Callie Fowler chose Concordia University, St. Paul’s ABSN program in Portland to launch her second career in nursing. With online coursework, hands-on labs, clinical learning, admissions support and a strong cohort community, CSP helped her build on her previous degree and move toward a meaningful healthcare career.
Changing careers takes courage, especially when the next step requires returning to school. For Callie Fowler, that decision came after years of working in the nonprofit sector and reflecting on what she wanted from her professional life. This led her to consider a second career in nursing.
After the pandemic, Callie began thinking more seriously about doing work that felt personal, meaningful, and directly connected to helping others.
“I really wanted to do something that mattered,” she says. “I wanted to go to work and do something that really felt like I was going to make a difference in the lives of other people.”
That desire eventually led her to Concordia University, St. Paul’s Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program in Portland, Oregon. CSP Global’s ABSN program is designed for students with at least 54 non-nursing college credits, including prerequisites and general education coursework. It allows eligible students to earn a BSN in as few as 16 months.
For Callie, the program offered the right combination of speed, support, flexibility, and hands-on preparation.
Finding a Calling in Healthcare
Callie did not jump into nursing school without first exploring the field. Before enrolling in CSP Global’s ABSN program, she worked as a certified nursing assistant (CNA). That experience gave her firsthand exposure to patient care and helped confirm that nursing was the right path.
“I started working as a CNA as a way to kind of explore the healthcare space,” Callie says. “It just kind of sealed the deal for me that nursing was going to be the thing that I wanted to do.”
For many career changers, this kind of experience can be clarifying. Working in healthcare, even in an entry-level or support role, can show prospective nursing students what it means to care for patients, collaborate with a clinical team, and respond to people during vulnerable moments.
Callie’s CNA role helped her move from interest to commitment. It showed her that nursing could offer the kind of purpose she was looking for.
That sense of purpose also connects with the broader demand for registered nurses. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects registered nurse employment to grow by 5% from 2024 to 2034, translating to about 166,100 added jobs. For people considering a second career in nursing, that demand can make the transition feel both meaningful and practical.
It takes a special person to be a nurse. Learn what qualities you need.
Why Choose CSP Global’s ABSN Program?
Once Callie decided to pursue nursing, she needed a program that matched her background and goals. She already had a degree, so she wanted a direct path to nursing that recognized her previous education and helped her move forward efficiently.
Callie says, “I chose CSP because of the accelerated track. I already had a degree, so I didn’t need that traditional college experience because it was a second career.”
That accelerated program format was central to her decision.
“I was also looking for something that was going to be fast-paced and help me get to that next stage of my career,” she says.
CSP Global’s ABSN program spans four semesters and follows a blended learning model that includes three main components:
- Online coursework covers nursing concepts and can be completed on the student’s schedule, as long as they meet deadlines.
- In-person skills labs provide a safe space for students to practice skills, like IV insertion and wound care, on human-patient simulators.
- Clinical learning experiences enable students to provide care to actual patients in local healthcare facilities.
This structure is built for students who are ready to commit to nursing school full-time while using previous college credits to accelerate their path toward a BSN.
For students like Callie, the question is not simply “Why nursing?” It is also “Why choose CSP?” Her answer came down to several program features that made the transition more accessible.
A Portland ABSN Location for Oregon Students
Callie attended CSP Global’s ABSN program in Portland, Oregon, a location that played an important role in her experience.
The Portland location gives students in Oregon and the surrounding region access to CSP Global’s accelerated nursing pathway without needing to move to Minnesota.
That mattered to Callie, who lived within commuting distance of the Portland area. She needed a program that allowed her to complete much of the academic work online while still receiving hands-on training in person.
“I live an hour away from the Portland area,” Callie says. “Being able to take my didactic courses online was a huge piece of the puzzle for me.”
For career changers, commuters, and students balancing personal responsibilities, the blend of online and in-person learning can be important. It provides flexibility while preserving the clinical preparation that nursing education requires.
A Low-Stress Admissions Experience
Applying to nursing school can feel overwhelming, especially for second-career students returning to academics after time in the workforce. Callie found CSP Global’s admissions process supportive and manageable.
She says she “worked really closely with the admissions team” during the application process and describes it as “probably one of the most low-stress application processes” she had seen while applying to nursing school.
That support is built into CSP Global’s admissions approach. Applicants are assigned a dedicated counselor who helps them through the pre-enrollment process, keeps them on track with materials and deadlines, and assists in determining which start date is the best fit.
For prospective students, that guidance can be especially valuable when navigating prerequisites, transfer credits, application timelines, and program expectations. A dedicated admissions counselor can help students understand what they need to complete before enrollment and how to prepare for the pace of an accelerated BSN program.
Nursing school includes hands-on training. Find out how clinicals work.
Support from Faculty and Clinical Instructors
Callie’s experience at CSP Global was also shaped by the people who taught and supported her. She points to professors, lab faculty, simulation instructors, and clinical instructors as important parts of her success.
“The professors have also been absolutely wonderful,” she says. “The lab faculty, simulation, and our clinical instructors are again all really just there to make sure that we’re succeeding.”
That kind of support matters in an accelerated nursing program and is especially important for career changers. Students entering nursing from nonprofit work, business, education, service industries, or other fields may bring strong communication and leadership skills, but they still need structured clinical preparation. The combination of online coursework, lab practice, simulation, and clinical learning helps students build from foundational knowledge toward hands-on competence.
Building Community in an Accelerated Program
Accelerated programs move quickly, and Callie acknowledges that 16 months can feel fast. Even so, one of the most meaningful parts of her CSP Global experience was the community she found within her cohort.
“My cohort’s been amazing,” she says. “I’ve met some really good friends through the program. … People who I’m going to keep in touch with after the program.”
For prospective nursing students, this is an important reminder. Nursing school is academically demanding, but students do not go through it alone. A cohort model can create a shared experience among classmates working through the same courses, labs, clinical expectations, and milestones.
Callie says, “Sixteen months can feel really fast. But you really do make connections that are really worthwhile and are going to last through the program and through your nursing career.”
That sense of connection can help students persist through the challenges of an accelerated format. In a field built on teamwork, those relationships can be formative.
Preparing for Nursing in Portland and Beyond
The Portland metro area offers a strong environment for nursing education and career preparation. Portland’s healthcare landscape includes a metro population of more than 3.2 million people and 11 major hospitals, including Adventist Health, Legacy Health, and Kaiser Permanente.
Students at the Portland site complete in-person clinical experiences designed to help them build the skills and confidence to transition into nursing roles in the Portland area and beyond.
For students considering a second career in nursing, CSP Global’s ABSN program offers a path that is accelerated, structured, and grounded in both academic learning and hands-on preparation.
Is CSP Global’s ABSN Program Right for You?
CSP Global’s ABSN program is designed for students with prior college experience who are ready to commit to a full-time, accelerated nursing education. With ABSN learning sites in Portland, Oregon, and St. Paul, Minnesota, the program combines online coursework, in-person skills labs, and clinical learning experiences.
For Callie, the Portland location, online didactic coursework, accelerated timeline, admissions support and strong faculty all helped make CSP Global the right choice.
If you are ready to pursue nursing and want an accelerated path to a BSN, CSP Global’s ABSN program in Portland could help you take the next step.
Request more information and connect with an admissions counselor.