By 2012 the US Department of Labor is projecting the county will need more than one million new and replacement Registered Nurses . So many nursing schools around the country are exploring ways in which to increase school capacity and reach new student populations. One way is by the use of fast track nursing schools which provide nursing programs for non-nursing graduates. These nursing schools offer a Baccalaureate and Master's Degree programs which build on you prior learning experiences. They provide a means for those individuals who have an undergraduate degrees in other fields of expertise to transfer into nursing programs.

Accelerated nursing programs offer the student the quickest route to a license as a Registered Nurse (RN) for those who have already completed a Bachelor's or Graduate's degree in some other field. 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 baccalaureate programs and 46 accelerated master's programs to be found at nursing schools across the US. Further more as of July 2006 there around 40 accelerated baccalaureate programs being developed as well as 17 new accelerated master's programs.

What will accelerated nursing program do for me?

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

Admission standards 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 for these programs are encouraged NOT to also try and hold down a full time job, as the rigors that are associated with this intense training will make it hard for them to be able to complete the degree requirements.

The nursing schools which provide these accelerated nursing programs are specifically geared to those individuals who have already proven their ability to succeed at a college. Most students who have already completed 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.