Accelerated Nursing Program GPA?

Hi,

I'm 26 years old and I currently have a Bachelor's degree in Communication Arts (I know, completely unrelated to nursing). However, I feel that nursing is my passion and the career that I would like to pursue. I had one rough year in college due to personal and family issues and it brought my GPA down to a 3.1 from about a 3.5. What are my chances of being accepted into an accelerated nursing program with that GPA? Has anyone here been accepted under similar circumstances? Are there ways to make my application stand out despite the average GPA? I live in the NYC area and would like to attend a school nearby... PACE, Lehman, Concordia, College of Mount Saint Vincent to name a few. I still have to take all of the pre-req's since I only took two science courses while going for my BA in Comm Arts (Ecology and the Environment - B, Intro to Human Biology - C+). Intro to Human Bio was taken during the rough year that I mentioned, I know that I could have done better. I also took one algebra course which was a remedial but I was able to earn an A. I used to be afraid of science and math but I think that I can do well with dedication and lots of studying. Anyway, thanks so much in advance for any advice/recommendations.