Program Overview
100% NCLEX. Three Years Running. Eugene, Oregon’s Small-Cohort ABSN.
Three consecutive years of 100% NCLEX first-time pass rates — 2022, 2023, and 2024 — at a program that admits no more than 32 students per cohort. Bushnell University’s ABSN operates inside a dedicated nursing partnership with PeaceHealth in Eugene, Oregon, with clinical rotations spanning acute care hospitals, outpatient clinics, community settings, specialty hospitals, mental health, schools, and corrections — all within 75 miles of campus.
The program’s B- prerequisite minimum is stricter than any other ABSN reviewed here, and the mandatory CNA or LPN certification before admission is a structural requirement found almost nowhere else at the second-degree level.
Oregon ranks third-highest nationally for RN pay per BLS data — the employment market graduates enter is one of the most competitive in the country.
ABSN Admission Summary
Admission is rolling within each application window but cohort-capped at 32 — if a cohort fills before the deadline, applicants join a waitlist or roll to the next cycle. The CNA requirement is non-negotiable for second-degree applicants; only a practical nursing license (LPN/LVN) substitutes. EMT, CMA, and other certifications do not satisfy the requirement.
Second-degree pathway (prior bachelor’s degree):
- Completed bachelor’s degree in a non-nursing field from a regionally accredited institution
- Minimum 2.75 cumulative post-secondary GPA
- Current, unencumbered CNA certification OR LPN/LVN license — if CNA is needed, a list of Oregon State Board of Nursing-approved programs is available on their website
- All prerequisite courses completed with B- or higher
First bachelor’s degree pathway (nursing as first degree):
- Minimum 80 semester credits of transferable, non-nursing college coursework from a regionally accredited institution
- Completion of Bushnell University’s general education core requirements
- Minimum 3.0 cumulative post-secondary GPA
- Current, unencumbered CNA or LPN/LVN license
- All prerequisite courses completed with B- or higher
Prerequisite coursework — B- or higher required in each:
Science Core (must be within 7 years of intended program start):
- General Biology — covering cell biology, molecular biology, and genetics (one or multiple courses depending on institution)
- Human Anatomy & Physiology series with lab — typically a 2-part semester series or 3-part quarter series
- Microbiology with lab
Additional prerequisites:
- General Nutrition (within 10 years) — must cover digestion, absorption, and metabolism; sports nutrition or dietary trends courses do not qualify
- Human Growth & Development or Developmental Psychology (within 10 years) — must cover the full lifespan
- Minimum 1 elective in physical, biological, or behavioral sciences or the humanities — qualifying subjects include psychology, philosophy, literature, language, religion, law, and others
Prerequisites may be completed in person or online at any regionally accredited institution. ACE-evaluated courses from StraighterLine or Sophia Learning are not accepted. All international applicants must complete all prerequisites at a U.S. regionally accredited institution — foreign credentials are not accepted for prerequisite purposes.
Application materials:
- Official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions
- Proof of current, unencumbered CNA or LPN/LVN license
- TOEFL or IELTS scores for non-native English speakers (minimum proficiency required; specific thresholds set by Bushnell University)
- Additional certificates, licensures, awards, and verification of employment as needed
Applications can be submitted while final prerequisites, the bachelor’s degree, or CNA are still in progress — full admission is contingent on successful completion before the program start date.
Post-acceptance requirements:
- $200 non-refundable deposit within 2 weeks of admission notification (applied to tuition)
- Criminal background check meeting Oregon Health Authority (OHA) requirements — completed no more than 3 months prior to first semester and no later than Week 4 of first enrollment; must include SSN trace, state/national criminal history, sex offender registry, and OIG LEIE check through Advanced Reporting
- Clean 10-panel urine drug screen + alcohol
- AHA Basic Life Support certification
- Full COVID-19 vaccination series
- Immunizations: seasonal flu, hepatitis B with titer, varicella with titer, measles, mumps, rubella, TDaP
- 2-step PPD or QuantiFERON-TB Gold for TB screening
- Verified health insurance throughout enrollment
Progression standards:
- Minimum grade of C (73%) required in all ABSN courses
- Students may repeat two different nursing courses once, on a space-available basis
- Failure to achieve C or better on a repeated course results in program dismissal
- Academic support is encouraged when cumulative GPA falls below 2.0 or any course grade falls below 73%
- Two consecutive weeks of non-participation without communication to faculty may result in academic withdrawal
Curriculum
Forty-four nursing credit hours are distributed across three semesters. The sequence pairs clinical courses directly with their theory counterparts throughout — not in separate semesters — so classroom content and patient care reinforce each other week by week. Three courses (NURS 362, 370, and 468, marked **) meet Bushnell’s general education Bible and Christian Ministry Studies requirements, integrating faith formation directly into nursing coursework rather than requiring separate standalone Bible classes.
Prerequisite Overview
Science prerequisites must be within 7 years; Nutrition and Growth & Development within 10 years. All prerequisites require a B- or higher — the strictest prerequisite grade threshold in this entire review. See the admission summary above for the full prerequisite list.
Three-semester nursing sequence (44 credit hours):
First Semester (15 Credits)
NURS 360: Pathophysiology and Pharmacology for Nurses (3 credits) – Examines disruptions of normal physiological states and manifestations, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, pharmacotherapeutics, nursing responsibilities, clinical judgment, pain management, and nurse’s role in optimizing patient health
NURS 362: Health Assessment Across the Lifespan (2 credits) – Foundational health assessment and communication skills for holistic health history, comprehensive and focused physical/mental/spiritual assessments, health literacy, trauma-informed care across lifespan, adapting to diverse populations, health promotion, prevention, disease detection
NURS 364: Nursing Skills Lab I (1 credit) – Acquire and apply theoretical knowledge with fundamental cognitive, affective, psychomotor, and technical skills for entry-level practice (Course Fee: $400)
NURS 366: Nursing Care & Management of the Chronically Ill Theory (3 credits) – Nursing care and management of chronically ill patients and families across lifespan, nursing theories/frameworks, health promotion/education, care delivery systems, quality, safety, implicit bias, person-centered care, interprofessional collaboration
NURS 367P: Chronic and Mental Health Clinical (4 credits) – 180-hour practice experience providing nursing care for clients and families experiencing chronic illness and mental health disorders in various settings (combination of skills lab, simulation, and clinical experiences); develop entry-level theoretical knowledge, professional/therapeutic communication, care planning, time management, medication administration, documentation, assessment, intervention, evaluation, education
NURS 368: Mental Health Nursing Theory (2 credits) – Knowledge and understanding of mental health disorders, nursing care, management, interventions, evaluation; therapeutic communication/relationships, mental health assessments, illness prevention/management, interprofessional collaboration, advocacy, health policy, care coordination and transition
Second Semester (15 Credits)
NURS 370: Nursing Knowledge & Scholarship (3 credits) – Established and evolving disciplinary nursing knowledge and ways of knowing, knowledge from other disciplines, nursing scholarship, ethics in scholarly activities, ethical frameworks/principles, Codes of Ethics for Nurses, basic research principles, research critique, incorporating best evidence into practice including patient preferences, values, clinical expertise
NURS 460: Population Health Nursing & Wellness Theory (3 credits) – Knowledge and understanding of diseases, illnesses, natural/other disasters, public health emergencies, health-related events in populations and communities; social determinants of health and impact on health disparities/inequities; assessment skills, health promotion/prevention, accessing care, advocacy, equitable population health policies
NURS 461P: Population Health and Childbearing Family Clinical (4 credits) – 180-hour practice experience applying nursing care for populations, communities, childbearing families, and children in community-based and acute care settings (combination of skills lab, simulation, clinical); apply and build upon theoretical knowledge, cognitive, affective, medical-surgical, and nursing skills; demonstrate advanced ability to assess, evaluate, educate, advocate
NURS 464: Nursing Skills Lab II (2 credits) – Builds on and advances prior theoretical knowledge and cognitive, affective, psychomotor, and technical skills for increasingly complex patients across lifespan in variety of care settings (Course Fee: $400)
NURS 470: Nursing Care of Childbearing Families & Children Theory (3 credits) – Knowledge and understanding of childbearing and childrearing families; normal physiological and acute/chronic disease processes in women, newborns, children from infancy through adolescence within family context; emphasis on health promotion/maintenance; care for dying child and family
Third Semester (14 Credits)
NURS 462: Nursing Care of Complex & Acute Adults Theory (3 credits) – Wide range of adult and geriatric medical/surgical health problems and acute physical illnesses; medical/surgical issues, management, evidence-based nursing care; build and advance assessment, communication, clinical judgment, clinical thinking, advocacy, information technology skills
NURS 462P: Acute Clinical (3 credits) – 135-hour practice experience applying theoretical knowledge and skills to provide nursing care to adult and geriatric patients experiencing complex/acute medical and surgical disruptions and acute physical illness; demonstrate holistic, evidence-based, person-centered, advanced nursing care and skills
NURS 468: Nursing Leadership & Management of Care (3 credits) – Effective nursing leadership and management; leadership/management principles, theories, styles, emotional intelligence, team leadership; how healthcare finances, regulatory requirements, health policy, just culture impacts quality, safety, health outcomes; leading with different authority in light of nursing as profession and ministry
NURS 472P: Transition to Professional Nursing Practice (5 credits) – 225-hour theory and practice immersion experience advancing disciplinary nursing knowledge and skills; professional nursing concepts including care coordination, healthcare policy, informatics/health technologies, nursing caring through Christian lens, lifelong learning; demonstrate leadership, flexibility, healthy self-care, develop professional identity as nurse and interdisciplinary team member
The chronic illness and mental health clinical pairing in Semester 1 is distinctive — most programs sequence these specialties to later semesters. Bushnell’s front-loading of chronic and behavioral health content reflects the Oregon healthcare landscape and the program’s commitment to equitable, community-engaged nursing education.
More curriculum details available in the course catalog: Bushnell University 2025–26 Academic Catalog
Clinicals
Clinical rotations begin in Semester 1 and run through all three terms, with every semester including a dedicated paired clinical course. The final semester’s capstone practicum (5 credits) is the most intensive clinical experience in the program, structured as a transition-to-practice immersion under preceptor supervision. All clinical sites are within 75 miles of the Bushnell University campus in Eugene.
- Total clinical course credits: 16 (NURS 367P: 4 cr. | NURS 461P: 4 cr. | NURS 462P: 3 cr. | NURS 472P: 5 cr.)
- Clinical start: Semester 1, Week 1 — NURS 367P Chronic and Mental Health Clinical begins alongside foundational coursework from day one
- Clinical site types: Inpatient acute care hospitals, in- and outpatient mental health, outpatient hospital clinics, sub-acute and long-term adult care, schools, public health, corrections, and community-based settings
- Clinical scheduling: Rotations may be assigned any day of the week and any hour — including evenings, nights, and weekends — at sites up to 75 miles from campus; students provide their own transportation
- Specialty coverage: Chronic illness, mental health, population health, childbearing families and children, acute/complex adult care, and professional practice capstone
- Capstone practicum (NURS 472P, 5 cr.): The program’s highest-credit single course — a full preceptored clinical immersion that constitutes the final nursing experience before graduation and NCLEX eligibility
- Simulation: State-of-the-art simulation lab on campus in partnership with PeaceHealth; used throughout all three semesters to practice and reinforce clinical skills before live patient care; simulation complements clinical rotations rather than substituting for them
- PeaceHealth partnership: Bushnell’s nursing facility is developed in partnership with PeaceHealth — a major regional health system anchoring the Eugene-area clinical network; the Center for Education & Research Hall houses nursing program facilities
- 100% NCLEX outcomes: Three consecutive years of perfect first-time pass rates (2022, 2023, 2024) validate the clinical preparation model; program completion rate is 93.85% as of February 2025
Tuition
Estimated total program cost: ~$57,510
| Component | Detail | Cost |
|---|---|---|
Nursing tuition | 44 cr. × $1,250 | $55,000 |
Program fees | Semester 1: $1,650 | Semester 2: $400 | Semester 3: $0 | $2,050 |
Textbooks | New textbook estimate | $1,500 |
Supplies/uniform/clinical compliance | Estimated range | $300–$600 |
Estimated total | ~$58,850–$59,150 |
Per-semester cost of attendance context (housing, food, personal, transportation, and tech fee add approximately $7,025 per semester for students living on or near campus — about $21,075 over three semesters, on top of tuition):
| Cost of Attendance Component | Per Semester |
|---|---|
Housing & Food | $5,650 |
Books & Supplies | $525 |
Personal | $700 |
Transportation | $700 |
Tech Fee | $175 |
Per-semester subtotal | ~$7,750 |
At ~$55,000–$59,000 in total program costs, Bushnell is priced in the mid-range for private university ABSN programs on the West Coast — less than CSP Global (~$67,484) and significantly less than most nationally recognized private programs. Federal financial aid is available via FAFSA; veteran education benefits are supported. Monthly payment plans are not referenced in available materials — contact financial aid directly.
See the official tuition page for more details: Bushnell University ABSN Financial Aid
Accreditation
Bushnell University is regionally accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU). The ABSN program is affiliated with Bushnell University’s baccalaureate degree program in nursing accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). Graduates are prepared to sit for the NCLEX-RN licensure examination.