The two institutions first launched their collaborative Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program in 2023 as a response to the increased need for qualified nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Indiana Institute of Technology and Huntington University are collaborating on a nursing program, the Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Since the collaborative partnership was established in 2023 as a response to the increased need for qualified nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic, the program has been successful and has seen strong enrollment growth.
According to an article on Indiana Institute of Technology's website, Dr. Karl Einolf, the president of Indiana Tech, was quoted as saying of the partnership, “The ABSN partnership with Huntington University demonstrates the good that can happen when two institutions come together to benefit students. It is another positive example of the many ways Indiana Tech is preparing students for lives of significance and worth.”
The collaboration involves Huntington University’s faculty teaching the accelerated 13-month program within nursing classrooms in the Keene Building on the Indiana Tech campus. The hands-on learning portion of the program occurs at Parkview Health facilities in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, 100,000 nurses are estimated to have left the profession, leaving critical openings all across the country. Indiana Tech, Huntington University, Parkview Health, and Questa Foundation came together to launch the collaborative ABSN program as a response and as a means of getting qualified nurses into the workforce quickly.
Huntington University’s Director of Nursing Jodi Eckert said of the program, “Enrollment has steadily increased over time, and we have continued to see strong interest from individuals seeking a second career in nursing or a more accelerated pathway into the profession. Our graduates are not only obtaining positions, but they are succeeding within those roles because they enter practice with strong clinical reasoning skills, a solid professional foundation and the ability to work effectively within healthcare teams. I would encourage prospective students not to underestimate what they are capable of. We have seen students from many different backgrounds enter this program, grow tremendously throughout the process and ultimately become exceptional nurses and leaders within healthcare.”
Eckert added of the growth of the program, “Clinical partnerships have expanded, simulation and learning resources have advanced, and the program has continued to evolve in response to the changing healthcare environment. Most importantly, we have seen the development of a strong community within the program, one that is highly collaborative, supportive, and deeply connected to the mission of preparing compassionate and practice-ready nurses.”
Students who complete the ABSN program will be eligible for the Parkview ABSN Scholars Program, which provides tuition funding, as well as job offers. Currently, 100% of students who graduate from the program are placed in a job, and Eckert notes that approximately 86% of those graduates stay within the Northeast Indiana region.
One student who participated in the accelerated program, Melanie Peters, earned a bachelor degree in biology from Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais, Illinois, before moving to Fort Wayne and looking into traditional nursing programs. She decided to enroll in the ABSN program instead while she works in an emergency department and on a critical transport ambulance.
Peters said, “I had felt stuck trying to decide what I was going to do next once I decided that I wanted to go into nursing after already getting my first degree at a 4-year university. I had originally thought I was going to have to start over with my education, including general education courses, and this program makes it so that I don’t have to totally restart. I knew it was going to be fast paced due to it being an accelerated program. With that being said, the professors continuously show that they want to help us succeed and are very understanding of life circumstances that all the students have. The professors are all very passionate about teaching nursing and providing the best care possible for the patients. I feel that the fast pace of the program will help me do well in critical care because it’s helping me work on my time management and prioritization skills.”
Aspen Hill is a graduate of the program who entered into the ABSN program during its pilot year in 2023. She originally graduated from Ball State University with a bachelor degree in general studies with minors in French and autism spectrum disorders, and spent a couple of years searching for the right career path before entering into the ABSN program.
Hill said, “I am grateful that this program exists. This program gave a seemingly impossible goal a realistic timeline. Although it was not easy by any stretch of the imagination, it was achievable due to having fantastic support. From day one, everyone was present and attentive; they worked so hard to make sure that every voice was heard. We had a roundtable talk the very first day we met as a group. The intimate setting set my mind at ease knowing that the facilitators of this journey aren’t treating me like a statistic, but a person. It is a big commitment, but it is worth every moment. You can expect to put a lot of work in, but you are never alone and every instructor and faculty member wants you to succeed. They are valuable resources and will help you in any way that they can. I would pick this program all over again based on the people alone.”
Parkview Hospital’s chief nursing and healthcare markets executive, Juli Johnson, said, “Indiana Tech’s focus on expanding access to flexible, high-quality education, combined with Huntington University’s strong nursing program, creates a powerful model for preparing future nurses. By providing hands-on clinical experience and mentorship, we can ensure students are ready to deliver high-quality care from day one.”
There are 42 students in the program, with 40 additional students starting with the Fall 2026 semester.
For more information about Indiana Tech, visit the school’s website.