Have you heard of accelerated nursing programs?
By 2012 the US Department of Labor estimates the county will need more than one million new and replacement Registered Nurses . So many nursing schools across the country are trying to find ways in which they can increase school capacity and reach new student populations. One such way is accelerated nursing programs which provide accelerated nursing programs for non-nursing graduates. These nursing schools offer a Baccalaureate and Master’s Degree programs which build on you prior learning experiences. Thus they provide a means for those individuals who have an undergraduate degrees in other fields of expertise to transfer into accelerated nursing programs.
Such accelerated programs give the student the quickest route to gain a license as a Registered Nurse for those who have already completed a Bachelor’s degree in some other field. Such programs take between 11 to 18 months to finish and include various prerequisites, While a fast track master’s degree program will generally take the students about 3 years to finish.
At present such accelerated nursing programs are available in 43 states across the US and also in the District of Columbia and Guam. By the middle of 2006 there were 173 accelerated bachelor degree programs and 46 accelerated master’s degree programs to be found at nursing schools across the US. Further more as of July 2006 there around 40 accelerated bachelor degree programs being developed as well as 17 accelerated master’s programs.
So what exactly is accelerated nursing education?
These programs accomplish the training required in a short time since they build on your previous learning experiences. The instruction provided on these programs is often intense as the courses are offered to students full time with no breaks between sessions. But the students on these programs get the same number of hours as those of their counterparts who are using traditional nursing schools.
Admission standards for these programs are high and they will typically require the student to have a minimum of 3.0 GPA, and the student will usually have to go through a screening process. But those who are accepted for these programs are encouraged NOT to also try and hold down a job, as the rigors that are associated with this intense training will make it hard for them to be able to complete the degree requirements.
The nursing schools which provide accelerated nursing programs are specifically geared to those individuals who have already shown their ability to succeed at a college. Many students who have already finished either a bachelor’s degree, or are graduate degree students tend to be attracted to fast track programs as they are the logical next step in their education training and a successful nursing career.
- Debbie North