The ABSN program's emphasis on clinical judgment and rapid assessment directly aligns with what emergency department teams need from a newly graduated nurse. Emergency department nurses work without the benefit of a scheduled patient load. Cases arrive without warning, severity varies widely, and the margin for error is minimal. Level I trauma centers in Chicago, such as Stroger Hospital and Northwestern Memorial, attract nurses who can handle a pediatric case and a cardiac event within the same hour. This role is ideal for graduates who perform well under pressure and seek variety on each shift.

Most recent graduates enter intensive care after completing a structured residency program offered by major healthcare systems, based on BSN-level training. Intensive care (ICU) nurses care for patients with the most complex conditions in any hospital: those on mechanical ventilation, receiving continuous infusions, or requiring postoperative monitoring, all of which require constant reassessment. The ABSN intensive care program provides the pharmacology and systems knowledge required in this environment. Nurses in this role quickly develop extensive clinical experience, and many use it as a foundation for subsequent advanced practice certifications.

Not all nursing careers take place in hospitals. Community health nurses work in clinics, schools, public health departments, and neighborhood health centers, often serving populations with limited access to traditional healthcare. For St. Augustine College graduates, this pathway connects directly to the communities SAC has served for over 40 years. The Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) provides the public health foundation this role requires, including health education, care coordination, and a holistic, population-based perspective. Chicago’s network of federally accredited community health centers actively seeks bilingual nurses capable of working in diverse cultural and linguistic environments.

Flight nurses provide critical care in transport, on helicopters or fixed-wing aircraft, moving patients between facilities or from accident scenes to trauma centers. It is one of the more specialized nursing roles and typically requires several years of ICU or emergency experience before certification. The ABSN's clinical rigor and critical care coursework build the foundation. For nurses who want to work in high-acuity, high-autonomy environments, this represents one of the field's most demanding and distinctive career paths.

Case managers work at the intersection of clinical care and care coordination, helping patients navigate treatment plans, insurance requirements, and post-discharge services. The role is less procedural than bedside nursing and more focused on communication, systems knowledge, and advocacy. BSN-prepared nurses are preferred for case management positions, and demand is growing as health systems prioritize reducing readmissions and more effectively managing chronic disease populations. For graduates interested in the business and logistics of healthcare delivery alongside patient contact, this is a natural fit.

Labor and delivery nurses accompany patients during one of the most important moments of their lives, performing fetal monitoring, assisting in vaginal deliveries and cesarean sections, and coordinating postpartum care. This specialty requires both technical precision and the ability to communicate clearly with patients, who often cope with fear in addition to the physical demands. Chicago's large hospital networks have strong obstetrics units and are constantly hiring staff. For Spanish-speaking graduates of SAC's bilingual program, this specialty has added value: bilingual labor and delivery nurses are in high demand at Chicago's community hospitals and community health centers.

Medical-surgical nursing is where most recent nursing graduates begin their careers. You'll work with a wide range of adult patients, managing conditions from postoperative recovery to complications of chronic illnesses, developing assessment and prioritization skills applicable across all specialties. Chicago's top health systems: Northwestern, Rush, UI Health, constantly recruit graduates from CCNE-accredited programs like this one. This role builds clinical confidence quickly. Most nurses in this setting care for multiple patients per shift, coordinating with physicians, pharmacists, and case managers throughout the day. It's demanding work, but it prepares you for what's to come.

For more than 40 years SAC has provided nursing graduates to Chicago and its surrounding suburban hospitals and primary care facilities. As a result, our extensive network of healthcare partners provides students in this Chicago-based health program with a variety of learning experiences in the in-patient and community settings placing our students where vulnerable patients and populations are located, tackling real world healthcare issues.

From professional organizations to mentor programs, becoming a nurse starts with on-campus opportunities to be enriched in a community that can provide you with crucial resources aiding you during and after you graduate from St. Augustine College. Sigma Theta Tau, Student Nurse Association, MEN (Men Entering Nursing)