How Difficult are Accelerated Nursing Programs: Is it Right For Me?

Careers in nursing have become one of the most consistently growing occupations in the country and a great job path for those looking for rewarding and meaningful work. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), this field is anticipated to grow 15% from 2016 to 2026 -- which is much faster than the average projected growth for a given field.

Due to the current and these projected growths, health care professionals have recognized the need to recruit highly trained and well-educated nurses but doing so quickly was once an issue. The answer the industry found was in accelerated nursing programs.

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The Basics of Accelerated Nursing Programs

To get started in most accelerated nursing-specific programs, you will need to have already graduated high school and have taken basic high school-level courses such as biology and chemistry, although requirements can vary. If you've already had a career or two, don't worry, nursing students are made up of all ages and backgrounds. You won't stick out if you're a little older than 18 or have some non-healthcare related experience.

No matter how you're entering the program, be sure you know how it works. Where a traditional college course would typically be taught over a 16-week period. The same course, when taught in an accelerated nursing course, will be compressed and taught in five, eight, or ten-week periods.

The result is a fast pace that means that you could go from enrollment to graduation much faster. This could give students the benefit of being able to enter the workforce with a sought-after degree in a shorter time than they would have had if they completed a traditional college degree program.

3 Signs an Accelerated Nursing Program is the Right Choice

  1. Driven personality. Those applicants with a highly driven personality who enjoy a challenge and like to hit the ground running are likely to thrive in an accelerated nursing program. For example, going through an accelerated program, especially if you plan on working part-time as well during the program, requires sacrifices in time and comfort. But those who are driven, tend to see the rewards at the end of graduation, and are willing to self-sacrifice in the short-term to get started with their new career faster will prosper and appreciate the accelerated style of learning.
  2. Good critical thinking skills. Critical thinking is the ability to seamlessly use logic and reasoning in order to identify problems, the varying solutions to problems, and identifying the strengths and weaknesses of each solution in order to pick the right one for the situation. This skill is necessary for nursing in general as understanding what and how to prioritize and make decisions can quite literally save lives. However, it's also important to have this skill in an accelerated program where courses go fast and knowing how to prioritize coursework, life, and work is key to your success.
  3. Organized and enjoy learning. Due to an accelerated program requiring so much more out of a student in a fast-tracked timeline, it is vital for students to be extremely well organized and adapted to a learning environment in general. Applicants who have relied heavily on 'natural talents' or 'natural smarts' are likely not going to do as well as those applicants who have learned how to study and succeed in classes and areas of study in which they may have previously struggled. This is because the pace of accelerated nursing programs requires a well-organized and studious person who knows how best to manage their time and study in order to succeed in school.

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The primary advantage of accelerated programs is in their acceleration. When you go through this program, you could be out in the world and establishing yourself in your chosen profession in less time as you would as a traditional school program.

Graduates from an accelerated program could likewise use their experience in an accelerated program to demonstrate to future employers their determination and drive -- both key traits healthcare professionals are looking for when they look for a new addition to their organization.

How Difficult are Accelerated Nursing Programs: Is it Right For Me?

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