Are accelerated programs fair?

Nurses General Nursing

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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?

Specializes in Critical Care.

Just to add in. I'm in an accelerated pgm. If you are late to cinical you get 2 pts take off your raw clinical score (the GPA you get for the class, so if you would have gotten a 3.0, you get a 2.8). If you miss over 2 clinicals you fail that clinical class. You do a semester's work in 8 weeks usually, with clinicals, which are at all times (days, sat, sun, nights, christmas eve (yes even then)). You don't stop for vacations and holidays just mean they add on another day on the end of make the days longer to make up for it. For my first peds test I have to read and study 700 pages in 2 weeks. Yeah, totally unfair!

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If you are late to cinical you get 2 pts take off your raw clinical score (the GPA you get for the class, so if you would have gotten a 3.0, you get a 2.8). If you miss over 2 clinicals you fail that clinical class.

In my BSN program we were also failed if more than 2 clinicals were missed. And missing any was severely looked upon. I don't remember what the consequences of missing one was or what the consequences were for being late to clinical because it almost never happened. I'm sure it directly impacted our grades and that's why it rarely ever happened. There were always a few students repeating a year because for whatever reason they missed two clinicals in a term. I'll grant that we did have holidays off!

Outside of the opportunity for summer clinical work or finishing up extra non-nursing coursework, I'm sure most of my classmates would've been more than happy to take classes through summer and graduate sooner. Personally, though I know I'd like at least a week or two breather here and there between terms! Heck, I would've liked to have had clinical without the pressure of the nursing core courses. To have had time to review and process the clinical experience instead of having to squeeze it in between reading endless chapters of nursing textbooks, writing 10 page care plans/case studies, and studying for those frustrating NCLEX style tests.

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Specializes in Emergency Room.
In my BSN program we were also failed if more than 2 clinicals were missed. And missing any was severely looked upon. I don't remember what the consequences of missing one was or what the consequences were for being late to clinical because it almost never happened. I'm sure it directly impacted our grades and that's why it rarely ever happened. There were always a few students repeating a year because for whatever reason they missed two clinicals in a term. I'll grant that we did have holidays off!

Outside of the opportunity for summer clinical work or finishing up extra non-nursing coursework, I'm sure most of my classmates would've been more than happy to take classes through summer and graduate sooner. Personally, though I know I'd like at least a week or two breather here and there between terms! Heck, I would've liked to have had clinical without the pressure of the nursing core courses. To have had time to review and process the clinical experience instead of having to squeeze it in between reading endless chapters of nursing textbooks, writing 10 page care plans/case studies, and studying for those frustrating NCLEX style tests.

I agree. I would have liked to have gone in the summers in order to finish sooner or spread out the load more. Our nursing school said they could not get approval from the university to pay instructors to teach in the summers. I dont know if that is true for other BS programs as well. And yes it does seem like some programs have it easier. I was just thinking today that some RN to BSN students are not necessairly getting equilivant education for equilivant BS degrees. Life's not fair, but dont expect people to not notice (and point it out).

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I don't want to sound huffy but as an accelerated student I had to wait 10 months after acceptance to start my training. 12/15/07 is my pinning ceremony!

AWW Congrats!! I am in an accelerated LPN program and I am here to tell you it is one of the hardest things I have EVER done! THe first 14 weeks are pure evil but I am doing this to make a better life for my children and I. I do not have the luxury of time. As a single Mom of 3 I simply can't afford the time for the longer program. I assure you no one gets an easy deal. We have to be exceptional just to get in to the accelerated programs. I just keep telling myself it ill be worth it in the end. For now my kids are trying to be helpful and they are proud of their mom and that helps. The first few days we so difficult I cried many times. I had to leave my 4 year old for the first time in his life but we have grown from the experience. SO to all in the accelerated programs out there, my hat is off to you.

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Specializes in urology, pediatrics, med-surg.

OP, I'm sorry that you've not gotten the understanding from everyone that you'd hoped for, but I do get what you're saying. I'm in a 12 month accelerated 2nd degree BSN program right now and we have a girl in our class that switched from the traditional BSN program to our accelerated program for the very reasons you have. This is the first time the accel program has been offered in this university, so when it was first announced she had the same feelings of jealousy and "I don't want to wait" that you're having. She completed her 1st year of nursing school in May then tossed it away to begin with us in August. But when we begin our 3rd semester on Oct 15, she will be into new material already.

Our program has 68 credit hours in the program. You really can't compare class for class with the traditional program as several have been redesigned, either combined with something else, or split into other classes. However, they believe that the final knowledge of the two programs will be comparable. I don't really agree with all those that talk about how some can handle it better than others....that's true I'm sure but I don't think it really makes the difference in who applies to what. I think it's more about which of us are more impatient than others!

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Specializes in being a Credible Source.

I suppose you really need to define the word "fair" in order to have this discussion. According to Miriam-Webster (http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/fair), Fair = "a : marked by impartiality and honesty : free from self-interest, prejudice, or favoritism b (1) : conforming with the established rules : ALLOWED (2) : consonant with merit or importance : DUE c : open to legitimate pursuit, attack, or ridicule "

According to these definitions, accelerated programs are completely fair.

Are all nursing programs the same? Of course not. They have different prerequisites, admission criteria, costs, unit requirements, etc. All of those things are fair, though.

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Specializes in ED, Cardiac-step down, tele, med surg.

All in all, I think the programs are fair, since accelerated programs have to cram so much in and that kind of sucks. It can cause a lot of stress and that part of it I am not looking forward to. If I had the extra time, I'd probably like to go regular time, rather than cramming.

J

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I agree accelerated programs are not fair.

I completed my accelerated BSN in 15 months. Started in May. Completed one Summer I (1 course) in 10 days. Had to read 7 to 10 chapters a night. Had a daily quiz, a conference attendance and a group report on top of it. Started Summer II and Summer III next week. Summer II ( 1 course) ended in 4 weeks. Summer III (Pathophysiology and Pharmacology) lasted 6 weeks. Started Fall next week. Completed Fall & Spring with regular program. Started next yr's Summer I the next week, and so on. Completed the program in Summer III of the yr.

Don't know about not being fair but definitely the hardest thing I've ever done. Not sure it was the right thing to do since my 4.0 dropped to a 3.0 and that's cumulative. Just trying to hang on to the GPA I've got so I can pursue my MSN (acellerated too).

Most accelerated students are anal, obsessive compulsive and competitive otherwise it'd be tough to survive the intensity.. I know I'm just about depleted of brain cells. But then again, many of my classmates are doing just fine

Started my accelerated BSN in early Jan this year, graduating in early Dec... this year. Almost 10 mos of misery and counting down the minutes til graduation.

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Specializes in ED, Cardiac-step down, tele, med surg.
I agree accelerated programs are not fair.

I completed my accelerated BSN in 15 months. Started in May. Completed one Summer I (1 course) in 10 days. Had to read 7 to 10 chapters a night. Had a daily quiz, a conference attendance and a group report on top of it. Started Summer II and Summer III next week. Summer II ( 1 course) ended in 4 weeks. Summer III (Pathophysiology and Pharmacology) lasted 6 weeks. Started Fall next week. Completed Fall & Spring with regular program. Started next yr's Summer I the next week, and so on. Completed the program in Summer III of the yr.

You've got to be pulling our leg a little with accelerated BSN programs (at least I hope anyway). I'm starting one in Nov. that's 12 months long. I've done patho and pharm already so that's supposed cut time out of the program. I'm kind of scared now reading some of the posts.

J

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Specializes in urology, pediatrics, med-surg.

My 12 month program is similar. We did our first "semester" during august interim, Fundies and Essentials, 11 class days with quizes daily and 3 tests. This past Friday we completed our first fall semester of 11 hours and began our second fall semester of 11 more hours yesterday. We will similarly have 2 spring semesters, then go through the summer and graduate on Aug 1. And BTW Patho/Pharm I is in this semester's collection of classes.

I know this is an older thread, but I just have to defend accelerated programs. To say it's not fair because we get done quicker than the traditional program is a bit silly. We're working our tails off, double timing everything and basically neglecting the rest of our lives to accomplish this. I'm the only one in the program with kids, and I'm a single mom with no help in the home. This isn't a cakewalk, but at the same time, it was a choice I made for the benefit of myself and my children. I'm thrilled to be in the accelerated program and will be even more thrilled on Aug 2 when it's all over with!:lol2:

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Specializes in Government.

I graduated from a second degree accelerated BSN program 20+ years ago. I had a full first BS degree PLUS 5 years of pre-reqs in night school while I worked. I think I literally had 200 undergrad credits going in. It might have looked like a 12 months accelerated program but really? It was 10 years of schooling to get to that point.

Self supporting, I couldn't afford to take more than 1 year off. I have no regrets 2 decades later. My program was fabulous.

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Specializes in Accepted...Master's Entry Program, 2008!.

That was my point all along, and another reason I decided not to go the "accelerated" route, because it really isn't. :wink2:

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