Orbis Education has partnered with Danville, Va.-based Averett University to develop, market and manage an Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program in Hampton Roads, Va. for individuals with non-nursing academic experience. The hybrid program will blend technology and traditional learning methods to enable students to graduate in as few as 16 months prepared to sit for the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX).

The new Accelerated BSN program at Averett will feature the same accredited nursing curriculum as the University’s on-campus version but differ when it comes to the delivery of the core nursing coursework. The hybrid version will rely on an interactive e-Learning platform developed by Orbis to educate students on nursing fundamentals and theories. The students will then take the foundational knowledge they learn online and turn it into psychomotor skills through hands-on labs and in-hospital clinical rotations at top health care facilities throughout the Alexandria metropolitan area.

“Averett has been educating students since 1859, with almost 40 years serving adults and helping them advance in their careers,” said Averett President Dr. Tiffany M. Franks. “This exciting new partnership builds upon a strong foundation in nursing, biomedical and health sciences programs at Averett, and we are thrilled to further expand our nursing offerings.”

Under the partnership agreement, Orbis will fund and develop a state-of-the-art facility that will include nursing labs that replicate the clinical setting. These labs will feature anatomically correct task trainers, full-body patient simulators and advanced hospital equipment to provide nursing students a contextual learning environment where they can practice and hone their clinical skills.

The new Accelerated BSN program at Averett University will offer multiple starts per year. This program will join Averett’s School of Nursing’s existing offerings of an on-campus, four-year, traditional Bachelor of Science in nursing (BSN) track, and its Master of Science in Nursing degree program with two focus areas: Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) and Emergency Nurse Practitioner (ENP), starting in 2020. The nursing program has been one of the most popular majors among Averett’s incoming traditional students.