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By the year 2012 the US Department of Labor estimates the county will need more than one million 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 nursing 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 of expertise to transfer into accelerated nursing programs.

Such accelerated programs give the student the simplest route to a license as a Registered Nurse for those who have already completed a Bachelor's or Graduate's degree in a non nursing discipline. Such programs take between 11 to 18 months to finish and include prerequisites, While an accelerated master's degree program will generally take the students around 3 years to finish.

At present such accelerated nursing programs are available in most states across the US and also in the District of Columbia and Guam. By July 2006 there were 173 accelerated bachelor degree programs and 46 accelerated master's degree programs at nursing schools all across the US. Further more as of July 2006 there were another 40 accelerated bachelor programs in the planning stage as well as 17 new accelerated master's programs.

What will accelerated nursing program do for me?

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

Admission standards for these programs are high and they will usually require the student to have a minimum of 3.0 GPA, and the student will usually also have to go through a thorough screening process. But those who eventually 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 difficult for them to complete the all degree requirements.

The nursing schools which provide these accelerated nursing programs are specifically designed for those individuals who have already proven their ability to succeed at a college. Most students who have already finished 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 training and a successful nursing career.