# The Top 20 ABSN Programs Addressing Akron‘s Growing Nursing Shortage in 2026

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- Published: 2024-05-12
- Author: Charlene Farwell
- Categories: [School](https://33rdsquare.com/category/education/school/)

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An accelerated bachelor of science in nursing (ABSN) program enables students with a bachelor‘s degree to transition into registered nursing practice at an accelerated pace. These programs provide a vital pathway for aspiring nurses, allowing them to help meet pressing healthcare workforce needs.

As Baby Boomers age and ACCESS to healthcare increases, experts project strong growth in nursing jobs nationwide. However, many regions are already experiencing nursing shortages impacting hospital capacity and patient outcomes.

In Ohio specifically, registered nursing jobs are projected to grow 7% from 2020 to 2030 – faster than the 4% national average for all occupations. The Akron metro region can expect to see RN job openings increase by over 20% in the coming years.

To help fill Ohio‘s rising nurse staffing needs and ensure continued quality care delivery, ABSN programs continue expanding capacity. Meanwhile, nursing education leaders advocate for reforms improving clinical placement coordination between universities amid site shortages.

This article profiles the top 20 ABSN programs in Akron and surrounding areas best positioned to graduate qualified nurses who can help fill growing regional demand.

## Ohio‘s Growing Nursing Shortage Creating Urgent Need for ABSNs

With over 270,000 employed registered nurses, Ohio has America‘s 7th largest nursing workforce. However, analysis shows the state needs nearly 60,000 additional nurses to avoid shortages by 2030. As the table below displays, the widening gap is expected across settings from hospitals to home health:

| Healthcare Setting | Projected RN Shortage by 2030 |
| --- | --- |
| Hospitals | – 34,700 |
| Physician Offices | – 12,500 |
| Home Health | – 8,100 |
| Outpatient Care Centers | – 3,100 |

_Data Source: Ohio Hospital Association_

Looming retirements among the aging Baby Boomer nursing workforce and exit of perioperative nurses during the pandemic exacerbated shortfalls. By failing to fund additional nursing program slots over the years, the supply of new Ohio nursing graduates proved insufficient to offset exits and expanding care demands.

Overall, Ohio‘s hospitals alone currently experience RN vacancy rates double the national benchmark. A third of the state‘s nursing workforce is expected to retire over the next decade.

Through accelerated training pathways like ABSN programs, students with bachelor‘s degrees in other fields can transition more swiftly into registered nursing in as little as 12-24 months. Expanding ABSN program capacity and support services in strategic markets like Akron can help develop qualified graduates who can promptly fill regional nurse staffing needs.

## Top ABSN Programs in Akron Helping Supply Future Nurse Workforce

The Akron metro region anticipates strong job growth for RNs and widespread staffing gaps similar to statewide trends in the coming years. The table below profiles the top-rated ABSN degree programs in Akron, OH and surrounding areas reviewed in this article:

| # | Institution | Location | Program Length | Tuition | Avg. Clinical Hours |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | Ursuline College | Pepper Pike | 12-16 months | $$ | 660 |
| 2 | Kent State University | Kent | 15 months | $$ | 630 |
| 3 | Malone University | Canton | 15 months | $$ | 650 |
| 4 | Notre Dame College | South Euclid | 12-16 months | $$$ | 650 |
| 5 | University of Mount Union | Alliance | 15 months | $$$ | 700+ |

*Tuition prices defined as: $ = <$20K, $$ = $20-30K, $$$ = >$30K

These 5 leading ABSN programs were selected based on various rankings and student outcome metrics like graduation rates, NCLEX pass rates, and job placement success. Located within commuting distance from downtown Akron, each ABSN option provides the clinical immersion and accelerated timeline for bachelor‘s degree holders to transition swiftly into registered nursing.

The featured programs produce graduates equipped to fill RN roles across diverse Akron healthcare employers seeking nurses. Whether ABSN students train alongside future physicians at Cleveland Clinic Akron General Hospital or serve rural Appalachian community health clinics, they gain exposure to various care settings.

As nurse staffing shortfalls compound regionally over the next decade, ABSN-accelerated graduates can help curb Akron‘s growing RN deficit to keep area hospitals running and maintain community access to essential services.

## National Enrollment Trends Show Growing Popularity of ABSN Programs

While research shows ABSN programs were relatively rare nationwide prior to 2000, over 250 accelerated nursing degree options now exist across the U.S. Enrollment data indicates these programs are surging in popularity among aspiring nurses holding bachelor‘s degrees in other subjects:

- From 2006 to 2018, total ABSN program enrollment tripled nationally to nearly 23,000 students
- By 2018, over 22% of all U.S. nursing graduates were completing ABSN programs rather than traditional tracks
- From 2015 to 2020 alone, the number of available ABSN program seats grew 32%

Several factors are driving more nurse education shifting into ABSN programs, including increased encouragement from employers to pursue BSN-level training and the appeal of an accelerated option for bachelor‘s degree holders seeking a career change.

Additionally, data shows demand from male and minority nursing degree applicants choosing ABSN programs is significantly higher compared to traditional BSN programs. With the U.S. population diversifying rapidly, developing a more diverse skilled nursing workforce through ABSN training helps align staff patient demographics.

However, nursing schools report ABSN student demand continues outpacing their physical training capacity and clinical placement availability. Though year-round study options allow multiple graduating cohorts annually, simulation lab resources, hospital unit space for trainees, and qualified nurse preceptors remain limited.

## Reforms Needed to Unlock Additional ABSN Program Capacity

While adding more ABSN program seats can help states like Ohio cultivate graduates to fill expanding nurse staffing gaps, training capacity barriers exist. Though the average student-to-faculty ratio in ABSN tracks remains a manageable 11:1, nursing education leaders cite clinical placement coordination issues between competing nursing programs as a key limitation.

With over 35 nursing schools in Northeast Ohio alone relying on a finite number of local hospitals and clinics for studentrotations annually, administrative hassles securing trainee placements abound. Though some partnerships between major health systems and universities aim to simplify the onboarding process, significant coordination inefficiencies persist. Centralized clinical placement platforms could eliminate the time-intensive contract negotiations nursing schools currently endure independently.

State nursing boards nationwide also impose strict 1:1 trainee-to-preceptor supervision requirements in patient care settings that cap placement availability. Adjusting certain regulations to allow one experienced preceptor to simultaneously oversee a small group of ABSN students could increase site capacity. However, stakeholders caution patient safety must remain the top priority when expanding supervised practice models.

Advocates also urge policy reforms enabling nursing license portability between states to provide workforce flexibility and clinical rotation access for out-of-state ABSN students in underserved border regions. Wider endorsement of interstate nursing compacts allowing license transferability could alleviate clinical space shortages in high-demand border cities like Ohio‘s Akron metro region.

While ABSN programs are primed to supply graduates helping fill Ohio‘s looming nurse staffing deficit, leaders warn clinical and licensing barriers must be addressed to continue expanding crucially needed pipeline capacity.

## Conclusion

With RN job openings in Ohio projected to outpace nursing graduate supply over the next decade, accelerated BSN programs offer a high-demand pathway for aspiring nurses to promptly fill growing workforce gaps. The 20 accredited ABSN degree options profiled in Akron and surrounding cities provide an accessible solution for bachelor‘s degree holders in the region to transition swiftly into registered nursing practice through a rigorous yet accelerated training curriculum.

As these innovative ABSN programs continue boosting enrollment and diversity among trainees, thoughtful expansion of clinical placement and licensing coordination models remain vital to fully unlock the pipeline‘s capacity to help curb Ohio‘s worsening nursing shortage in the years ahead.

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Source: [The Top 20 ABSN Programs Addressing Akron‘s Growing Nursing Shortage in 2026](https://33rdsquare.com/the-top-20-absn-programs-addressing-akrons-growing-nursing-shortage/)