How Long is Nursing School if I Attend an Accelerated Program?
Have you ever considered an exciting career as a nurse? Do you enjoy helping people? Do you possess an exceptional amount of compassion for others? If you answered 'yes' to all of the above, then an exciting career as a nurse may be right for you.
After you have made that decision to pursue nursing, you may be wondering what your options are in terms of schooling. In this day and age, there are many options that are available to you.
As always, you have your traditional schooling at your disposal. You also have the ever-popular accelerated degree program. If you are looking to get started as a nurse quickly, you may want to consider enrolling in an accelerated degree program.
What is the difference between a traditional program and an accelerated degree program?
When it comes to traditional programs, a traditional program refers to a 4-year college that teach you in person. Traditional colleges use a semester calendar, which can be anywhere from 2 semesters to 4 semesters per year.
Accelerated programs are a year-round program that use 5-week terms. Both the traditional and accelerated degree programs require the student to attend in-person classes. However, accelerated courses generally take students a shorter time to complete because all of the information is condensed, so they can move through the program quicker. Competition time varies from student to student.
Some students could earn their Associate Degree of Nursing in as little as 18 months. This is in contrast to the 24 months it would generally take a student to earn a degree at a traditional school. Imagine graduating and starting your job hunt while your peers in traditional universities are still in classes.
Admission requirements for both the traditional and accelerated programs are generally the same. If you are a prospective student and wondering if you need to have a prior degree or certificate in order to earn your ADN, you do not.
What skills do successful nurses possess?
A soft skill is a common name for interpersonal skills. Nurses who have the following soft skills can really make a difference in the lives of their patients. Some of the soft skills a successful nurse possesses include:
- Ability to work well with others. A successful nurse must be a team player. Nurses will be interacting with both patients and co-workers, so it is important for nurses to work alongside various personality types.
- A nurse must be professional at all times. Not only are you responsible for the care of your patients, you are also representing the medical institution you work for. If you are unprofessional, it can both reflect poorly on the institution, and it can make your patients feel like they are not in good hands.
- You must be great at communication. An important aspect of nursing is communication. From communicating to your co-workers, to communicating with your patients, you will need to have superior communication skills. If you cannot communicate essential information to, and about, your patient, you could risk their life.
- Nurses must be calm in emergencies. Working in a hospital can be exactly as stressful as it sounds. Nurses can’t get confused or anxious during emergencies. When something happens, they have to pull their wits together and help save their patient.
Hard skills are skills that are teachable abilities, although some would argue that soft skills can be taught as well. However, hard skills are job-specific skills and training you will need on the job. Here are some examples.
- Understanding medicine and dosages
- Proper wound care
- How to record patient data through digital or manual systems
- How to decide which tests to run and how to read results
- How to draw blood
Feeling inspired to take that leap into an exciting nursing career?
If you want to become a nurse, ECPI University offers an Associate Degree of Nursing program in an accelerated format. For more information, connect with a friendly admissions advisor today.
It could be the Best Decision You Ever Make!
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