Are accelerated programs fair?

ICRN2008, BSN, RN · Aug 26, 2007

Oh, I didn't think they were cutting corners, but I did notice that they had some extra classes for the traditional program. I wish I would have known about these programs before. I guess I'm just jealous because it is going to take me 4.5 years (2.5 actual nursing) to complete my degree instead of 12-18 months. :)

You have to remember that these accelerated BSN students spent 4 years earning a bachelor's degree in another field. Most also have work and life experience that traditional undergraduate students are lacking. In the end, when you take into account all of the courses that they took during their first degree, these students will wind up with more time in school and more credits than you will upon graduation.

As others have said, state boards of nursing and accreditation agencies do now allow these students to cut corners. They are expected to meet the same requirements as all other prospective nurses.

If you want to add it all up, you could say that it took me 6 years to earn my nursing degree, not 16 months!

prinsessa · Aug 26, 2007

I asked someone who was going into an accelerated program and she said that some of the classes are combined.....so they (some) do take less classes. I don't know if I could do it though. I know nursing school will be hard enough with a family.

llg, PhD, RN · Aug 26, 2007

At every level of education, there are some programs that are of higher qualilty than others. There are some programs that are longer/shorter than others. There are some programs that require more/less clinical hours than others. There are some programs that require more/less academic knowledge than others. There are some programs that require more/less social sciences than others. There are some programs that require more/less physical sciences than others.

Etc. Etc. Etc. I could go on and on.

Each program is different. We all choose the ones we choose for whatever reason makes the most sense to us at the time. Then we have to live with the consequences of our decisions.

The state boards have minimimum standards that all schools must meet in order to have their graduates be eligible to take the NCLEX. They are minimum standards only. Accrediting agencies add other standards. Schools may choose to set their individual standards even higher and/or meet those standards on varying timetables.

As a member of a hospital staff development department who works with nursing schools, nursing students, and new graduates/orientees on a regular basis .... Yes, some of the accelerated students suffer from the compression of their programs and start their first jobs a little less prepared because of it. However, there are also new grads from 4-year programs and ADN programs and Diploma programs who are not well-prepared for one reason or another. We have to take people as we find them.

It would make life a lot easier for those of us who work with new grads if they all came to us with the same strengths and weaknesses ... and with the same knowledge and skills ... but that's not going to happen any time soon.

caro3334 · Aug 26, 2007

Some of you all seem a little defensive, but I appreciate the responses. I will say again, I understand it is an intense program, and that certain standards have to be met.

You can state your opinion with out implying that people are NOT motivated etc, or making other false assumptions about peoople you don't know. Of course I know you have to be motivated, give me a little credit. :uhoh3: For the third time, I was not disputing the quality of the programs. In fact, I don't know what I am disputing, I guess I am just jealous because I didn't know about it before. :lol2:

Michigangirl- In reference to the number of classes, you can look at the two links I posted.

Don't some of you think that I know life is not fair? I think some of you are reading too much into my comments. I guess I am frustrated because I am going into nursing with the sole purpose of becomming a CRNA, and if I would have known I was eligible for a quicker route, I would have taken it.

Thanks llg, you are right, at the time I thought the traditional program was the best option (really I thought it was my only option) so no use of fretting over it now.

NightOwl0624 · Aug 26, 2007

Michigangirl- In reference to the number of classes, you can look at the two links I posted.

I think some people may have gotten defensive because it sounded like you could get an accelerated degree with less credits than you would need for a traditional BSN degree, and most people that go through the accelerated programs already have a degree. I would be upset, too, if someone could get a BSN with only 90 or so credits!

I have never heard of an accelerated program for "traditional first time" students, but it sounds like a great idea. I think I would be upset, too, waiting around summers knowing that you could be working toward getting that degree quicker. I understand your frustration! I guess you should just make the best out of it - maybe use the extra time to get some working experience or volunteer - something that accelerated students would never have the time to do!

By the way, it seems that most everyone is "defensive" of their decisions on what education route they pursue. Don't take it personally, I think you were just misunderstood.

GadgetRN71, ASN, RN · Aug 26, 2007

OP, look at it this way. I also am interested in becoming an APN, but I am a graduate of an ADN program. This means I have one extra step to go before even thinking about getting into a CRNA school. You at least will have that BSN when you are done. I chose my route because I paid for school myself and wanted the option of working as a nurse and having my hospital pay for the rest of my schooling. Different options fit different people.

I don't think people were implying that you were unmotivated. I think anyone trying to get through nursing school has to have ambition. But there are some people who are stronger students than others(not saying you aren't a good student) and can do well in a very fast paced learning environment. I know some of my classmates in my nursing program would not have been able to keep up for various reasons(intelligence, family issues, or had to work full-time) and an accelerated nursing program would have been the wrong fit. I think it would be a wrong fit for me, for instance, because while I have always been a strong student, I need to work right now. I'll take a few classes here and there. Good luck with your program, BTW!

SiennaGreen · Aug 26, 2007

As someone who is swimming through the Nursing School options now, I can say that often times programs look like they may be faster, streamlined, less credits; but when you get down to the details, they all end up looking very similar. The only thing that feels unfair sometimes, is that I think I could get this over faster if I had unlimited funds. The expensive private schools seem to have better options- timing wise- in my particular circumstances. However, I just can't seem to find a way to justify having those loans in the end. (Again, this is in my specific circumstance, and everyone's is different.)

It's true, this world isn't fair and sometimes we come out on top and sometime we don't. In the big scheme, we almost always come out on top :)

RN4NICU, LPN, LVN · Aug 26, 2007

i figured someone would say that, i said the same thing to myself. :)
its not only the "doing it faster" that had me feeling like i was taking the long road. some of the accelerated programs have fewer classes. we all get to the same destination in the end, but as a person having over 100 college credits, i sure wish i would have known about this route before. i always assumed it was for people with degrees, but some of the programs are pretty flexible.
http://www.uu.edu/programs/nursing/bsn/accelerated/acceleratedbsn.pdf
http://www.uu.edu/programs/nursing/bsn/traditional/traditionalbsn.pdf
i know some of the programs are for rns, but i'm referring to programs for first time nursing students. thanks for the responses! :)

including prerequisites, the accelerated program requires a total of 127-129 hours (68-70 hours of prerequisites and 59 hours of the absn program). the traditional bsn program requires 129 hours. looks pretty even to me.

montieICURN · Aug 26, 2007

Did anyone see how many hours are clinical hours? I think that is most important.

mvanz9999, RN · Aug 26, 2007

I hope this question doesn't seem too juvenile or simplistic...
Do you all think accelerated BSN programs are fair? :imbar I'm in a traditional BSN program and was complaining about how long summers were, and how we could have completed a semester of school in that time. Out of curiosity, I did a search for accelerated BSN programs (not all are second degree programs as I previously thought), and I found some as short as 12 months. I'm sure it is an intense 12 months, but for some reason I don't think this is fair. I was looking at a school that had both a traditional and an accelerated BSN program, and the traditional program had extra pre-requisites and extra classes in the actual BSN program. I would post the website, but I don't want this to look like an attack on any particular school. Will someone please tell me why they think this is fair/not fair?

I believe the ones I looked at were perfectly fair. Unfortunately, the aren't so much "accelerrated" as it would have taken me at least 3 years to get all the pre-reqs in.

I will assume you are average college age. If I were you, I would enjoy every possible second of your college career. It is the best time of your life. You've got another 50 years to work, so what is the rush?

I think llg has good advice. I can understand that you regret not knowing about accelerrated programs before. I regret getting my first degree and wasting a number of years pursing other careers that didn't happen. If I knew then what I know now, I would have simply gotten a degree in nursing when I was in college the first time around.

NightOwl0624 · Aug 26, 2007

I think llg has good advice. I can understand that you regret not knowing about accelerrated programs before. I regret getting my first degree and wasting a number of years pursing other careers that didn't happen. If I knew then what I know now, I would have simply gotten a degree in nursing when I was in college the first time around.

Yes... regrets...

If I had any idea about the waiting lists and prerequisites, I would have started a few years ago and could have been done by now. I was shocked when I was "ready" to go and the counselor laughed at me - when all the biology classes are filled up within the first few hours and the waiting lists to get into the program are several years long!

caro3334 · Aug 27, 2007

Well, I am 21 and will soon be 22, so I am getting older. I guess I imagined myself well on my way by now. I wish I was one of those students who knew what they wanted out of life in high school. I am grateful to be in a program, but I will be almost 24 when I graduate.