Are accelerated nursing school programs something you should consider?
By 2012 the U.S. Department of Labor is projecting the county will need more than 1,000,000 new and replacement Registered Nurses . So many nursing schools around the country are trying to find ways in which they can increase school capacity and reach more new student populations. One such way is by the use of fast track nursing schools which provide nursing programs for non-nursing graduates. These schools offer a Baccalaureate and Master's Degree programs which build on you prior learning experiences. They provide a means for those individuals who have undergraduate degrees in some other fields of expertise to transfer into nursing programs.
Accelerated nursing programs give the student the quickest route to a license as a Registered Nurse for those who have already completed a Bachelor's or Graduate'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. By the middle of 2006 there were 173 accelerated bachelor degree programs and just under 50 accelerated master's degree programs to be found at nursing schools all across the country. Further more as of July 2006 there were another 40 accelerated bachelor degree programs in the planning stage as well as 17 new accelerated master's programs.
So what exactly is accelerated nursing education?
These programs accomplish the required training in a very short time since they build on your previous learning experiences. The instruction provided on these programs is 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 credit hours as those of their counterparts who are using traditional nursing schools.
Admission standards are high and they will usually require the student to have a minimum of 3.0 GPA, and the student usually will also have to go through a thorough screening process. But those who are accepted for these programs are encouraged NOT to also try and hold down a job, as the pressures that are associated with this intense training will make it difficult for them to be able to complete the all degree requirements.
The nursing schools which provide these accelerated programs are specifically designed for those individuals who have already shown their ability to succeed at a college. Most 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 logical next step in their education and a successful nursing career.
Published March 6th, 2007
Filed in Career
