Program Overview
The Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso is offered through the Gayle Greve Hunt School of Nursing. The program targets students who already completed general education and science prerequisites but do not hold an RN license.
Students complete the professional nursing portion of the degree in four consecutive semesters over about 16 months.
Students who live outside the region must relocate to El Paso for the full program duration due to required clinical and in-person learning components.
The program includes 65 nursing credit hours, completed after students finish approximately 55 prerequisite credits. This structure allows students to focus exclusively on nursing coursework during the accelerated portion of the degree.
ABSN Admission Summary
Admission to the Texas Tech El Paso ABSN program uses a holistic review process that evaluates academic performance, prerequisite completion, and entrance exam results. Applicants must meet minimum academic standards before the admissions committee reviews their application.
Key admission requirements include:
- Minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA across all college coursework
- Completion of 55 prerequisite credit hours before enrollment
- At least 44 prerequisite credits completed at the time of application
- Completion of four required lab science courses:
- Chemistry
- Anatomy and Physiology I
- Anatomy and Physiology II
- Microbiology
- HESI Assessment Exam scores submitted with the application
- All prerequisite courses completed with grade C or higher
- Submission of two applications:
- NursingCAS application
- GGHSON supplemental application
- Application fees for NursingCAS and the school supplemental application
- Criminal background check required after admission
International applicants may also need to submit TOEFL scores if English is not their first language.
Curriculum
The curriculum consists of a blend of face-to-face classes and online courses covering essential nursing topics. Students complete a combination of courses in anatomy, physiology, microbiology, psychology, and other core areas.
Semester 1
GNUR3307 Health Assessment
Focuses on systematic health assessment techniques, including data collection, health history, and physical exams. Students practice clinical skills and decision-making in lab settings using technology for documentation.
GNUR3416 Foundational Concepts of Nursing Practice – Didactic
Introduces essential nursing principles and practices, laying the groundwork for clinical application and patient care.
GNUR3530 Foundational Concepts of Nursing Practice – Clinical
Provides hands-on experience applying foundational nursing concepts in a clinical environment to develop patient care skills.
GNUR3126 Scholarship for Evidence-based Practice I
Covers the basics of evidence-based practice and its role in delivering patient-centered care, focusing on medical-surgical settings.
GNUR3226 Foundational Aspects of Professional Communication
Prepares students for effective communication in professional and interdisciplinary settings, emphasizing therapeutic patient interactions.
GNUR3221 Introduction to the Nursing Profession
Introduces the healthcare system and nursing as a profession, covering the scope of practice and foundational nursing roles.
Total Credit Hours: 17
Semester 2
GNUR3485 Concepts of Chronic Care Nursing
Focuses on managing chronic conditions across diverse populations, highlighting aging, health promotion, and genetics. Emphasizes clinical judgment through case studies and hands-on activities.
GNUR3420 Chronic Care Nursing Clinical
Offers practical clinical experience for managing chronic health conditions, integrating knowledge of pharmacology, genetics, and nursing skills in elderly care.
GNUR3320 Pharmacology
Covers the fundamentals of drug therapy, including pharmacodynamics, medication administration, and considerations for various life stages and cultural contexts.
GNUR3331 Mental Health Nursing
Explores mental health disorders and nursing care strategies, emphasizing evidence-based approaches for patient care in various settings.
GNUR3227 Nursing Care of the Aging Adult
Focuses on promoting quality of life and healthcare access for older adults, addressing physiological changes and common conditions in aging populations.
Total Credit Hours: 16
Semester 3
GNUR4498 Concepts of Acute Care Nursing Didactic
Covers essential acute care nursing practices, emphasizing clinical reasoning and evidence-based approaches across diverse patient demographics.
GNUR4410 Acute Care Nursing Clinical
Provides clinical and simulated experiences to develop acute care nursing skills, focusing on patient care delivery and clinical judgment.
GNUR4306 Nursing Care of the Childbearing Family
Focuses on care for childbearing families, integrating interdisciplinary teamwork, safety practices, and culturally competent approaches to childbirth.
GNUR4307 Aspects of Pediatric Nursing
Emphasizes pediatric nursing care, focusing on age-appropriate, evidence-based care in both clinical and simulated environments.
GNUR4206 Scholarship for Evidence-based Practice II
Continues exploring evidence-based practice by synthesizing literature and analyzing clinical guidelines to answer nursing questions.
Total Credit Hours: 16
Semester 4
GNUR4620 Professional Transitions
Covers leadership and management roles in nursing, exploring global healthcare and the professional responsibilities of nurses.
GNUR4320 Professional Role of the Leader and Manager
Focuses on developing leadership skills and management concepts within the nursing profession, emphasizing global healthcare perspectives.
GNUR4317 Community and Population Health
Highlights community health principles, including epidemiology, risk assessment, health promotion, and disease prevention through collaborative practice.
GNUR4106 Introduction to Nursing Informatics
Explores nursing informatics, emphasizing technology’s role in ensuring patient safety and quality care in healthcare settings.
GNURxxxx Elective
An elective course that allows students to explore additional areas of interest in nursing.
Total Credit Hours: 16
The program emphasizes hands-on learning through extensive use of simulation labs and clinical rotations in partnership with local healthcare facilities.
More curriculum details available in the course catalog.
Prerequisite Courses
Applicants must complete 55 prerequisite credits before entering the ABSN program. These courses provide a strong science and general education foundation.
Key prerequisite courses include:
- Anatomy and Physiology I with lab
- Anatomy and Physiology II with lab
- Microbiology with lab
- Chemistry
- Pathophysiology
- Statistics
- Psychology
- Human development across the lifespan
- Nutrition
- English composition I and II
- U.S. history courses
- Government and political science courses
- Humanities and creative arts electives
Many of these courses follow the Texas Common Course Numbering System, which helps simplify transfer evaluation.
Clinical Training and Learning Facilities
Clinical education plays a central role in the program. Students practice skills in simulation labs and real health care environments.
Simulation training uses modern patient simulators that replicate real medical scenarios. These simulations help students practice clinical judgment before entering hospital settings.
During clinical rotations, students gain experience in areas such as:
- Adult acute care
- mental health nursing
- pediatric and maternal care
- community health
- chronic disease management
These experiences allow students to apply classroom knowledge to real patient care situations.
Tuition and Estimated Program Cost
The estimated total tuition and required program fees depend on residency status.
- Texas residents: about $30,988 for the full program
- Non-residents: about $58,529 for the full program
These estimates use the published per-semester tuition and fee totals multiplied across the four-semester ABSN curriculum.
Students may qualify for federal financial aid, scholarships, and loans after completing the FAFSA.
See the official tuition page for more details.
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