Research Confirms Hybrid BSN Programs Deliver Excellence: Nashville, TN BSN Outlook

by Imed Bouchrika, PhD

Co-Founder and Chief Data Scientist

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Are you deciding if you would like to pursue a hybrid or online nursing degree? If you are balancing childcare logistics, working full time or perhaps live in a remote area, hybrid programs likely offer the flexibility you need. 

This article seeks to answer an important question: Will I miss out on quality if I choose a hybrid or online nursing degree?

The short answer, backed by years of research: No, you will not.

Well-designed hybrid programs can match the outcomes of traditional programs. In these programs you may also develop technology and learning skills well-suited to today's healthcare environment. In this article, we walk through some of the research on hybrid nursing program outcomes to help you decide whether they are right for you. 

What Are Hybrid Nursing Programs?

If you’re trying to qualify for licensure as a registered nurse (RN) for the first time, there’s no such thing as a fully online nursing degree program. Prelicensure nursing degree programs won’t be 100% online because there are hands-on clinical requirements. Instead programs are hybrid (or blended). Those hybrid programs combine:

• Online lectures and coursework that you will complete either on your own schedule (asynchronous) or in scheduled live classes. 
• Labs that will be held on-campus as well as simulation sessions.
• Clinical rotations which are conducted at healthcare facilities that are local to you.
• Exam scheduling which is often flexible and may be offered online or on-campus.

Hybrid programs are different from fully online programs, including many online nursing degree programs, which are only available for post-licensure students. These fully online programs are only aimed at licensed, practicing nurses. This contrasts with Traditional programs, which describe nursing programs where you are on campus for nearly everything.

Common hybrid formats:

Hybrid Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) programs: These are programs that generally take four years to complete and offer online theory plus on-campus labs/clinicals.

Accelerated BSN programs: These programs are offered for career changers who hold a bachelor’s degree in another field. They typically take 12–18 months to complete depending on your academic background.

BSN bridge programs: These programs are designed for licensed practical nurses (LPNs), emergency medical technicians, respiratory therapists, and other healthcare professionals with an associate degree or diploma who are looking to make the switch to nursing. Again, timing will vary but they generally take two to three years to complete.

The Research Confirms: Hybrid Programs Are Rigorous and Effective

For students considering a hybrid approach, there is important evidence that these programs are great options. We will walk through the findings from multiple studies from 2020 to 2025, which led to the same conclusion: a well-designed hybrid program will prepare you for nursing licensure just as well as a traditional one.

Study #1: Knowledge Outcomes (Abusabeib, 2025)

A 2025 study published in Advances in Medical Education and Practice looked at how students taking a clinical nutrition elective in a bachelor’s-level nursing program fared in traditional vs. blended learning.

The results show that students:

• Scored highly on knowledge assessments
• Demonstrated excellent performance on continuous assessments throughout the semester
• Achieved high final exam scores
• Reported high student satisfaction

In addition, students specifically reported that having structured online resources helped them prepare effectively for in-person activities and exams. 

Study #2: Broader Evidence Across Programs (Li et al., 2025)

Nurse Education in Practice published an umbrella review, essentially a study of studies, which looked at blended learning across nursing and medical education worldwide.

The study found that blended learning programs had positive or neutral effects on knowledge, skills, and attitudes. The study also found that: 

• attitudes toward learning were improved,
• there were strong gains in self-directed learning capabilities,
• collaborative knowledge building was enhanced,
• and technology integration skills were naturally developed.

This wasn’t the only study that saw results like this. A large 2020 meta-analysis published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research, by Vallée et al. (2020), looked across health professions education broadly and found the same thing: blended learning holds up to traditional instruction on knowledge outcomes.

The Bottom Line on Quality

When you look at the evidence from all of these studies you are left with an important takeaway. If you graduate from a well-designed hybrid program, you are likely to be as clinically competent as someone who graduated from a traditional program.

The program design is what impacts quality and not the delivery format. Both traditional and hybrid programs can be excellent and both can also be poorly delivered.

Skills that Hybrid Programs Build Along the Way

Every nursing program builds skills beyond the clinical basics. How you build them depends on the environment you learn in. Here's what that looks like in a hybrid format.

1. Digital Fluency for Careers that Feature Telehealth

Telehealth is already seen as a standard aspect of practice for many healthcare providers. One forecast predicted that 25–30% of medical visits in the United States would be conducted virtually by the end of 2026. (ScienceSoft) 

In these telehealth environments, nurses are monitoring patients remotely and they are coordinating care across digital platforms every day. Nursing programs prepare you for this telehealth work in different ways. 

Traditional programs may allow students to practice telehealth consultation skills in sim labs. Hybrid programs can offer early exposure to telehealth practices indirectly. Hybrid programs will ask you to work across both online platforms and in-person settings. You will be using online learning tools, preparing independently for your labs, and managing communication in several different formats. The 2025 study by Abusabeib explains that the way hybrid programs have technology built into their structure helps students build comfort with digital care tools.

What this means for your career: While both traditional and hybrid-format nursing programs emphasize digital skills, the additional exposure to and practice with digital tools and technologies offered in a hybrid-format program may help some students feel more prepared for telehealth.

2. Self-Directed Learning Capabilities

Nursing never lets you stop learning. There are new protocols, changing guidelines and unfamiliar cases, all are just part of the job. Every good nursing program, regardless of the format, should strengthen your ability to keep up with this shifting environment.

A 2023 study by Sae-Sia and colleagues published in BMC Nursing, found that blended program formats improved students' ability to self-manage. The thinking is that in a hybrid program, you are managing your own schedule, preparing independently for in-person work, and keeping on top of your responsibilities across different settings and contexts.

Why does this matter? Sometimes people are concerned that self-management could be a hindrance in flexible programs. Not every learner has had prior opportunities to develop independent study skills. However, the research shows that well-designed hybrid programs cultivate these skills as part of the learning experience. Once you have managed multiple priorities throughout your education, doing the same throughout your career is familiar, and not a new challenge.

The skills that you develop in your program may include:

• organizing your study schedule around work and life commitments,
• taking initiative to make sure you are prepared for your in-person sessions,
• seeking resources when you need deeper understanding of principles,
• and managing your time across multiple formats and demands.

Knowing how to manage your own learning is a skill you will use your entire career especially in a field that changes as fast as healthcare. A hybrid program will give you plenty of practice doing exactly that.

Who Should Consider a Hybrid Program?

Not everyone will thrive in a hybrid program. There are students who genuinely benefit from having the on-campus structure and daily in-person interaction that traditional programs provide. However, there are some groups that are particularly well-served by the hybrid approach. If you recognize yourself in any of these groups, hybrid formats might be worth a look:

Career changers: As we previously mentioned, accelerated BSN programs are designed for career changers. These programs let graduates of another bachelor’s program transfer their general education credits. Students will then complete bachelor's-level nursing classes in as few as 12-18 months depending on academic background. In these programs, the hybrid delivery allows for coursework efficiency while still providing critical hands-on clinical training.

Parents and caregivers: The more flexible schedule that hybrid programs provide is a major advantage for balancing family responsibilities with nursing school. With some of the coursework online caregivers will also reduce the time and expense spent commuting to campus.

Rural resident: For students that don’t live near a nursing school, hybrid-format education can help them pursue the education they’re looking for. Again, online study reduces commuting time and costs. And clinical rotations can be completed at local healthcare facilities. 

Working RNs advancing to BSN: Most RN-to-BSN programs will be fully online. This is because these students have already demonstrated clinical competency. However, there are some which have in-person requirements. Either way, these programs can help students keep working while they earn the credential that many employers now prefer or require.

Hybrid Nursing Programs in Nashville & Tennessee

It’s important to also look at the context of the local job market when researching nursing schools in Nashville or exploring online nursing programs in Tennessee.

The Nashville Healthcare Market

Nashville could be considered one of the country's most important healthcare hubs. According to the Nashville Health Care Council, the city is home to more than 900 healthcare companies providing 550,000 jobs to the region. One of Nashville’s major employers includes HCA Healthcare. HCA Healthcare is a global company that operates 190 hospitals and 2,400 other care facilities. 

Tennessee needs nurses. Data from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) shows that as of the end of 2025, the state had only 85% of the registered nurses it needed. Long-term projections from the HRSA show that this gap between supply and demand will remain through at least 2037.

What does this mean for you? If you are earning your BSN in Tennessee right now, you are entering a market that needs you. 

Schools that are offering flexible nursing programs in the Nashville area can help meet that need. Local nurses can use online or hybrid-format study to complete their BSN without uprooting their lives. These programs can mean that students don’t need to relocate or leave a job that’s already contributing to the community to attend a program. 

Tennessee nursing schools like South College are working to provide nursing program options the state’s diverse student population wants. There are multiple program pathways offered by South College through its Nashville campus and they also provide online options designed for working nurses. These programs include:

• Traditional and Hybrid-format BSN programs
• Accelerated BSN programs for graduates of a non-nursing bachelor’s program (both traditional on-ground and hybrid-format)
• LPN-to-BSN bridge programs

South College’s hybrid and accelerated nursing pathways feature online didactic coursework which is combined with required on-campus labs, testing, and clinical training. This approach mirrors the research-backed structure that is documented in the studies we have looked at throughout this article.

How to Choose a Quality Program

As you might imagine, not all hybrid programs are created equally. The 2025 umbrella review found variations in how well programs teach and also in how well students learn.

What Do Research-Backed Programs Look Like?

A quality hybrid program doesn’t just arbitrarily upload half of their classes onto a website. The online and in-person pieces should be designed to work together and this means that:

• online modules are designed to prepare students for hands-on lab work,
• discussion boards are utilized to facilitate peer learning and case analysis,
• digital resources are provided that supplement clinical experiences,
• assessment strategies include both online and in-person formats,
• and technology supports and does not replace faculty-student relationships.

The programs at South College follow these practices. The South College Bachelor of Science in Nursing program is offered in a hybrid format for pre-licensure students or in a fully online format for RNs who want to complete a BSN. The program is approved by the Tennessee Board of Nursing and programmatically accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) which is a mark of its instructional quality.

Hybrid Program Features to Look For

As you research hybrid programs there are some features to look for and also some red flags that you will want to avoid.

Make sure that the programs you are looking for have:

• CCNE or ACEN programmatic accreditation (this is non-negotiable),
• strong NCLEX pass rates (you will want to see that at least 80% of students passing on the first attempt over the last 3 years),
• transparent program completion and post-graduation employment rates, 
• evidence that there is intentional curriculum design that integrates online and in-person components,
• robust student support systems (examples include advising, tutoring, and tech support),
• there should be quality clinical coordination in your geographic area,
• cost information (including all fees) that is transparent,
• and finally, the program should have strong relationships with local healthcare employers.

Be cautious if the program you are looking for has any of these red flags:

• online components that feel like afterthoughts,
• limited tech support or unclear expectations,
• minimal support services for distance learners,
• and poorly coordinated clinical placements.

Take a moment to consider your learning style and be honest with yourself about how you learn best. Do you typically do well when you set your own pace? Do you thrive with accountability that comes with being in a classroom regularly? Are you comfortable with technology? Can you stay on track even when your schedule isn't structured for you? 

There's no right or wrong answer, this is about finding what works for you and finding an option that sets you up for success.

The Reassuring Truth

We have presented five years of research that points to the same conclusion: if you choose a well-designed hybrid program, you can graduate ready both clinically and professionally.

If your life requires flexibility, for work, family, distance or some other variable, choosing a hybrid program isn't settling. It's a well-researched path to the same destination.

The question isn't whether hybrid programs are "good enough" because the evidence shows that they provide great preparation. The question is whether hybrid or traditional learning environments will help you to thrive.

References

Abusabeib, Z. (2025). Blended learning in bachelor's nursing education. Advances in Medical Education and Practice, 16, 1197–1207. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12256046/ 

Batsishcha, G. (2025). The future of telemedicine: Regulatory support and technological advances to drive 25–30% of U.S. medical visits by 2026. ScienceSoft Healthcare. https://www.scnsoft.com/healthcare/future-of-telemedicine-adoption 

Li, M., Hong, Y., & Wu, A. (2025). The effectiveness of blended learning in nursing and medical education: An umbrella review. Nurse Education in Practice, 86, 104421. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nepr.2025.104421 

McGee, M. (2025). A crisis by the numbers: Nursing shortages in 2025 by state. Vivian Health. https://www.vivian.com/community/industry-trends/nursing-shortage-by-state/ 

Sae-Sia, W., Lertmaharit, S., Kamchai, S., Suwannakeeree, P., Thunlomchit, T., Pimpanit, C., Prasomchat, C., & Boonsiri, Y. (2023). Effect of blended self-directed learning on nursing students' self-directed learning readiness and learning outcomes. BMC Nursing, 22(1), 343. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37727408/ 

South College. (n.d.). Bachelor of Science in Nursing (Hybrid/Online). Retrieved January 20, 2026, from https://www.south.edu/program/bachelor-of-science-in-nursing-hybrid-online-option/

Vallée, A., Blacher, J., Cariou, A., & Sorbets, E. (2020). Blended learning compared to traditional learning in medical education: Systematic review and meta-analyses. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 22(8), e16504. https://doi.org/10.2196/16504