Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)

Saint Francis Medical Center College of Nursing is a single purpose institution offering an undergraduate program that leads to a baccalaureate degree in nursing (BSN). The program continues over a century of a tradition of excellence in nursing education, preparing caring people for the practice of professional nursing.

The curriculum for the Accelerated BSN program consists of 124 semester hours of coursework, plus mostly on-campus clinical experiences. The classroom requirements include 59 hours of liberal arts and sciences courses (achieved at an accredited college or university of the student's choice) and 65 hours of study in the nursing major at the College of Nursing.

The curriculum was designed by the faculty so that each course contributes to the overall program. The curriculum is based upon our Mission and Philosophy.

Courses required in the pre-nursing sequence prepare the student for the study of the nursing major. Upon graduation, students are eligible to write the national licensure examination for practice as a professional registered nurse.

Clinical Opportunities

College of Nursing students enjoy the unique opportunity to gain most of their clinical experiences without leaving the campus.

OSF HealthCare Saint Francis Medical Center, an academic medical center affiliated with the University of Illinois College of Medicine Peoria, is the primary clinical site. OSF Saint Francis is located next door to the College of Nursing. 

A Level I Trauma Center and tertiary medical center with the OSF HealthCare Children's Hospital of Illinois, OSF Saint Francis also is recognized for its quality nursing care, having earned Magnet Recognition Status from the American Nurses' Credentialing Commission. In 2019, OSF Saint Francis won the ANCC Magnet Prize Sponsored by Cerner.

In addition to the nursing clinical at OSF Saint Francis, students also gain experiences at the Human Service Center, agencies of the Catholic Social Services and various other community agencies.

Baccalaureate Outcomes

Upon completion of the BSN program, the Saint Francis Medical Center College of Nursing graduate:

1. Synthesizes theories, concepts, and principles from behavioral, natural and social sciences, technologies and nursing as a foundation for the practice of professional nursing.
2. Implements culturally appropriate caring behaviors in nursing practice.
3. Integrates written, oral, technology and information literacy skills to facilitate communication within the nurse-patient relationship and interprofessional collaboration in a variety of health care settings.
4. Models critical thinking, skills of inquiry and problem solving skills for effective decision making in nursing practice based on best evidence.
5. Implements the nursing process to assist patients and families throughout the life cycle in reaching optimal health by facilitating adaptation of physical, emotional, intellectual, social and spiritual well-being.
6. Applies leadership through engaging in professional nursing within a political, legal, ethical, social and financial framework to implement patient safety and quality within the context of the interprofessional team and health care system.
7. Demonstrates responsibility and accountability for personal and professional growth and development and is responsive to emerging roles within the profession.
8. Employs the process of self-reflection to continually improve practice and engage in lifelong learning.

Admission Criteria

1. Evidence of graduation from a regionally accredited college or university with a bachelor degree.
2. Completion of 59 credit hours of required pre-nursing curriculum at a regionally accredited college or university with an overall grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
3. 3.2 GPA for Anatomy and Physiology courses. 
4. Required pre-nursing courses must be taken for a letter grade rather than pass/fail or credit/no credit.
5. Only grades of C or above are accepted for transfer credit.
6. A total of two courses may be repeated within the past five years. Each course may be repeated only one time.
7. Courses with a grade of D or lower taken five years or more before the date of application will be disregarded in the calculation of the admission GPA.
8. Acceptance of College Level Examination Program (CLEP) or Proficiency Examination Program (PEP) credit will be given individual consideration by the Admissions and Progression Committee.

Meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee admission. Admission is competitive and usually the average GPA of the admitted class is significantly higher than the stated minimum of 2.5.

Application Checklist

1. Application
2. $50 Application Fee
3. High School Transcript
4. Official College Transcripts

Program Start Dates

Curriculum

The curriculum for the Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree offered by the Saint Francis Medical Center College of Nursing consists of a total of 124 semester hours of coursework. These hours are divided into 59 semester hours of required pre-nursing courses and 65 semester hours of coursework within the nursing major.

Prerequisites

59 semester hours of required pre-nursing curriculum to be completed at the college of choice prior to enrollment at the College of Nursing.

Application may be made upon completion of at least 30 semester hours of pre-nursing courses, which must include at least eight semester hours of physical/life sciences.

An overall grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 plus a 3.2 GPA for anatomy & physiology I & II are required for admission. Only course grades of C or above are transferable.

If the hours total less than 59, an additional elective must be taken in any area of choice.

For a list of requirements from specific pre-nursing colleges, please review our transfer guides.

The requirements of the pre-nursing curriculum incorporate both the general education core curriculum adopted by the Illinois Board of Higher Education and the specific courses required to support the nursing major.

Semester 1 (not all courses occur concurrently)

Semester 2 (not all courses occur concurrently)

Semester 3 (not all courses occur concurrently)

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