Called to Care: ELM Program Offers Accelerated Path to Nursing Career

September 16, 2025 | Category Nursing | Written By Nathan Foster

APU nursing students look at data with their instructor

While some students know exactly what they want to do for their career when they pick a major in college, many are still figuring it out and may choose a different field after graduating with their bachelor’s degree. For those who have earned their bachelor’s and are interested in pursuing a new path toward a rewarding career in healthcare, Azusa Pacific University offers the Entry Level Master’s in Nursing (ELM) program. “Our program is unique,” said instructor Christine Joy Phongdara, MSN, WHNP, RN, ELM program director at the Inland Empire Regional Campus. “It gives students a second chance to pursue their dream.” Students enter the ELM program at one of the three entry points in spring, summer, and fall. They will earn their Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree in 18 months, followed by becoming a Registered Nurse (RN) after passing their NCLEX exams. Next, students will pursue a master’s degree in an advanced practice (APRN) speciality of their choice while working full-time as a nurse and gaining invaluable real world experience.

Accelerated Pre-licensure and Self Paced Post-Licensure Coursework

APU’s ELM program was intentionally designed with accelerated coursework on the pre-licensure side of the program, allowing students to earn a BSN degree, which normally takes four years to complete, in just 18 months. Most ELM programs at other universities do not award a bachelor’s degree, only a master’s which takes at least three years to earn. “At APU, you’re getting two degrees for the price of one admission,” Phongdara said.

After earning their BSN, students take the NCLEX exam, allowing them to become RNs and begin working. Unlike other ELM programs, APU students work in a variety of clinical settings while they pursue the post-licensure (master’s) side of the program. Not only does this make finishing their degree more affordable since they can work and earn a paycheck while going to school, it also allows them to explore several fields of nursing to decide on their advanced practice speciality. “I tell my students to find where the Lord wants you to be and be content with that first before He opens the next door for you,” said professor Shanyce Moore, MSN, MN, RN. “They may want to work in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) or Emergency Department (ED), but after working there for several months, find out that it’s not a fit for them. It may be that psych or pediatrics is a better fit. I want them to find that out and become a good advocate for their patients before they escalate into a nurse practitioner (NP) role.” Because APU’s program offers students flexibility to take their time working in the field before deciding an advanced practice speciality to pursue, they can finish the post-licensure side of the program at their own pace.

Unlike most universities ELM programs, which award a generic MSN degree, APU offers several advanced practice specialities for students to choose from for their master’s. These include:

“Other programs give you the MSN degree, but earning a specialization is a separate program with additional costs and more years of education. At APU, having a specialization built in allows you to seamlessly and quickly advance in your practice in whichever area you choose,” said Meghan Ellis, PsyD, MSN, RN, PHN, associate professor and ELM department chair. “Our pathway brings more advanced practice nurses into the workforce to address the national nursing shortage.”

Coursework Aligned with Clinicals and Excellent Clinical Partnerships

ELM faculty intentionally designed coursework which teaches theory that aligns with practice in skills labs followed by clinical rotations. “Our clinical faculty know the skills students are learning each week and intentionally seek out patients where they can use those skills with them,” said assistant professor Beverly Kelley, MS, RN, CNS, CCRN. “It’s amazing to see them have lightbulb moments in class as they connect what they’re doing in their clinicals to what they’re learning in class.”

To help students get this critical clinical experience, APU has formed partnerships with dozens of hospitals and community health networks across Southern California. Because of the established partnerships and the close relationships APU faculty have with the nurse preceptors, ELM students are able to experience a variety of types of nursing. During his pre-licensure program, Leonard Ko ’25 did clinical rotations at five health networks in San Diego, gaining hands-on experience in many areas. “I was in the ICU, the NICU, the neuro ICU, the operating room, the pediatric operating room, the oncology ward, the hematology ward, a med surg unit, a post op unit, a post acute unit, a rehab unit, a nursing home, hospice care, home health care, and worked in community health,” Ko said. “Our faculty taught us how to advocate for ourselves and that gave us chances to experience all these types of nursing.” Dedicated ELM students like Ko have bolstered APU’s reputation among hospitals for producing great nurses. “We consistently hear feedback from our health care partners that our students are very well prepared,” Kelley said. “They love how compassionate our students are, and how they build relationships with patients and meet their needs.”

Cohort and Faculty Support Your Success

Nursing school is not an easy task, ask any nurse. However, the challenging coursework and clinical experiences are made not only manageable, but entirely worth it at APU because of the ELM program’s cohort model and supportive faculty. With three cohorts of 25 students running simultaneously at APU’s Monrovia, Inland Empire, and San Diego regional campuses, students quickly form bonds with each other. “They’re their own little support group. Nobody understands the rigor of an ELM program except somebody in it. You have to find your people,” Kelley said. “Every cohort is unique. You have 22-year-olds who just graduated alongside 40-year-old parents who have experienced much more of life. That shared life experience is beautiful to watch as they learn from each other. God puts the right people together.” Cohorts form study groups and text chains where they can share resources and help each other with coursework and challenges they face in their clinical work settings. “Having support from my cohort has been a game changer,” said Josh Yee ’23, ’25. “We lean on each other in times of need. It truly feels like family in knowing I can trust them when I need help academically, socially, and spiritually.”

Faculty also play a pivotal role in helping students succeed in the program. APU’s faculty genuinely care about each student and not only know them by name, but know when they need support.

We build rapport with our students from day one. Our students know that they can come to us anytime for help and guidance. It doesn’t end when they finish our class. We’re there for them throughout the program.

Shanyce Moore, MSN, MN, RN

APU’s programs are intentionally designed to help students succeed. “If we accept you into the program, it’s because we believe you can be a successful nurse. We get to know your strengths and the areas where you need improvement,” Kelley said. Faculty help students overcome challenges by spending time with them one-on-one to help them practice and perfect their skills. “I can’t expect a student to come into the classroom, learn something new, and be proficient at it by the end of the day. I may have to show it to them several times to help them get where they need to be, able to perform the skill competently,” Ellis said. Commitment doesn’t end in the classroom. “Our faculty knew our clinical preceptors and intentionally paired us up with them to practice skills on patients,” Ko said. “It was remarkable to see how faculty could see two steps ahead of us, and had as big of aspirations for us as we did for ourselves.”

Faith Integration

As an essential component of APU’s Christian identity, all courses require faith integration. While some fields of study have complex ties with faith, nursing provides a natural connection. “We treat patients from a holistic perspective, focusing on healing not only physically and mentally, but also spiritually,” Ellis said. “Our patients are at the most vulnerable points in their life, whether they’re recovering from surgeries or learning how to cope with a terminal illness diagnosis. Nurses have the opportunity to use prayer and show God’s love in moments with patients in a time where they need hope and faith above all else.” Faculty teach students how to be the hands of Christ during these times.

In classes, students do devotionals and talk about various situations from faith-based perspectives. From a student’s perspective, Yee appreciated these discussions, especially in his spiritual formation, holistic care, and bioethics classes. “We talked about why we chose to go into nursing. It’s not about a paycheck. Nursing is a calling grounded in faith and serving,” Yee said. “Those fundamentals of service, of us putting ourselves in the space of our patients to care for them as Christ would, have equipped us to know why we’re here.”

Transformed for Impact

After 18 months of classes and clinical rotations, ELM students come to APU’s main campus for the nursing pinning ceremony. When they cross the stage, it marks the end of one part of the program, and the beginning of their next journey. “I don’t feel like the same person as when I started the program,” Yee said. “Fundamentally, I’m still me, but as a nurse, I’ve experienced a world of transformation, one where I now know how to truly be present with patients in ways that change their experience in the hospital.”

ELM graduates are ready to make an impact. Some will work at the same hospitals where they did their clinicals, while others will travel across the world to provide health care in the areas that need it most. They’ve made it through the program together, and are now ready to serve others. “Every time we talk about what gets us through the hard work of being a nurse, it always comes back to our families and our communities at home,” Ko said. “We never forget who we’re doing this for. We’re becoming nurses to help them. We want to leave a mark as nurses not for ourselves, but for others.”