Understanding the Online Nursing Component of UST’s ABSN Program

The concept of a hybrid program might be somewhat foreign and unique, but the online nursing component of the University of St. Thomas Houston’s Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program comes with many benefits from extensive student resources to flexibility in your personal life.
Since the UST ABSN program is hybrid, it involves both in-person and online courses.
“A lot of our didactic learning is online,” UST ABSN student Deneka says.
This means you will complete online coursework that you will later apply to real-life situations in simulation labs and clinical rotations. Your online coursework will include set due dates and a qualified professor, just the same as in-person classes. You can also rest assured that you will receive the same quality of learning online as you would in a traditional BSN in our accredited ABSN program.
Additionally, just because you complete nursing coursework in the online nursing component of the program does not mean that you will have fewer resources available or a lesser experience with your professor. Deneka shares how her online classes provided additional resources to which she would not have had access, otherwise.
“For prerequisites for the lab portion for microbiology, Dr. Raj was able to find an online lab simulation to orient us with the tools we would use in a real lab without having to actually go to a lab,” she says.
An added benefit of online classes is the increased flexibility in your schedule. This is particularly helpful for those with families or non-traditional nursing backgrounds making the shift to nursing.
“The program gives (students) some flexibility in their life because you could choose the online piece to do whenever you want,” UST ABSN admissions advisor says.