1 Year Accelerated BSN Programs Online: Are they Worth it?

Nursing is a fast becoming a technology-based profession, thanks to continuous advancement in medical equipment and medicine. With the complex and ever changing healthcare system, nurses must quickly assess situations and avert complications. Accelerated BSN programs could prepare RNs to reach new skill levels in areas like leadership, critical thinking, and communication.

An Accelerated BSN program could be a great advantage for some, but that doesn’t mean the program is right for everyone. An accelerated nursing degree program covers lots of material quickly--if you tend to procrastinate this may not be the right fit for you. Many of the pros are also cons, and it's up to each potential student to determine whether they prefer an accelerated 1 year program or a traditional four-year program.

Accelerated BSN Degree Program Pros & Cons:

• Accelerated Schedule: A fast degree program could help you graduate faster and start looking for work sooner. It will also be challenging and tiring.
  • Are you up for the sprint or would you prefer a marathon?
• Work/School Balance: Working full-time while attending college is a delicate balancing act. On the plus side, you're paying the bills while earning your degree. On the negative side, you're super busy for 12 months.
  • Which is more important to you: the present or the future?
• Online Options + Clinical Rotations: Earning a degree has never been more accessible with online learning platforms like Canvas. But nursing is a hands-on profession which requires clinical rotation experience. While you can complete coursework and take tests online, you will have to report in-person for clinical rotations in order to achieve your nursing goals.
  • Can you make time for both?
• Discipline & Passion: Nursing is the art and science of caring for others. It is a difficult job, with hours spent on your feet. To succeed in this field, you'll have to want it. You'll need the discipline to complete coursework and tune into lectures, as well as a real passion for healing others. A gentle bedside manner doesn't hurt either.
  • Are you dedicated? Is nursing your passion? 

It sounds like a lot, but nursing remains one of the most highly satisfying fields. Most nurses love what they do, and couldn't imagine any doing any other type of work. They say nursing is a calling, so deeply consider whether it is yours. 

Advantages of Accelerated BSN

1. Nursing Opportunities: Most nurses are expected to hold a BSN. Earning this degree could help you score a job as a professional nurse. And since nurses are utilized pretty much everywhere, your education holds value no matter where life takes you. Whether you want to move across the country or stay in your hometown, you could work as a nurse in a hospital, school, private practice, or even on a cruise ship! Wherever there are people, there are nurses. 

2. Graduate Faster: Rather than spend years in school, you could be finished in one. It may be a grueling 12 months, but afterwards you'll have something nobody can take from you: a professional education. A degree is so much more than a piece of paper: it is proof of your knowledge, it is evidence of your dedication, and it is the fulfillment of a promise made to yourself. A degree could not only help you in the job market, it helps with self-confidence. 

3. Graduate with Experience: You've likely heard some recent college grad complain that every job listing requires experience. With an accelerated BSN, you're required to complete clinical rotations. This means that you get hands-on practice as a student. Not many degree programs can boast this benefit. 

Here are some skills you should acquire through your degree program:

• You’ll understand and master the art of communicating with patients, their families, and healthcare providers.
• Hone your clinical reasoning and critical thinking to improve patient outcomes.
• Sharpen leadership skills and concept development required for improving nursing practice, practice management, and patient outcome.
• Learn about advanced technologies and how they can be applied to practice management and patient care.

Additionally, getting a BSN enable you to pursue advanced learning opportunities that can transition you to specialized practice.

Are you interested in taking your nursing knowledge to the next level? If you would like to earn a Bachelor's of Science Degree in Nursing, consider ECPI University for  your education. With an accelerated course of study and online availability, you could graduate sooner and learn what you need for your new role as a BSN. For more information about this degree program, be sure to connect with an admissions counselor today.

It could be the Best Decision You Ever Make!

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For more information about ECPI University or any of our programs click here: http://www.ecpi.edu/ or http://ow.ly/Ca1ya.