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Key takeaways:
- Chamberlain University is opening a new campus in Nashville, welcoming its first Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) class on Jan. 4, 2027.
- The Nashville campus offers a 3-year BSN program, one of the region's streamlined nursing pathways.
- Students build nursing skills in a dedicated skills lab and complete clinical rotations with regional health system partners.
- Chamberlain’s curriculum is designed to prepare graduates for the NCLEX-RN®, administered independently through the state board of nursing.
- Beyond the BSN, Chamberlain offers a continuum of nursing programs—including Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) and Doctor of Nursing Practice options—for students who want to keep growing their career skills.
Nursing shortages remain one of the most persistent challenges facing healthcare nationwide, and Tennessee is no exception.¹ Chamberlain University is stepping in with a new answer: a campus in Nashville, opening this fall.
Starting Jan. 4, 2027, the Nashville campus will welcome its first Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) class into one of the region’s entry-level BSN programs. The Nashville campus is located at 2222 Rosa L Parks Blvd., Suite 200, Nashville, TN 37228, putting it within easy reach of downtown and the surrounding metro area.
Whether you’re already working in healthcare and looking to become a nurse, considering a career change, or a recent high school or community college graduate weighing your options, here’s a closer look at what the program—and the campus—looks like.
Why Nashville, Why Now?
Tennessee, like much of the country, is facing a growing need for nurses, a need that’s especially apparent in fast-growing areas like Nashville.2 For prospective students, that demand is part of the draw: nurses who graduate into a market that needs them tend to have real options for where and how they start their nursing career.
If you’ve been comparing schools for nursing, weighing best nursing programs, or researching top nursing schools in Middle Tennessee, Chamberlain’s new Nashville campus adds a locally accessible option among the region’s nursing schools—one built on more than 135 years of experience in nursing education.
What Are the Requirements to Become a Nurse?
Becoming a nurse is a journey that starts with choosing the right nursing program. Chamberlain’s approach to nursing education rests on three things: a clear path, real-world experiences, and real support.
If you’ve been researching how to become a nurse via a BSN pathway, the steps typically include enrolling in an accredited BSN degree program, completing required coursework, and finishing clinical training. From there, graduates prepare for the NCLEX-RN®—the licensing exam administered independently through their state board of nursing—as part of the process to obtain licensure as a registered nurse.3
How Long Does It Take to Become a Nurse?
Chamberlain’s Nashville campus offers a clear, 3-year BSN program path—one of the region's accelerated nursing programs. Chamberlain’s program is purposefully designed with sequenced coursework and hands-on training, guiding students toward graduation and preparation to seek licensure as a registered nurse. For students searching for 3-year BSN programs, the new Nashville campus adds a local option in Middle Tennessee.
Getting In: Admission and the HESI Admission Assessment
Prospective nursing students typically complete the HESI Admission Assessment (HESI A2), a standardized exam used to evaluate academic readiness in areas like reading comprehension, vocabulary, biology, and anatomy and physiology before entering a nursing program.
Beyond the HESI A2, Chamberlain’s admission process also considers a candidate’s prior coursework, cumulative GPA, and proof of high school graduation or equivalent, with no application fee required to apply. Students who have taken the ACT, SAT, or TEAS within the past five years may be able to use those scores in place of the HESI A2.
What Is Hybrid Learning in Nursing?
In nursing education, a hybrid learning model typically blends online coursework with in-person skills labs and clinical training, giving nursing students flexibility for lecture-based content while preserving hands-on practice where it matters most.
The hybrid learning benefits often cited in nursing education literature include the ability to balance coursework with in-person clinical experiences, employment, and other personal responsibilities.4
Real Skills, Real Practice
Hands-on training happens in a high-tech SIMCARE™ Center, which functions as the campus’s nursing skills lab, where students build nursing skills using realistic patient simulators before ever entering a clinical setting.
From there, students complete nursing clinical experiences at health system partner locations across the region, gaining clinical nursing training alongside working nurses, so graduates enter the workforce with real, hands-on experience.
Education Built for Where Healthcare Is Headed
Chamberlain is preparing students not just for nursing as it exists today, but for where the field is heading, and increasingly, that means artificial intelligence (AI).
Through Chamberlain’s partnership with Google Cloud, students can earn an AI for Nursing Professionals certificate, designed to help them understand the AI-assisted tools they may encounter in clinical settings and the ability to think critically about the information those tools provide.
A Trusted Path Toward Licensure
Chamberlain University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). The Nashville campus holds all necessary state-level approvals through the Tennessee Board of Nursing.
Chamberlain's baccalaureate nursing program, master's nursing program, Doctor of Nursing Practice program (DNP degree), and post-graduate APRN certificate programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). For the most current information, visit chamberlain.edu/accreditation.
The curriculum is designed to academically prepare graduates for the NCLEX-RN®, the licensing exam used by state boards of nursing as part of the RN licensure process. Graduates who pass the exam and meet state requirements may go on to obtain licensure as registered nurses,³ opening the door to pursue nursing jobs across hospitals, clinics, and community health settings in Tennessee and beyond.
Ready When You Are
Applications for the Nashville campus are open now, with classes beginning Jan. 4, 2027. And if you’re already thinking beyond your first nursing degree, Chamberlain also offers master's, doctoral, and certificate programs for when you’re ready to keep growing as a healthcare professional. If you’re ready to take the next step, visit chamberlain.edu/nashville to learn more.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to become a nurse in a 3-year BSN program?
Most students complete Chamberlain’s 3-year BSN program in about three years, though exact pacing can vary by transfer credit and course load. An Enrollment Representative can map out a schedule based on your academic background, availability and goals.
What are the requirements for Chamberlain’s BSN program?
Requirements can vary by program path, but generally include prerequisite coursework and the HESI Admission Assessment (HESI A2). The most accurate, up-to-date answer comes from an Enrollment Representative, who can walk through requirements, transcripts, and timing. There’s no application fee to get started.
What are the steps to become a nurse after enrolling at Chamberlain?
After enrolling, students generally move through prerequisite and core coursework, hands-on training in the nursing skills lab, and nursing clinical experiences at regional health system partner locations. Chamberlain's program is designed to prepare students for the NCLEX-RN® exam, which graduates take through their state board of nursing as part of the process to obtain licensure as a registered nurse. The exam is administered independently of Chamberlain.
If I start with a BSN, can I keep going with Chamberlain later?
Yes. Chamberlain's BSN degree is a first step in a suite of nursing programs—including RN to BSN and RN to MSN pathways, a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) with nurse practitioner specializations, and a Doctor of Nursing Practice program. Most of these paths are available online, so you can keep building your nursing skills after Nashville without switching institutions.
How is the Nashville campus different from Chamberlain's other locations?
The program structure, accreditation, and Chamberlain Care® philosophy are consistent across Chamberlain’s campuses. What’s specific to Nashville is the location itself and the fact that it’s the university’s newest physical presence, launching Jan. 4, 2027.
Chamberlain University, an HLC-accredited institution, offers bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral, and certificate programs in nursing and healthcare professions. With a growing network of campuses and robust online programs, Chamberlain continues to build on more than 135 years of excellence in preparing extraordinary healthcare professionals.
Sources:
3nursejournal.org/registered-nursing/how-to-become-a-rn/
4www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S875572232500153X
By Chamberlain University
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