Degrees & Programs Nursing
Accelerated Bachelor's of Science in Nursing
1st cohort begins January 2022
Fall 2022 Application Coming Soon
Our Spring 2022 application period has closed. Our first class is set to begin on January 10, 2022. Equipment and supplies continue to trickle in and faculty have been hired. The Skills and Simulation Labs are ready for students to begin learning assessments and patient care.
How to Apply for ABSN Financial Aid
Federal Student Aid ID
A Federal Student Aid ID is used to sign the FAFSA on the Web, as well as to make corrections, complete a renewal FAFSA, and to check on the student loan data. Parents of dependent students must also apply for a Federal Student Aid ID in order to sign their student's FAFSA renewal or corrections.
Submit FAFSA
We encourage all students and prospective students to file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The FAFSA is completed online. The FAFSA can be completed any time after October 1; priority is given to students whose FAFSA is received by March 2.
The Federal School Code for Westmont College is: 001341
Submit the Financial Aid Data Sheet
The Financial Aid Data Sheet is required of all students who receive any type of financial assistance, including academic or talent-based scholarships. It can be found on the Office of Financial Aid page.
Verification
In order to ensure that you receive all the financial aid for which you are eligible, Westmont College verifies the accuracy of information that you provide via the FAFSA. The Financial Aid Office will request various documents as part of this process. The list of required documents specific to your application will be available on the Financial Aid Student Portal (Net Partner). Financial aid awards are subject to change if information on these forms is different from the information reported on the FAFSA. Priority is given to students whose documents are received by June 1st.
Respond to your Financial Aid Package
Once all necessary financial aid application items have been submitted and reviewed by the Office of Financial Aid, students will be sent an email indicating that the “final” financial aid package is ready to be reviewed. At that time, students must access the Financial Aid Student Portal and select “Accepting Your Aid” under the menu. Once there, a student is required to either accept or decline each source of financial aid that is listed. No financial aid will be credited to a student’s account until each fund offered has either been accepted or declined.
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Hello, I’m Dr. Carol Velas, the founding director of the Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing program at Westmont College. A registered nurse for 35 years, I feel called to a lifetime of compassionate caring.
My education includes an Associate of Science in nursing, a Bachelor of Science in nursing, a Master of Science in nursing (nursing education role), and a doctorate in educational leadership and policy.
My extensive nursing experience includes care in oncology, medical/surgical, labor and delivery, post-partum, newborn nursery, and pediatrics nursing. As an administrator, I’ve directed a women’s unit, managed a cancer program, developed staff, and served as both an assistant nursing program director and nursing program director. I’ve taught nursing at the associate, baccalaureate, master’s and doctoral levels in public and private institutions. I also own and operate a consulting business in nursing education.
Students entering the Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing program will learn from experienced, competent registered nursing professors chosen for their dedication to the ministry of health and wellness through the theory of compassionate care.
In nursing theory courses, students will explore the compassionate care given to patients from diverse backgrounds with a multitude of conditions and disorders. Progressive clinical practicums include encounters with patients of all ages across a spectrum of illnesses. Experienced faculty serve as role models and supervise interactions between students and patients in the beginning clinical courses with collaborative instruction occurring during the intermediate and more advanced clinical experiences. Students graduate as entry-level registered nurse generalists.
I'm really looking forward to sharing more information with you. Please contact me and let's connect.
Carol Velas
P.S. We would love to make this program as accessible as possible to you, so please take this survey to let us know your interest.
FAQ
Students who have already received a baccalaureate degree earn a second baccalaureate degree in nursing through this program. Applicants must complete all prerequisites required for the nursing program as well as a previous Baccalaureate degree.
The ABSN curriculum is sequenced with progression in courses and courses cannot be dropped or added to each semester. If a student must drop a course during the semester, they must drop from the program and apply for re-admission.
See the list of prerequisites in the chart below. Students must have already received a Bachelor's degree to be considered for the program. Anatomy, physiology and microbiology courses must be taken within the past five years.
|
Course Number |
Course Name |
Units, T-theory, L-Lab |
|
BIO/KINS011 |
Human Anatomy |
4 (T=3, L=1) |
|
BIO/KINS012 |
Human Physiology |
4 (T=3, L=1) |
|
BIO110 |
Microbiology |
4 (T=3, L=1) |
| Multiple options |
Any chemistry course with lab |
4 |
| Various | World History | 4 |
|
ENG002 |
Composition |
4 |
|
COM015 |
Public Speaking |
4 |
|
PSY001 |
General Psychology |
4 |
|
PSY117 |
Lifespan Development |
4 |
|
MA005 |
Introduction to Statistics |
4 |
|
RS001 |
Introduction to Old Testament Introduction to New Testament Introduction to Christian Doctrine (must take 2 of the 3 courses) |
4 |
|
RS010 |
4 |
|
|
RS020 |
4 |
|
| SOC001 | Introduction to Sociology | 4 |
|
Various |
Working Artistically |
4 |
|
Various |
Reading Imaginative Literature |
4 |
|
Various |
Modern Language |
4 |
Possibly. If the courses are similar to what the courses at Westmont would teach you, they will be accepted. If you believe you have completed all the requirements you should apply to the program and submit official copies of all college transcripts for an evaluation. Please contact admissions@westmont.edu with any questions.
You may complete your prerequisites through your local community college, Westmont College, or another accredited four-year institution. Be aware that completing these courses does not guarantee admission into the program. We anticipate admission will be competitive, and it is possible that you would not be admitted into the program even with all of the prerequisites completed.
Yes! Applicants must take the ATI TEAS exam. If you have already taken it and have any questions about it please contact cvelas@westmont.edu. You may need to pay a fee to get your scores sent over to Westmont College.
If you have not yet met the Religious Studies prerequisites please contact the Student Records Office at registrar@westmont.edu for further guidance.
We are currently accepting applications for Spring 2022, Fall 2022, and Spring 2023!
Each fall and spring semester, Westmont will accept a total of 24 students, with a ratio of one professor to a group of eight students.
The 16-month program costs about $65,000.
Yes, students may apply for financial aid, and the college will award scholarships. Important information for applying for financial aid is available on the Financial Aid page.
Westmont housing will not be available for nursing students.
The Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing program requires 16 months of study.
Students take between 16 to 19 units each semester of the ABSN program. They attend classes two days a week and participate in clinical experiences two to three days a week.
Yes, all admitted students will undergo a criminal background check and drug screen among other mandated requirements, such as COVID-19 immunization and a basic life support course.
At present, Westmont’s ABSN program is a full-time, 16-month program.
Discover More Information
Director
nursing@westmont.edu
Amid a global pandemic and dire nursing shortage, Westmont’s proposed Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) is gaining widespread support from state and local officials. The program, run in partnership with Cottage Health, received unanimous approval from the California Board of Registered Nursing’s Education Licensing Committee (ELC) in April, and is set to launch in 2022 pending approval from the board itself.
The college is renovating the first two floors of Westmont Downtown, 26 West Anapamu St., which it purchased in December 2020, to house the nursing program. Construction will finish in July 2021 so state nursing officials can visit the state-of-the-art facility later in the summer. The convenient location, a mile from Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara, will provide students with easy access to the simulation lab, internships and practica. The dedicated downtown facilities are being totally refurbished to include a skills lab, a team-based learning environment and a state-of-the-art facility to support the nursing program.
The ABSN allows someone with a baccalaureate or higher education degree to complete the intense training and education to become a nurse within 12-15 months. The college plans to use a cohort-based model with about 24 students per cohort, graduating two cohorts each year.
The strategic partnership with Cottage Health, a system of hospitals and clinics serving the Central Coast, will provide state-of-the-art clinical training for Westmont students. The connection with Cottage will also help place Westmont graduates in well-paid, meaningful positions. Ron Werft, president and CEO of Cottage Health, spoke about the new program at Westmont's 2021 Commencement.
Read the full story in the Westmont Magazine
Read more in the Montecito Journal
