Accepted to Miami Accelerated worried about only 12 months long?

labrador4122, RN · Apr 23, 2010

YES!

I have a couple of my co-workers who completed the program successfully!

As a matter of fact, when I first started working as an RN my preceptor was a graduate from UM's accelerated program, she was very good. Only an RN for a year and a half, and she was awesome!!

She said she did not work through the program and just lived on loans. She was supposed to be a dentist, but she said she could not pass the test. she was a foreign grad of a dentistry program. so she said she needed a job right away, so she ended up at UM for the year, and wishes she could of done it sooner.

but a lot of people do it and are successful.

cacurlytop · Apr 23, 2010

Thanks..do you mind asking your co workers if they felt properly trained since the clinicals are limited within those 3 semesters? They could handle the intensity of the course work and feel like they learned it? The dental student may have had more science background then most, making it easier for her. I am going straight from a 4 year BA in another field, and have a 20 month option at another small university in another state. need to decide next week?? Thanks

labrador4122, RN · Apr 24, 2010

Thanks..do you mind asking your co workers if they felt properly trained since the clinicals are limited within those 3 semesters? They could handle the intensity of the course work and feel like they learned it? The dental student may have had more science background then most, making it easier for her. I am going straight from a 4 year BA in another field, and have a 20 month option at another small university in another state. need to decide next week?? Thanks

My co-worker said that the program was intense, that she was in school the entire week, but the UM staff was very supportive into getting the loans set up for her. She didn't have any other jobs besides go to school, so that helped her find the time to study and do the homework and presentations. She said that UM cared about what the students thought about instructors so one got fired for being mean to students. About clinical's she said that some teachers let the clinical group leave early so they can study for tests. And I asked her if she could do it all over again she said she would, because she finished pretty fast.

I think that if you are just going to be a student nurse you will do well, but if you have to work, then the 20month option would be best for you.

A lot of my co-workers went to UM for their BSN degrees. UM is a really good school, hey even my manager did the accelerated program at UM, and before that she was a teacher. Soon after her BSN she did her masters at UM as well.

llg, PhD, RN · Apr 24, 2010

Passing the NCLEX is only 1 aspect of success (as you probably realize). Most graduates of accelerated programs need to recognize the difference between "cramming information into their brains" and the processes of "digesting" it so that you can practice at a level of a "mature" professional nurse. A lot of the "digestion" time will happen after graduation as you begin working and have to think and process the material you crammed into your brain while in school.

That's true of all new grads to some extent. But it is particularly true of many accelarated program grads. That's not necessarily a reason to avoid an accelerated program -- but it is something you need to be prepared for if you choose to go that route.