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18-month Accelerated Nursing Program (RNOP)
The 18-month Accelerated Nursing Program (also known as the Rural Nursing Opportunities Program or RNOP) can be ideal for students who are ready to start the next chapter of their lives—as registered nurses! Students in the program complete sixteen nursing courses to earn a Bachelor of Science with a major in Nursing. Courses are taught sequentially in 4-6 week blocks, and each course includes the academic and clinical content usually taught in a semester-long course.
Applicants to this challenging program must have a strong background in the sciences and a cumulative GPA of 3.0 from previous institutions.
Requirements for Program
The following nursing pre-requisites, as well as all of Hartwick College’s general education requirements, must be completed prior to the start of the program, in late May or early June:
- Anatomy & Physiology I & II with lab (8 credits)
- Chemistry course with a lab (4 credits)
- Microbiology with a lab (4 credits)
- Developmental Psychology: Birth to Death (3 credits)
- Statistics (3 credits)
- Ethics course, preferably healthcare related (3 credits)
- 6 additional credits in the social sciences, which must reflect two different departments
- 6 credits in the humanities
- 3-6 credits of electives
Achievement of Writing Level 4 is required (based on a writing evaluation completed at Hartwick).
Applicants must complete the admissions process and submit an official high school transcript, official transcripts from each college attended, as well as two character references. The application deadline is April 1. All required health forms and documentation of the required current CPR certification (Basic Life Saving for Healthcare Providers through the American Heart Association) must be submitted by May 15. Applicants must be ready to begin classes late May/early June.
The 18-month Accelerated Nursing Program moves quickly. Each class is completed in four to six weeks, and the next class may begin almost immediately. Lectures are offered on two weekdays (4-7 hours per day) and full-day clinical/learning lab experiences may be scheduled on weekends or weekdays. During the academic year lectures are offered in the afternoon/evening; summer classes are often earlier in the day (though actual schedules may differ due to faculty and clinical needs).
- NURS 134 Foundations of Nursing Science (4 credits)
- SCIE 144 Health Assessment (4 credits)
- NURS 234 Medical-Surgical Nursing I (5 credits)
- SCIE 301 Pathophysiology & Pharmacology I (3 credits)
- SCIE 302 Pathophysiology & Pharmacology II (3 credits)
- NURS 336 Rural Health Nursing (4 credits)
- NURS 334 Medical-Surgical Nursing II (5 credits)
- NURS 356 Women’s Reproductive Health (5 credits)
- NURS 333 Gerontology (3 credits)
- NURS 357 Pediatric Nursing (5 credits)
- NURS 443 Community Health Nursing (5 credits)
- NURS 441 Psychiatric/Mental Health Nursing (5 credits)
- NURS 448 Introduction to Research Methods and Design (3 credits)
- NURS 490 Thesis (3 credits)
- NURS 434 Advanced Medical-Surgical Nursing (5 credits)
- NURS 446 Trans. to Prof. Practice I: Health Policy & Leadership (4 credits)
- NURS 495 Trans. to Prof. Practice II: Independent Practicum (5 credits)
Estimated Fees for the 18-Month Accelerated Nursing Program
All fees are subject to change and vary depending on program.
2022-2023 Nursing Fees18-Month Accelerated Nursing Program FAQ
Prospective students should submit an application online. The Common Application is available on the Hartwick website. In addition to the application, students must submit official high school transcripts, official college transcripts from each college attended, and two letters of reference. It is most helpful if all of these materials are submitted together. Accepted students will receive a transfer credit evaluation with their acceptance letter. You may contact the Transfer Coordinator Luke Caulfield, caulfieldl@hartwick.edu with questions about the admissions process, or the Coordinator of Nursing Opportunities Geneen Bolton, boltong@hartwick.edu with questions about the nursing program.
Students may mail letters of reference to the college, or send them via email to the Transfer Coordinator Luke Caulfield, caulfieldl@hartwick.edu.
An interview is not required but may be helpful in determining if our program is the right fit for you.
The application deadline is April 1.
Accelerated baccalaureate students are eligible for federal financial aid, which sometimes includes Pell Grants. In some cases, students in this program are also eligible for the New York State Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) if they did not previously receive all eight semesters of TAP in their previous degree program. Many students may be eligible for Stafford loans. Students are encouraged to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and contact Director of Financial Aid Melissa Allen, allenm@hartwick.edu, for more information.
The financial aid award budget includes tuition, mandatory fees, commuting costs, books and supplies.
Students can determine their Stafford Loan eligibility by completing a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). A financial aid award will then be prepared for the student. Aggregate limits for Stafford Loans are set by the federal government and can be explained by the Financial Aid Office. Students cannot be in default on a prior federal student loan.
Expenses for summer courses can often be included in the loans arranged by students for the program.
Hartwick charges a reduced rate for program credits. The tuition for 2020-2021 is $583 per credit hour for summer classes and $960 per credit hour for classes held during the regular academic year. At this time, 25 credits are offered in the summer, and 44 credits are offered in the fall, J Term, and spring. There are also course fees and other fees associated with the program. See nursing fees for more information. All costs are subject to change.
On-campus housing is available to students only during the first summer of the program, for a monthly fee.
Although CPR classes are offered at Hartwick periodically, students in the 18-month Accelerated Program should arrange to complete CPR certification prior to starting the program. Please note that the only CPR certifications accepted are Basic Life Saving for Healthcare Providers through either the American Heart Association or the American Red Cross.
Students need to submit a completed medical form prior to the start of classes, paying special attention to sections specific to nursing majors. Physical examinations are required annually for nursing students.
The program usually begins in late May or early June. Students must complete all program pre-requisites prior to the start of class.
No. There are 10 courses that include a lab or clinical component. Pharmacology, Gerontology, Intro to Research Methods and Design, Senior Thesis and Transition to Professional Practice I are non-clinical courses.
The Senior Independent Practicum, part of NURS 495, provides an opportunity for students to narrow their focus, shadowing a nurse for 200 hours in an area of specialization at a hospital with which Hartwick has an affiliation agreement. This very hand-on experience prepares nursing students for the realities of nursing practice —and many return from their practicum with job offers.
Students in the 18-month Accelerated Program complete over 800 hours of clinical experience—as do graduates in the more traditional programs.
No, students need to complete a graduate program first. Approximately 80% of our nursing graduates go on to graduate education within five years. Most graduate programs are an additional 1-2 years of study.
Students graduating from the Department of Nursing are well-prepared through their program to sit for the national licensure examination to become a registered nurse. Throughout the program students are given opportunities to practice taking computerized examinations that mimic the NCLEX-RN examination. The testing program that we use also provides students with test-taking skills, review materials, individualized remediation materials, as well as a live review to prepare them for taking the licensing examination.
The Department of Nursing strongly urges our graduates to take full advantage of the NCLEX-RN review course offered.
No. Students from New York State must be certified as graduates of a pre-licensure program and sign up through the New York State Department of Education’s Office for the Professions to take the examination. When the students sign up to take the examination they are given a number of different test sites from which to choose that are located throughout the state.