Program Overview
A genuinely debt-free route into nursing — students who work with Mercy Health while enrolled can fully cover their costs, and final-semester students complete a paid clinical immersion.
Mercy College of Ohio’s Accelerated BSN stands apart on cost and schedule. Through its partnership with Mercy Health, students who work for the system while studying can fully fund their education, and final-semester students take part in a paid clinical opportunity — a pathway the college markets, accurately, as debt-free.
The four-semester, 15-month program is for students who already hold a non-nursing bachelor’s degree, starts each May, and is deliberately built for working professionals: clinical and lab sessions are grouped over several long weekends (about 4-5 times per semester) so students can keep their jobs.
Coursework follows a hybrid format combining online learning with hands-on practice at Mercy Health facilities across Northwest Ohio, with additional clinical sites in Tiffin and Willard.
As a Catholic institution focused on healthcare, Mercy frames its curriculum around holistic, values-driven care.
Accreditation and Outcomes
The ABSN program is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). Mercy College reports that its Bachelor of Science in Nursing graduates’ NCLEX scores have exceeded both state and national averages, and the program emphasizes clinical competence, evidence-based practice, and professional development to support strong licensure and employment outcomes.
Curriculum
The curriculum totals 63 credit hours across four consecutive semesters, combining foundational nursing courses, clinical practice, and a final-semester practicum.
Semester I (17 credits)
NUR 101: Introduction to Nursing (2 cr)
Introduces the role of the professional registered nurse, emphasizing professional values, communication, critical thinking, and clinical readiness. Covers medical terminology, dosage calculations, and basic nursing skills with a clinical practicum.
NUR 256: Fundamental Nursing Concepts (8 cr)
Focuses on foundational nursing concepts, including assessment skills, the nursing process, and clinical judgment. Students develop competencies in safe, evidence-based, and holistic nursing care through lab and clinical experiences.
NUR 259: Pharmacology Nursing Concepts (3 cr)
Covers pharmacotherapeutics across the lifespan, emphasizing medication safety, best practices, and ethical considerations. Students apply the nursing process to medication administration.
NUR 318: Professional Nursing Concepts I (4 cr)
Examines the professional roles and ethical responsibilities of nurses in healthcare. Covers evidence-based practice, professional communication, and self-awareness in nursing care.
Semester II (18 credits)
NUR 316: Clinical Nursing Concepts I (8 cr)
Introduces perioperative and end-of-life care, along with nursing management of patients with metabolic, regulatory, and sensory alterations. Clinical experiences reinforce course concepts in patient care settings.
NUR 328: Professional Nursing Concepts II (5 cr)
Focuses on health promotion and disease prevention across various healthcare settings. Covers public health principles, primary care models, and social determinants of health, with clinical practice in primary care environments.
NUR 418: Professional Nursing Concepts III (5 cr)
Explores population health nursing, integrating evidence-based practice, cultural competency, and disease prevention strategies. Students engage in community-based clinical experiences.
Semester III (16 credits)
NUR 326: Clinical Nursing Concepts II (8 cr)
Covers holistic nursing care across the lifespan, including health promotion, nutrition, oxygenation, perfusion, and reproductive health. Clinical experiences include pediatric, maternal, and adult care settings.
NUR 416: Clinical Nursing Concepts III (8 cr)
Focuses on the management of physical and psychological health alterations, including cognition, metabolism, mobility, and mood disorders. Clinical experiences occur in medical-surgical and mental health settings.
Semester IV (12 credits)
NUR 426: Clinical Nursing Concepts IV (7 cr)
Prepares students for high-acuity nursing care, integrating advanced clinical judgment in managing complex health conditions. Includes a precepted clinical immersion experience.
NUR 428: Professional Nursing Concepts IV (3 cr)
Emphasizes nursing leadership, evidence-based practice improvements, health policy evaluation, informatics, and healthcare technologies. Prepares students for leadership roles in nursing.
NUR 481: NCLEX-RN Preparation (2 cr)
Provides test-taking strategies, stress management techniques, and a structured study plan to prepare students for success on the NCLEX-RN exam.
More detail is available in the ABSN curriculum page and the course catalog.
Admission Requirements
Applicants must hold a bachelor’s degree in a non-nursing field with a minimum cumulative 3.0 GPA. Admission is competitive, with priority given to applicants who apply by the January 15 deadline for the May start.
Prerequisite Courses
Prerequisites must be completed within the last seven years:
Anatomy and Physiology I with Lab
Explores human body structure and function, emphasizing cellular organization and the skeletal, muscular, integumentary, and nervous systems, along with body mechanics and physiological processes.
Anatomy and Physiology II with Lab
Continues the study of human anatomy and physiology, focusing on circulatory, respiratory, digestive, excretory, endocrine, and reproductive systems, plus acid-base and fluid-electrolyte balance.
Microbiology with Lab
Introduces microorganisms, their structure, function, cultivation, and identification, with emphasis on human pathogens and immune responses. Lab work includes microbial characterization and infection-control techniques.
Chemistry with Lab
Covers organic chemistry, biomolecules, and metabolism, including chemical equilibria, kinetics, acids and bases, and thermodynamics, with an introduction to qualitative analysis.
Pathophysiology
Examines disease processes, their manifestations, and diagnostic laboratory findings. Students analyze case studies to understand symptom presentation, treatment strategies, and prognosis.
Clinical Experience
Clinical practice takes place at Mercy Health facilities across Northwest Ohio, with additional sites in Tiffin and Willard. Sessions are grouped over long weekends several times per semester to fit working students’ schedules, and final-semester students complete a paid, precepted clinical immersion through the Mercy Health partnership.
Tuition
Estimated total cost for the ABSN program is about $40,675, based on the 63-credit curriculum:
- Tuition: $550/credit × 63 = $34,650
- General Fee: $70/credit × 63 = $4,410
- Technology Fee: $285/semester × 4 = $1,140
- Student Services Fee: $25/semester × 4 = $100
- Matriculation Fee (one-time): $250
- Deposit (applied to first bill): $125
Critically, many students offset much or all of this cost through the Mercy Health debt-free pathway and the paid final-semester clinical. Confirm current figures, as published rates change annually.
See the official tuition and fees page for details.
Other Nursing Programs
Beyond the ABSN, Mercy College of Ohio offers a traditional BSN, an RN-to-BSN, and graduate-level nursing programs. The ABSN is primarily on-campus, with online components integrated into the coursework.