Will an accelerated BSN program prepare me as much as a traditional program?

[Blueskies028]

I currently have a bachelor's degree in pychology and am thinking of applying to an accelerated BSN program. I am almost finished with all of my pre-req's; I still have A&P 2 and organic chemistry left to take. I am wondering if an accelerated 12 month BSN program will prepare me for a career in nursing just as much as a 2 year ADN program or traditional 3 year BSN program would? I am just wondering if it's too much information to cram into 12 months for someone who does not have a background in the medical field. Will I be as qualified/ knowledgeable as other nurses who took a more tradtional route?

Thanks in advance! Any advice is appreciated!

[llg, PhD, RN]

You are asking a great question -- one that more people in the nursing profession should be asking. It is possible to master the basic material and pass the NCLEX to get your RN license through an accelerated program. However, not everyone does well with the accelerated format. Squeezing it all into a condensed period gives the student less time to absorb the material and practice the skills. Sometimes, the passage of time is important in the learning process.

Now, before everybody jumps on me for expressing a negative opinion of accelerated programs ... let me say that I believe they work well for some people. However, I believe the majority of people who have no previous experience with healthcare benefit from a slower program that gives them time to absorb the material and adapt to the nursing/healthcare environment.

We hear and read all the time about nurses not being adequately prepared for the realities of practice and struggling in the first few years of their careers. Maybe some of those problems would be avoided if we lengthened the preparation programs rather than shortened them.

But that doesn't mean that an accelerated program can't work for somebody. You might be one of the people for whom such a program is a good choice -- and maybe not. A lot depends on the quality of the particular program and the characteristics of the particular student.