Augustana College offers two smart paths for future nurses: the four-year Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in pre-nursing at Augustana, or the direct-entry 2+2 Bachelor of Science in nursing (B.S.N.) — a new partnership between Augustana and nearby Trinity College of Nursing & Health Sciences.
Both programs include a liberal arts foundation that provides excellent background for treating patients. Whatever nursing path you choose at Augustana, you will be prepared for the future of health care, not only for nursing practice right now.
As a graduate you'll have more knowledge of the whole person, plus sharper skills in communicating, thinking fast and solving problems. Seeing the bigger picture of health — not just using technical skills — leads to better patient outcomes and well-being.
Distinctions
- For Augustana's four-year pre-nursing option, you will major in biology or psychology, with built-in laboratory experience and more science study than a typical four-year B.S.N. at other schools. After Augustana you'll go on to nursing school, including an option for an accelerated 15-month B.S.N. program or a two-year Master of Science in nursing (M.S.N.) program with Trinity College of Nursing & Health Sciences here in the Quad Cities. Either way, after one year in nursing school you'll be prepared to take the National Council Licensure Exam for RNs, and on your way to making a difference as a talented nurse.
- For the direct-entry 2+2 B.S.N. option with Trinity College of Nursing & Health Sciences, you will complete two years of courses at Augustana, followed by two years of nursing study and completing your B.S.N. degree at Trinity College. This partnership began in 2024, after Trinity College recognized the high quality of students from Augustana who entered their M.S.N. or accelerated B.A./M.S.N. (see below). Students in this program apply to both Augustana and the direct-entry nursing program at the same time.
- Through a unique, accelerated B.A./M.S.N. partnership with Trinity College of Nursing & Health Sciences, students can complete a B.A. at Augustana, with an overlap of nursing prerequisites and a summer course, and the M.S.N. at Trinity College in just six years. Students can apply to the master's program as part of their application to Augustana College, for the Combined Acceptance Articulation Agreement — or apply to the master's program while enrolled at Augustana, for the Dual-Degree Articulation Agreement.
- While Augustana pre-nursing graduates can, and do, complete their nursing degrees at many schools, Trinity College of Nursing & Health Sciences offers two additional distinctive benefits: location and hands-on practice. Trinity provides students access to the same electronic health record system used by area hospitals, which makes the transition into the workforce seamless. Trinity College's nursing students also complete 944 hours of hands-on experience in a variety of settings, compared with only about 650 hours at other nursing schools.
What you'll learn
Disciplinary knowledge
Gain a deep understanding of your subject and how it connects to other subjects.
Critical thinking and information literacy
Judge and construct arguments, raise questions and define problems. Make a conclusion based on evidence.
Communication competence
Read and listen carefully. Express ideas (writing or speaking) suited to the audience.
Quantitative literacy
Interpret, represent and summarize information. Use math and statistics to solve problems.
Collaborative leadership
Make decisions and act for the good of the community as a group.
A smart path for future nurses: "I found what I am truly passionate about,” said Autumn Anderson ‘20
Recent graduates
A few recent graduates who have entered nursing:
Gwendolyn Flannery '23 is a student in the M.S.N. program at Trinity College of Nursing and Health Sciences.
Autumn Anderson '20 is a student in the M.S.N. program at Trinity College of Nursing and Health Sciences.
Taylor Drozdowski '20 (A.B.S.N., Loyola University-Chicago) works on the rehab floor at Navicent Health in Macon, Ga.
Emma Britta '18 (B.S.N., Trinity College) works in the University of Iowa Burn and Trauma Unit.
Ashton Hutcheson Burkart '18 (M.S.N. Marquette University) is a public health nurse at the VNA clinic in Aurora, Ill.
Kyle Holder '17 (M.S.N., Saint Louis University; R.N. Barnes-Jewish Hospital) is a family nurse practitioner at SSM Health Saint Louis University Hospital.
Christina Sauer '17 (B.S. Loyola) is a certified nursing assistant at Plymouth Place in La Grange Park, Ill.
Cori Duncan '16 (M.S.N. Saint Louis University) is an oncology-certified clinical nurse at Northwestern Medicine in Chicago.
“Through an internship I was able to determine what I wanted to do with my life, which is to be a psychiatric nurse practitioner.”Read More
“After taking an introduction to public health course, I absolutely fell in love with the field. ”Read More
“My peak experience was the medical service trip to Nicaragua. It inspired me to pursue nursing. ”Read More