First of all, what is an "Accelerated Nursing Program?" This can often be confusing, so we should take a minute to clarify, since this can mean different things in different places.
Generally speaking, an "Accelerated Nursing Program" means a twelve to eighteen month program, whereby you are fast-tracked through nursing school and end up with a BSN. As you can imagine, this type of program is usually only open to people who already have a B.S. (Bachelor of Science) degree in something else, as many of the credits transfer. If you have a degree in something like Liberal Arts or Humanities, you are probably going to have to take "prerequisite" type courses like math or science, either at a community college or at the school where you're trying to get into the accelerated nursing program. This type of program can also be called "Second Degree BSN," by the way.
DiscoverNursing.com has these programs in their "Program Search" database, which you can search by clicking here, as does AllNursingSchools.com (they also have some more info on this type of degree).
So, while great in theory, Accelerated Nursing Programs are not always so great in terms of finances. For one, these programs are intensive, beyond full time, so you're not going to have a chance to work to support yourself while you're getting this degree. Since these programs are specialized and offered by colleges and universities (and not at community colleges), they're often more costly than students bargain for as well. While you can make student loans work (and then hopefully get the hospital that hires you to pay these back later), you're still looking at a large chunk of change while you're essentially unemployed and back in school for a year or more. Some career-changers can make this work, and others feel frustrated all over again, like they decided to make a big shift in their lives to "follow their dream," and are now being penalized.
One way around this is to take whatever degree you have and enroll in the Associate's Degree in Nursing at your local community college. Yes, you will essentially getting an Associate's Degree, which you already have as part of your Bachelor's degree. However, the cost will be exponentially cheaper, the schedule more flexible, and you'll end up with the same licensure (R.N.). And, chances are once you get a job, your hospital is going to offer tuition assistance with one of the many (many) RN to BSN programs out there, so you'll end up with a BSN anyway (you'll need this if you want to become a nurse practitioner, nurse educator, or pursue any of the other advanced degrees). So, you'll get that BSN eventually, only this way you won't have to go thousands of dollars in debt before you even have a job. Just a thought.
For more on paying for nursing school, get the Free Money for Nursing School eBook!
