Last Updated: October 1, 2026
Program Overview
A 12-month second-degree BSN in Gunnison that emphasizes rural and mountain healthcare, with a 66-credit nursing core and regional clinical experiences.
Western Colorado University’s accelerated nursing track is designed for students with a previous non-nursing bachelor’s degree. Its published sample plan runs from fall through spring and summer, combining in-person classes, skills laboratories, simulation and clinical practice.
The intensive format requires completed prerequisites and healthcare or related professional experience. Western strongly discourages employment during the accelerated track.
Accreditation and Approval
Western’s BSN is not yet nationally accredited in nursing. The university states that it is pursuing initial CCNE accreditation; applying does not guarantee accreditation. Applicants should review the current approval and accreditation disclosure before enrolling, including implications for future education and employment.
Admissions Requirements
- A completed bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution in a field other than nursing.
- Minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0; Western gives preference to 3.0 or higher.
- Healthcare or related professional experience. No minimum number of hours or specific job title is required; depth and breadth are considered.
- NursingCAS application, official transcripts, a personal statement, two recommendations and program-specific responses, including an academic-rigor essay.
- Admission interview and selection through the competitive nursing review.
The accelerated admissions checklist provides the application route. The sample sequence begins in fall; applicants should confirm the opening, deadline and seat availability for their intended cohort with nursing@western.edu.
Prerequisites
- Human anatomy or Anatomy and Physiology I, including laboratory.
- Human physiology or Anatomy and Physiology II.
- Microbiology.
- Chemistry.
- Statistics.
The accelerated-specific checklist requires C or better and completion within ten years of application. Anatomy lab is required; other laboratories are preferred. Transfer equivalencies are evaluated individually; prerequisites must be complete before entry, even when an application is submitted with coursework in progress.
Curriculum
The accelerated catalog requires 66 credits, including BIOL 380 and the nursing core. The published second-degree sample assigns 22 credits to fall, 23 to spring and 21 to summer; actual registration follows the cohort’s approved plan.
Required Courses and Credits
Fall — published sample plan (22 credits)
| Course | Credits | What you study |
|---|---|---|
NURS 313 — Professional Development 1- Nursing Theory, Roles & Ethics | 2 | Examines nursing theories, professional roles, ethical practice and the nurse’s responsibilities to patients and teams. |
NURS 312 — Foundations of Nursing Skills Laboratory and Clinical | 3 | Develops hands-on nursing skills through simulation, skills check-offs and clinical reasoning. |
NURS 311 — Foundations of Nursing & Introduction to Professional Practice | 3 | Introduces foundational nursing knowledge, the nursing process, patient safety and evidence-based practice. |
NURS 319 — Patient-Centered Health Assessment (Lecture) | 2 | Builds interviewing, physical assessment, cultural awareness and documentation skills across the lifespan. |
NURS 320 — Patient-Centered Health Assessment (Laboratory/Clinical) | 2 | Practices physical and psychosocial assessment and interpretation of findings in lab and clinical settings. |
NURS 321 — Pharmacology for Nurses I | 2 | Introduces drug actions, dosage calculations, interactions, adverse effects and safe medication administration. |
NURS 390 — Rural Health Perspectives (Lecture and Clinical) | 2 | Examines rural and frontier health, access barriers, telehealth and community strategies for health equity. |
NURS 391 — Health Promotion and Disease Prevention | 1 | Develops prevention and health-promotion plans for individuals, families and communities. |
NURS 405 — Introduction to Health Informatics | 2 | Introduces electronic records, clinical decision support, telehealth, privacy and use of healthcare data. |
BIOL 380 — Pathophysiology | 3 | Explores disease mechanisms and changes in body systems that inform nursing assessment and care. |
Spring — published sample plan (23 credits)
| Course | Credits | What you study |
|---|---|---|
NURS 314 — Nursing Care of Adults I (Lecture) | 3 | Introduces adult medical-surgical assessment and care for common acute and chronic conditions. |
NURS 315 — Nursing Care of Adults 1 (Clinical) | 3 | Applies safe adult nursing interventions and priority setting in supervised clinical and simulation experiences. |
NURS 329 — Research Methods in Nursing | 3 | Examines research methods, evidence appraisal, research ethics and application to patient outcomes. |
NURS 380 — Mental Health Nursing Across the Lifespan (Lecture) | 3 | Explores psychiatric conditions, therapeutic communication, recovery-oriented care and mental health across the lifespan. |
NURS 381 — Mental Health Nursing (Clinical) | 2 | Applies mental health nursing, crisis intervention and therapeutic communication in supervised settings. |
NURS 407 — Nursing Care of the Older Adult (Lecture) | 1 | Examines healthy aging, geriatric syndromes, cognitive changes, polypharmacy and end-of-life care. |
NURS 400 — Nursing Care of Children and Families (Lecture) | 2 | Explores family-centered care of infants, children and adolescents with acute and chronic conditions. |
NURS 401 — Nursing Care of Childbearing Families (Lecture) | 2 | Covers pregnancy, birth, postpartum and newborn nursing with family-centered education and risk assessment. |
NURS 403 — Obstetrical and Pediatric Nursing Clinical and Laboratory | 4 | Applies maternal-child nursing through obstetrical, pediatric and simulation experiences. |
Summer — published sample plan (21 credits)
| Course | Credits | What you study |
|---|---|---|
NURS 404 — Nursing Care of Adults 2 (Lecture) | 3 | Integrates care for complex adult multisystem conditions, instability and recovery. |
NURS 406 — Nursing Care of Adults 2 (Clinical) | 3 | Applies advanced adult medical-surgical care, prioritization, teamwork and safe medication practices. |
NURS 430 — Community and Population Nursing- Rural Emphasis (Lecture) | 2 | Explores epidemiology, community assessment, prevention and public health with a rural emphasis. |
NURS 431 — Community and Population Nursing with Rural Focus (Clinical) | 2 | Applies population-focused nursing in public health, schools, home health and rural outreach settings. |
NURS 480 — Pharmacology for Nurses 2 | 2 | Extends medication management to complex drug therapies, interactions and diverse populations. |
NURS 490 — Senior Nursing Capstone (Clinical) | 4 | Integrates nursing knowledge in a supervised precepted capstone, including patient assignments and team collaboration. |
NURS 470 — Nursing Leadership and Management (Lecture with Clinical) | 3 | Develops leadership, delegation, conflict resolution, staffing, quality improvement and management skills. |
NURS 482 — Professional Development II: Professional Nurse | 2 | Prepares students for professional practice, licensure, career planning and continuing development. |
The accelerated degree plan separates theory, laboratory and clinical courses. NURS 490 is a precepted clinical capstone; research, leadership and professional transition are also covered in separate courses.
Clinical Experience
Clinical learning begins in the first formal nursing semester after required clearances. The program coordinates placements with regional healthcare partners, based on learning needs, site availability and capacity.
Students should plan for early mornings, evenings, nights, weekends and occasional holidays. Simulation and skills practice support clinical learning; a particular placement or commute is not guaranteed.
Before core coursework and clinical participation, students need current American Heart Association or American Red Cross healthcare-provider BLS, background and drug screening, required immunizations, health insurance and physical examinations as required. OSHA, HIPAA and safety training also apply.
Tuition and Costs
Western publishes $25,074 in resident tuition after COF for the entire 2026–27 accelerated year. Resident tuition before COF is $32,730; nonresident tuition is $54,054. The program-specific table expressly states that the entire accelerated cost of attendance is paid in one year.
Required fees add $4,064, bringing resident tuition plus required fees to $29,138 before other expenses. Optional fees total $450. Housing and meal-plan estimates are living costs and are not included in the tuition figure.
The accelerated nursing cost table also excludes variable nursing expenses such as uniforms, shoes, a stethoscope, skills supplies, background/drug checks, immunizations, CPR and required testing resources or learning platforms. COF eligibility and available supported credits affect resident charges; future cohorts may face different rates.
Related Programs
Western also offers a traditional BSN route, including a longer option for post-baccalaureate students. Its prerequisite list and pace differ from the accelerated track; use the accelerated-specific application checklist when planning a second-degree application.