By the year 2012 the U.S. Department of Labor is projecting there will be a need for more than one million new and replacement Registered Nurses . As a result many nursing schools across the country are exploring ways in which to increase school capacity and reach more 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. Thus they provide a means for those individuals who have an undergraduate degrees in some other fields to transfer into nursing programs.

Such accelerated programs offer the student the simplest route to gain a license as a Registered Nurse (RN) for those who have 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 a fast track master's degree program will generally take the students about 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 the middle of 2006 there were 173 accelerated baccalaureate programs and 46 accelerated master's programs at nursing schools across the country. And as of July 2006 there around 40 accelerated bachelor degree programs being developed along with 17 accelerated master's programs.

So what is accelerated nursing education?

These programs accomplish the required training in a very short time as they build on 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 get the same number of hours as those of their counterparts who are using traditional nursing schools.

Admission standards for these programs are high and they will typically require the student to have a minimum of 3.0 GPA, and the student usually will also have to go through a thorough screening process. But those who are accepted are encouraged NOT to also try and hold down a full time job, as the pressures that are associated with this intense training will make it difficult for them to complete the degree requirements.

The nursing schools which provide these accelerated nursing programs are specifically designed for those individuals who have already shown their ability to succeed at a college. Most students who have already finished either a bachelor's degree, or are graduate degree students tend to be attracted to these fast track programs as they are the natural next step in their education training and a successful nursing career.