Various Articles

By the year 2012 the U.S. Department of Labor is projecting there will be a need for more than 1,000,000 new and replacement Registered Nurses . As a result many nursing schools across the country are trying to find ways in which to increase capacity and reach more new students. One way is by the use of accelerated nursing programs which provide accelerated nursing programs for non-nursing graduates. These schools offer both 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 to transfer into accelerated nursing programs.

Such accelerated programs offer the student the quickest route to a license as a Registered Nurse (RN) for those who have completed a Bachelor's or Graduate's degree in a non nursing discipline. Such programs take between 11 to 18 months to complete and include prerequisites, While a fast track master's degree program will generally take the students about 3 years to complete.

At present such accelerated nursing programs are available in 43 states and also in the District of Columbia. By July 2006 there were 173 accelerated baccalaureate programs and just under 50 accelerated master's programs to be found at nursing schools all across the US. Further more as of July 2006 there around 40 accelerated baccalaureate programs being developed as well as 17 accelerated master's programs.

What are accelerated nursing programs about?

These programs accomplish the training required in a very short time as 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. However the students on these programs will receive the same number of credit hours as those who are using traditional nursing schools.

Admission standards are high and they will usually require that the student has a least a 3.0 GPA, and the student will usually also have to go through a screening process. But those who eventually are accepted are encouraged NOT to also try and hold down a full time job, as the pressures that are associated with this intense training will make it difficult for them to complete the all degree requirements.

The nursing schools which provide these accelerated programs are specifically geared to those individuals who have already proven their ability to succeed at a college or university. Many students who have already completed either a bachelor's degree, or are graduate degree students tend to be attracted to these fast track programs as they are the natural next step in their education and a successful nursing career.