Associate Degree in Nursing: Accelerated ADN Option
What You Will Learn
The Accelerated ADN Option is designed for students who are strong academically, can attend school full-time (approximately 34-37 hours a week), and have completed all general education requirements. Through this program, you can complete your associate in nursing degree in as little as 14-15 months. In addition to the rigorous class schedule, students will need to dedicate 10-15 hours per week to study. Working while being a student in this program is not advised.
Now is the time to pursue a career in healthcare. To get started, enroll at the college, then complete a program application using the instructions on this page. Program applications are currently being accepted by email only. Admissions Specialists are available to help you by phone or by email.
Nursing is the largest healthcare occupation in the U.S., and Central Piedmont’s nursing program is the oldest of its kind in the state of North Carolina. Therefore, when you choose to enroll in our nursing program, you decide to learn at an institution that has built a reputation for producing quality healthcare practitioners for more than 50 years.
The Associate Degree in nursing curriculum will provide you with the knowledge, skills, and strategies to:
- integrate safety and quality into nursing care
- practice in a dynamic environment
- meet an individual's needs to positively impact their health, enhance their quality of life, and help them achieve their full potential
Our coursework includes and builds upon the domains of healthcare, nursing practice, and the holistic individual. Content emphasizes the nurse as a member of the interdisciplinary team, providing safe, individualized care while employing evidence-based practice, quality improvement, and informatics. Upon completion of the program, you will:
- assume accountability for personal and professional behaviors that demonstrate the nursing standard of moral, ethical, and legal conduct.
- function effectively within nursing and inter-professional teams, fostering open communication, mutual respect, and shared decision-making to achieve quality client care.
- provide compassionate and coordinated care while respecting the client's preferences, values, and needs. Recognizing the client or designee as the full source of control and partner in all care decisions.
- demonstrate critical thinking and interactive decision-making while assessing, identifying, analyzing and prioritizing client concerns and needs.
- integrate best current evidence with clinical expertise and client/family preferences and values for delivery of optimal health care.
Graduates are also eligible to apply to take the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN), which is required for practice as a Registered Nurse. Employment opportunities are vast within the global healthcare system and may include positions within acute, chronic, extended, industrial, and community healthcare facilities.
Why Choose Central Piedmont
Central Piedmont's nursing program is the oldest nursing program in the N.C. Community College System and has graduated more than 3,000 students since its inception in 1965. Our program has withstood the test of time because it has remained committed to the college’s mission – to provide a quality, affordable, and accessible education to all. During our more than 50 years at the college, our program has evolved and grown to meet the needs of today’s healthcare industry leaders and college student population. As a Central Piedmont nursing student, you will:
- enjoy a flexible learning environment, including online courses in general education
- learn from quality faculty who bring decades of experience into the classroom
- benefit from our affordability, our two-year degree program is a fraction of the cost of other area nursing programs
- learn in classrooms featuring state-of-the-art technology
- participate in clinical training at a variety of sites around Charlotte and the Carolinas, providing excellent exposure to potential employers
In addition, our nursing program is approved by the NC Board of Nursing and is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN), a mark of distinction certifying that the program adheres to the highest national standards of education.
You will also have the opportunity to participate in the Association of Nursing Students.
Real World Education
At Central Piedmont, your education goes beyond what you learn in class. We offer numerous opportunities for you to enhance your learning — and to make friends, network, and pursue your passions — through clubs and organizations, sports, events and activities, leadership opportunities, job experience, volunteer experiences, visual and performing arts, and even international experiences.