Are you one of the countless qualified applicants sitting on a nursing school waitlist in California? Or anywhere else for that matter? If so, you should consider attending a nursing school out of state. After all, we see a significant number of students who move to Charlotte, North Carolina, just to attend our 16-month ABSN program.
You’ll find that nursing schools across the country are either wait-listing or turning away thousands of qualified applicants annually because of resource constraints.
So how is it that our accelerated nursing program for second-degree students can enroll a high number of qualified applicants per year? Here are the top three reasons why:
1. Multiple Start Dates a Year
Our 16-month ABSN program in Charlotte enrolls students three times a year. If you meet the admissions requirements, which include having a non-nursing bachelor’s degree, you can apply for a start date in January, May, or September. Most nursing programs offer just one start date a year, so if you aren’t quite ready by the application deadline, there can be a long wait until the next opportunity.
2. Online Learning Component
Our ABSN program has an online learning component that not only brings a level of flexibility to the rigors of nursing school, but also extends the teaching bandwidth of our nursing faculty. The program is not 100% online, however. While students learn the fundamentals of nursing online, they attend hands-on nursing labs at our Uptown campus and complete clinical rotations in leading local healthcare facilities.
3. Strong Clinical Partnerships
Our close-knit clinical partnerships with Atrium Health and Novant Health help ensure our Charlotte ABSN students have access to top-notch clinical rotations in diverse areas of nursing practice, from adult health to pediatrics to acute care.
Charlotte or Bust
Not willing to wait to start nursing school, many students move halfway across the country for our ABSN program. We interviewed Lexi, a Northeastern ABSN student who moved to Charlotte from San Luis Obispo, California, and asked her about her relocation experience.
Q: Why did you move to Charlotte for nursing school?
A: My mom is originally from Atlanta, and I have grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins that still live there. I wanted an accelerated nursing program that was within a reasonable driving distance of my family. I also wanted a change and sought to do something different. The program is only 16 months, so I figured it was worth coming to Charlotte to give it a try.
Q. How did you make the move to the Queen City?
A: I packed up my car and drove across the country with my best friend. Because I don’t know how long I will stay in Charlotte, I felt it didn’t make financial sense to ship all my stuff here. I am not opposed to staying here after graduation, it all just depends on where I can get a job.
Q. What neighborhood do you live in?
A: I live in the North Davidson (NoDa) neighborhood. It’s about 10 minutes from Uptown, so it’s really easy for me to get to campus. Because parking in Uptown is expensive, I take the bus when I need to go to campus. It’s super easy. The bus drops me off a block away from school. Despite being so close to Uptown, NoDa still has a neighborhood vibe, which I like. I can get up, grab coffee, and walk my dog in the morning. There are a lot of shops and restaurants near me, and the amenities at my apartment complex are great.
Q. What’s rent like in NoDa?
A: I found the apartments here to be less expensive than in the South End and Plaza Midwood neighborhoods. I have a roommate, which saves me some money. If you live in a studio or one bedroom apartment here, it’ll probably cost more than what you’d want to pay. But overall, I think the rent costs in NoDa are pretty reasonable compared to other neighborhoods, especially considering how close it is to Uptown.
Q. Why did you pick the NoDa neighborhood?
A: Actually, my roommate picked it. We got connected through the Roomie Match website, and I was lucky to find her. She had been living in Charlotte for a year already and was familiar with the neighborhood. So I feel I lucked out because I didn’t have a clue about the neighborhoods.
Q. Where are some of your favorite places to go?
A: I typically don’t go out a lot because school is my first priority. My philosophy is that because the program is so short, you can afford to give up a few weekends to get through it. But when I do go out and take time for myself, I like to head out to the breweries in the South End on a Saturday afternoon to relax, socialize, and enjoy the sunshine.
Q. What advice do you have for others considering the move to Charlotte?
A: Once you decide to come here, start planning right away because relocation is such a long process. Don’t put off finding a place to live because moving will creep up on you. It’s definitely no fun driving across the country with no idea of where you’re going to live. Now that I’m here, I’ve found the people in Charlotte to be really friendly, and I’ve not had much trouble adjusting to life in the South.
How to Transfer a Nursing License to Another State
After graduating from our ABSN program, you’ll need to submit a licensure application to the board of nursing in the state for which you plan to live and work. Once you pass the NCLEX-RN® exam, you can legally practice nursing in that state. So what happens if you become licensed in North Carolina but then decide to take a job in another state?
While the transfer of a nursing license to another state may feel daunting, it’s not if you’re licensed in a Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) state and plan on moving to another NLC state. More than half the states in this country are part of the NLC, including North Carolina. So thanks to the NLC, if you obtain your RN license in one compact state, your license is valid in all the other compact states.
Ready to Relocate?
If you’re at a stalemate with the ABSN programs in your area, you might consider attending a nursing school out of state. Contact our admissions team to learn more about our 16-month ABSN program in Charlotte. And be on the lookout for next month’s blog because we’ll spotlight four students who made the move to Charlotte to start their future in nursing.
