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By the year 2012 the US Department of Labor projects the county will need more than 1,000,000 new and replacement Registered Nurses . As a result many nursing schools around the country are exploring ways in which they can increase school capacity and reach new students. One way is by the use of fast track nursing schools which provide accelerated nursing programs for non-nursing graduates. These schools offer both a Baccalaureate and Master's Degree programs which build on previous learning experiences. They provide a means for those individuals who have an undergraduate degrees in other fields to transfer into accelerated nursing programs.

Accelerated nursing programs offer the student the simplest route to gain a license as a Registered Nurse (RN) 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 various prerequisites, While an accelerated master's degree program will usually take the students 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 July 2006 there were almost 200 accelerated baccalaureate programs and just under 50 accelerated master's degree programs at nursing schools across the country. Further more as of July 2006 there around 40 accelerated baccalaureate programs being developed as well as 17 accelerated master's programs.

What are accelerated nursing programs about?

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

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 have to go through a thorough screening process. But those who eventually are accepted are encouraged NOT to also try and hold down a full time job, as the pressures that are associated with this intense training will make it difficult for them to be able to complete the degree requirements.

The nursing schools which provide accelerated programs are specifically geared to those individuals who have already shown their ability to succeed at a college. Many 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.