Bachelor of Science in Nursing

Direct entry means admitted Butler nursing students are automatically enrolled in the Nursing program starting their first year. While competitive, direct entry allows for a straightforward path to a career in nursing. It means no pre-nursing coursework, additional applications, or stress over whether you’ll be admitted. You’ll start day one as a nursing student, benefitting from Butler’s rich history in excellent professional healthcare preparation.

Yes. The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) and the Indiana State Board of Nursing accredited the program in 2024.

The baccalaureate degree in nursing at Butler University is pursuing initial accreditation by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, 655 K Street NW, Suite 750, Washington DC 20001, 202-887-6791. Applying for accreditation does not guarantee that accreditation will be granted.

Class sizes will vary, but nursing courses are typically taught with all of your classmates in the same room. Lab sizes will be dependent on the course, but sciences do not have more than 24 students in a lab and the Nursing skills lab will have no more than eight students to one instructor. Clinicals will have no more than eight students per instructor.

No. Students are encouraged to seek internships or job opportunities at local healthcare facilities during the summer. Students will be eligible for most patient care technician jobs immediately after their first year. Students will get exposure to these job opportunities during the first spring term and will be able to talk with hiring managers during scheduled times on campus.

Not at this time. This is a four-year program with classes offered in a fall/spring format.

Students can choose to study abroad during the summer months or during fall or spring break, but should discuss these opportunities with their advisor.

The BSN curriculum is very rigorous and time consuming and not conducive to a double major. While it’s not impossible to add a minor, we strongly encourage students to evaluate the number of credit hours each term. Students are expected to maintain full-time status throughout the entirety of the program and clinical, labs, and classes in the BSN curriculum should always take priority when scheduling.

Two courses are offered in a hybrid setting during the last term to allow students to focus on NCLEX preparation and their preceptorship. Those classes are NUR 416: Self-Care and Reflective Practice and NUR 420: NCLEX Prep.

Nursing preceptorships are made available by the hospitals. At times, we cannot guarantee that every student will get their number one choice, but we always take your preferences into consideration.

Butler’s location in Indianapolis, the 16th largest city in the US and a major healthcare corridor, means students have many hospital and healthcare systems to choose from. Currently, Butler has established partnerships with American Senior Communities, Ascension St. Vincent, Community Health Network, Eskenazi Health, Franciscan Health, Jane Pauley Community Health Center, Shalom Health Care Center, and Riverview Health.

Yes. Students are allowed to work while in this program, but this may not be manageable for everyone. Students should practice good time management skills and prioritize time appropriately to allow for the successful completion of the Nursing program. Per policy, students should not engage in any work-related activities eight hours before a clinical experience.

Planning for success from day one can help students flourish in the Nursing program. You can consider purchasing the following equipment:

• Planner (either electronic or notebook)
• Stethoscope (any stethoscope will work if it has an adjustable bell and diaphragm)
• Watch with a second hand
• Scrubs (more information about color and style will be included in your advising appointment once admitted)
• Penlight
• Manual Blood Pressure Cuff (not an electronic one)
• Shoes in a solid color (navy, white, or black) and impermeable material (no crocs, open-toed shoes, sandals, mesh, etc.)
• Nursing Clipboard
• Trauma Shears
• Computer with 4 GB of RAM, at least one USB port or adapter, Wi-Fi capability, high speed internet connection, and 250 GB or larger of storage. If purchasing a PC, Windows 10 or higher operating system is required. If purchasing a Mac, OSX 10.13 or higher is required.

Chromebooks/iPads are not recommended as students may experience software incompatibility issues with testing software.