People often change college majors, professions even. If you're one of them and you're considering becoming a registered nurse – or if you're a registered nurse who recognizes entry-level trends in nursing and you want an advanced education – there are an array of nursing programs that might serve your needs and goals. Some are known as accelerated nursing programs.
Accelerated nursing programs are available at undergraduate and graduate degree levels. Some programs are available to registered nurses who have already earned associate degrees in nursing or obtained nursing diplomas from hospital schools. Other programs are tailored to individuals who have earned degrees other than nursing. In general, accelerated nursing programs take less time to complete than their more traditional counterparts do.
According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, accelerated nursing programs also have increased over the past 15 years. Where 31 such accelerated programs in nursing existed in 1990, there are now 230 of them, the association reports. At the master's level, accelerated generic master's grew from 12 in 1990 to a current 33, according to the association. Accelerated nursing programs at the bachelor's degree level typically are designed for degree-holding students and take 12 to 18 months to complete. Students participating in these intense, full-time programs typically go without breaks between sessions, the association reports. At the graduate degree level, accelerated nursing programs might be more generic, geared to non-nursing graduates and comprising three years of study, with bachelor's level nursing courses typically provided during the first year and two years of graduate study following.
These programs come at a time when the Tri-Council for Nursing reports that urgent needs exist in occupations such as Advanced Practice Registered Nurses and nurse educators and when the Council is encouraging registered nurses to recognize entry level employment trends and advance their education and their careers. While some contend that a nursing shortage has eased in many parts of the country, the Bureau of Labor Statistics notes that there also are employers who have reported difficulties attracting and retaining registered nurses because of a lack of young workers who can fill positions within an aging workforce. Qualified program applicants are being turned away as a result of a faculty shortage, according to the Labor Bureau, which also anticipates that employment growth for registered nurses between 2008 and 2018 is to be much faster than the average for all occupations. Nursing employment prospects, according to the Labor Bureau, are to be particularly good for registered nurses with bachelor's degrees and those with advanced practice specialties.
In accelerated programs offered for nursing, non-nursing bachelor's degree-holders typically don't take liberal arts courses, according to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. Connecticut-based Quinnipiac University offers an accelerated program for students who hold bachelor's degrees in other disciplines that focus only on nursing courses, its School of Nursing website shows. Quinnipiac's full-time, fast track program allows non-nursing bachelor's degree holders to earn a bachelor's in nursing in 12 months.
Creighton University in Nebraska and Vanderbilt University in Tennessee also offer full-time, one-year accelerated nursing programs for students with bachelor's degrees in other disciplines. Vanderbilt University offers students with a nursing background the ability to work toward an advanced degree in a relatively brief time period. Vanderbilt's School of Nursing utilizes a wide array of technologies and touts that its programs, flexible in format, allow students to “learn where they live.” Through arrangements with colleges and universities throughout the country, Vanderbilt also allows students pursuing liberal arts degrees to study at the same time toward a masters in nursing.
Regis University in Colorado also offers flexible programming where bachelor's and masters degree programs in nursing offer campus and online course options. Regis also offers a full-time, 12-month accelerated bachelor's degree program in nursing for those with bachelor's degrees in other disciplines, offers students who work in healthcare settings the opportunity to participate in a CHOICE (Connecting Health Occupations with Innovative Curriculum and Experience) bachelor of science in nursing program during evenings and weekends.
Innovative distance learning college programs such as these provide students a wide variety of options to suit their needs and goals. With accelerated programs from nursing universities, professionals might be more inclined to move into nursing careers or work toward advancing their existing careers. They might also find it easier to complete nursing programs in instances where those programs take less time to complete.
