical scholarship. This integrated approach ensures that graduates are not just job-ready but are also equipped to be leaders and innovators in nursing, particularly in care management.
Upon successful completion of the program, graduates will be prepared to:
- Evolve as scholars, actively contributing to the advancement of nursing science. This involves identifying critical questions for research, critically analyzing existing research, and applying evidence-based practices to develop innovative solutions for real-world clinical challenges, particularly in patient care management.
- Embody the identity of a nurse through actions grounded in integrity and a deep commitment to evidence-based practice. Graduates will demonstrate caring, advocate for patients, and ensure safe, high-quality care for diverse populations across families and communities. They will also be prepared to take on leadership roles to improve healthcare delivery and foster personal and professional growth in themselves and their colleagues, especially in the context of care management.
- Exercise sound judgment in practice, effectively synthesizing nursing science with knowledge from other disciplines. This holistic approach enables graduates to deliver safe, quality care, promote the health of diverse patient groups, families, and communities, and facilitate their progress towards optimal well-being, utilizing effective care management strategies.
- Master fundamental skills in negotiation, conflict resolution, team building, leadership, and communication. These skills are essential for fostering positive working relationships within interprofessional healthcare teams, allowing graduates to contribute a unique nursing perspective to collaborative care management and patient care delivery.
- Apply leadership principles and skills to enhance nursing care quality, coordinate healthcare teams effectively, and assume responsibility and accountability for care delivery across various healthcare settings. This includes leading and implementing best practices in care management.
- Deliver care that is sensitive to socio-cultural-political factors influencing health, illness, and disease. Graduates will be equipped to promote health and human flourishing, address health disparities in vulnerable populations both locally and globally, and integrate culturally competent care management into their practice.
- Integrate information from diverse, reliable sources to plan, deliver, and evaluate patient care. Special emphasis is placed on nurse-sensitive quality indicators and national benchmarks, ensuring data-driven care management and continuous improvement in patient outcomes.
DUSON-Trinity College Curriculum Bridge: A Pathway for Duke Undergraduates
The Duke University School of Nursing (DUSON) offers a distinctive DUSON-Trinity College Curriculum Bridge program. This unique opportunity is specifically designed for students at Duke University’s Trinity College of Arts & Sciences, allowing a seamless transition into the Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program during their senior year. This bridge program facilitates early entry into nursing for Duke undergraduates, streamlining their path to a nursing career with a strong foundation in care management principles. Further details about the Trinity Bridge Program and the application process are readily available on the School of Nursing website, providing a clear roadmap for interested students.
Academic Requirements: A Structured Curriculum Focused on Care Management
The ABSN program’s academic structure is meticulously designed to build nursing expertise semester by semester. The curriculum is not only comprehensive but also strategically sequenced to progressively develop skills and knowledge in care management and related nursing disciplines.
| ### Required Courses by Semester | ### Credit Hours |
|---|---|
| Semester 1 (total) | 14 |
| Nursing 388 (Health Assessment and Foundations for Nursing Practice Across the Lifespan) | 6 |
| Nursing 389 (Wellness/Health Promotion Across the Lifespan) | 4 |
| Nursing 392 (Professional Nursing: Past, Present & Future) | 2 |
| Nursing 393 (Physiologic Homeostasis and Principles of Pharmacology) | 2 |
| Semester 2 (total) | 16 |
| Nursing 394 (Professional Nursing: Evolution as an Evidence-Based Clinician) | 2 |
| Nursing 395 (Nursing Care of the Childbearing Family) | 4 |
| Nursing 396 (Nursing Care of Infants, Children, and Adolescents | 4 |
| Nursing 397 (Community and Public Health Nursing) | 4 |
| Nursing 398 (Pathophysiology and Pharmacology I) | 2 |
| Semester 3 (total) | 16 |
| Nursing 473 (Professional Nursing: Evolution as an Effective Team Member) | 2 |
| Nursing 474 (Nursing Management of the Adult Patient with Health Problems) | 5 |
| Nursing 475 (Gerontological Nursing: Caring for Older Adults and Their Families) | 4 |
| Nursing 476 (Pathophysiology and Pharmacology II) | 2 |
| Nursing XXX (Elective) | 3 |
| Semester 4 (total) | 12 |
| Nursing 483 (Professional Nursing: Evolution as a Leader) | 2 |
| Nursing 484 (Nursing Care of Patients with Complex Health Problems) | 7 |
| Nursing XXX (Elective) | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours Required for ABSN Degree | 58 |
The Duke ABSN program offers a transformative educational journey for those seeking a fast-paced, impactful career change into nursing. With its strong emphasis on care management concepts and practical clinical experience, graduates are well-prepared to meet the challenges and opportunities of modern healthcare, making a significant difference in the lives of patients and communities.
