BS-ABSN - Nursing (second degree accelerated) (BS) (59 units)

Overview of Program

The Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program prepares students to practice nursing at the baccalaureate level in as few as 15 months.  It is designed for students to learn the necessary knowledge and advanced skills to provide excellence in caring, compassionate, and competent nursing care.   All requirements of the program are completed in 4 semesters with a total of 59 units which include both didactic and experiential learning experiences (765 clinical hours and 135 skills laboratory hours). At the completion of the program, the graduate is eligible to take the NCLEX-RN board exam to practice as a Registered Nurse.  In addition, the graduate is eligible to apply for the Public Health Nurse Certificate.

The ABSN program has received ongoing licensure by the California Board of Nursing since 2009 and is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), 655 K Street NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20001, 202-887-6791.

Mission Statement

The Nursing Program is committed to educating a culturally and academically diverse student population to become competent, compassionate, and holistic nursing professionals who uphold Christian values in their service to individuals, families, and communities.

Vision Statement

The Nursing Program has been uniquely designed for students to learn the necessary knowledge and advanced skills to provide excellent, compassionate, and competent nursing care. Ninety hours of clinical experience in a public health setting is arranged to prepare candidates to apply for the California Public Health Certificate. Additional clinicals will include patient care in the areas of medical-surgical nursing, pediatric nursing, maternal-child nursing, psychiatric/mental health nursing, and geriatric nursing.

Department of Nursing Philosophy

The Department of Nursing at Concordia University Irvine believes that nursing is both an art and a science, requiring preparation through both liberal and scientific studies. As leaders, nurses provide safe patient care through the use of informatics, quality improvement initiatives, and collaboration with the interprofessional team.  Professional nurses, as members of the healthcare team, provide evidence-based, patient-centered care, within a framework of health promotion and disease prevention, to individuals, families, groups, and communities across healthcare environments.

 Nursing is a profession that encompasses professional and personal values, core knowledge and competencies in developing the role of care provider. It is also a service to humanity. Essential to this discipline is the development of attributes that encourage the holistic development of self in order to become socially responsive to the health care needs of a culturally diverse world.

 The philosophy of the Department of Nursing is congruent with:

a) The Nurse Practice Act of California
b) Dr. Jean Watson's theory of human caring
c) The mission and goals of Concordia University Irvine 
d) The American Association of Colleges of Nursing Essentials of Baccalaureate and Master's Education in Nursing
e) The Quality and Safety Education for Nursing Competencies (QSEN)
f) National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF) for nurse practitioner competencies. 

Jean Watson’s Philosophy of the Science of Human Caring in Nursing has been threaded through the curriculum.  Watson’s Caritas Processes encompass the qualities that are essential in establishing therapeutic communication and relationships between the client/patient and the nurse.  The purpose of the Concordia nursing program is to educate nurses in a self-actualizing process that is essential in ministering to those who are seeking healthcare. Nursing must be supportive, considerate, and exhibit unconditional regard for each diverse population of patients. This is accomplished within the context of the nursing metaparadigm as defined by the individual, health, environment, and nursing. The nursing faculty at Concordia believe that caring in nursing flows from a response to God's love of all people, as seen in His sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ, for the salvation of all humankind.

Unifying Theme

Jean Watson’s Philosophy of the Science of Caring in Nursing has been threaded through the undergraduate and graduate curriculum. Watson’s 10 Carative Factors encompass the qualities that are essential in establishing therapeutic communication and relationships between the client/patient and the nurse. These original Carative Factors are incorporated into specific courses. The common themes in Watson’s model are:

1. Humanistic /altruistic value system

2. Faith and hope

3. Sensitivity and empathy

4. Helping-trusting relationships

5. Promotion and acceptance of both positive and negative feelings in Communication

6. Scientific problem-solving

7. Interpersonal teaching/learning

8. Mental, physical, socio-cultural, spiritual, supportive, protective, corrective, and safety

9. Gratification of human needs

10. Allowances for existential-phenomenological forces that may affect the caring experience (1985, p.9-10).

Watson original Carative Factors evolved into Caritas Processes, which include:

1. Practicing loving-kindness and equanimity for self and other

2. Being authentically present; enabling/sustaining/honoring deep belief system and subjective world of self/other

3. Cultivating one’s own spiritual practices; deepening self-awareness, going beyond “ego-self”

4. Developing and sustaining a helping-trusting, authentic caring relationship

5. Being present to, and supportive of, the expression of positive and negative feelings as a connection with deeper spirit of self and the one being cared for

6. Creative use of self and all ways of knowing/being/doing as part of the caring process (engaging in artistry of caring-healing practices)

7. Engaging in genuine teaching-learning experiences within context of a caring relationship – attend to whole person and subjective meaning; attempt to stay within other’s frame of reference (evolve toward “coaching” role vs. conventional imparting of information)

8. Creating healing environment at all levels (physical, nonphysical, subtle environment of energy and consciousness whereby wholeness, beauty, comfort, dignity, and peace are potentiated (Being/Becoming the environment)

9. Reverentially and respectfully assisting with basic needs; holding an intentional, caring consciousness of touching and working with the embodied spirit of another, honoring unity of Being; allowing for spiritfilled connection

10. Opening and attending to spiritual, mysterious, unknown existential dimensions of life-death-suffering; “allowing, for a miracle” (2008, p. 31),

In addition to Watson’s Model, other specific strands are woven throughout the undergraduate and graduate programs. For undergraduate program strands they are:

1. Nursing process/therapeutic care competence

2. Professional role development/teaching/learning

3. Communication 

4. Research process

5. Cultural awareness and competence

6. Watson’s Carative Factors/Caritas Processes

7. Development of Values 8. QSEN Competencies

For graduate program strands they are:

1. Advance practice nurse competencies

2. Professional role facilitation

3. Interprofessional communication/collaboration

4. Evidence-based practice outcomes

5. Cultural and age related competencies

6. Integration of professional caring concepts

7. Human Values

8. QSEN Competencies

The advanced practice nurse curriculum plan builds on baccalaureate nursing education. The Concordia MSN program will provide the foundation for preparation and provision to the individual, family, community, and the health care environment. The advanced practice nurse educator or nurse leader will apply his/her skills in a variety of educational and clinical sites. Role development, identification of researchable health care issues and utilization of research by the learner and colleagues are facilitated in a blended on-line format. With the emphasis of life-long learning in nursing education, the graduate of the Concordia MSN program will provide the foundation for doctoral study and foster ongoing responsibility for continuing education in nursing.

Alternative means for advancing nursing education in the blended and on line format may appeal to students who are seeking an alternative delivery system. This delivery system is appropriate for graduate students who are self-motivated, independent learners, and thrive in the self-directed setting.

The blended format is designed to promote interaction between the professor and the students and student to student in a threaded discussion format. The courses are facilitated in a two eight-week semester timeframe in which a full time student will take two eight week courses. There are two four hours face-to-face classes during the first and eighth weeks on Saturday. The third, fifth, and seventh weeks are synchronous online class sessions where by the students enter into a classroom setting using a web-camera format and participate in class discussions with the assigned faculty and peers. There are three asynchronous sessions during weeks two, four, and six in which the students completes the identified assignments and participate in discussion threads. The on line format is designed to promote interaction between the professor and the students and student to students in an effective teaching learning process.

It is expected that the students will complete online lectures (written, video, or audio) assignments, seek advisement and feedback from the assigned course faculty, seeks academic advisement from assigned advisor, and work independently to meet the course and program learning outcomes.

The thesis or project capstone experience is the culminating activity of the advanced practice nurse educator and leader. The content for the thesis or project is threaded throughout the curriculum plan for the MSN program and represents the consolidation, synthesis, and analysis of the academic or clinical scholarship in graduate nursing education evidence based outcomes.

There are three avenues of study available to the nursing student:

• Accelerated BSN (ABSN)

• LVN to RN 30-unit option certificate

• Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)

Accreditation Standards

Concordia University Irvine and its Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior College and Accrediting Commission (WSCUC).

Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WSCUC)
1080 Marina Village Parkway
Suite 500
Alameda, CA 94501
(510) 748-9797

Students and other interested parties may review accreditation documents by going to the commission’s website.

Concordia University Irvine’s accelerated Bachelor of Science in nursing (ABSN) and the Master of Science in nursing (MSN) are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). Officially recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education, the CCNE is an autonomous accrediting agency whose mission includes the assessment and identification of nursing programs that engage in effective educational practices.

Professional Association Guidelines

American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) Essentials of Baccalaureate Education for Professional Nursing Practice.

1. Liberal Education for Baccalaureate Generalist Nursing Practice: a solid base in liberal education provides the cornerstone for the practice and education of nurses (AACN Essential 1).

2. Basic Organizational and Systems Leadership for Quality Care and Patient Safety: Knowledge and skills in leadership, quality improvement, and patient safety are necessary to provide high-quality health care (AACN Essential 2).

3. Scholarship for Evidence Based Practice: Professional nursing practice is grounded in the translation of current evidence into one's practice (AACN Essential 3).

4. Information Management and Application of Patient Care Technology: Knowledge and skills in information management and patient care technology are critical in the delivery of quality patient care (AACN Essential 4).

5. Health Care Policy, Finance, and Regulatory Environments: Healthcare policies, including financial and regulatory, directly and indirectly influence the nature and functioning of the healthcare system and thereby are important considerations in professional nursing practice (AACN Essential 5).

6. Inter-professional Communication and Collaboration for Improving Patient Health Outcomes: Communication and collaboration among healthcare professionals are critical to delivering high quality and safe patient care (AACN Essential 6).

7. Clinical Prevention and Population Health: Health promotion and disease prevention at the individual and population level are necessary to improve population health and are important components of baccalaureate generalist nursing practice (AACN Essential 7).

8. Professionalism and Professional Values: Professionalism and the inherent values of altruism, autonomy, human dignity, integrity, and social justice are fundamental to the discipline of nursing (AACN Essential 8).

9. Baccalaureate Generalist Nursing Practice: The baccalaureate-graduate nurse is prepared to practice with patients including individuals, families, groups, communities, and populations across the lifespan and across the continuum of healthcare environments. The baccalaureate-graduate understands and respects the variations of care, the increased complexity, and the increased use of healthcare resources inherent in caring for patients (AACN Essential 9).