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Sometime around the year 2012 the U.S. Department of Labor estimates the county will need more than one million new and replacement Registered Nurses in the US. As a result many nursing schools across the country are trying to find ways in which to increase school capacity and reach new students. One way is accelerated nursing programs which provide accelerated nursing programs for non-nursing graduates. These schools offer a Baccalaureate and Master's Degree programs which build on you prior learning experiences. Thus they provide a way for those individuals who have undergraduate degrees in other fields of expertise to transfer into accelerated nursing programs.

Accelerated nursing programs offer the student the quickest route to gain a license as a Registered Nurse for those who have already completed a Bachelor'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 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 were another 40 accelerated baccalaureate degree programs being developed along with 17 accelerated master's programs.

What are accelerated nursing programs about?

These programs accomplish the required training in a short time since 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. But the students on these programs get the same number of hours as those of their counterparts who are using traditional nursing programs.

Admission standards are high and they will typically require the student to have a minimum of 3.0 GPA, and the student will usually have to go through a 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 complete the all degree requirements.

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