Accelerated Nurse Training Programs Draw Students, Scrutiny

People who already hold bachelor's degrees and more men are turning to accelerated nursing programs to move into the profession, but some critics remain skeptical of the programs' value, the Los Angeles Daily News reports.

Accelerated programs typically last between 12 to 18 months with no semester breaks and require students to attend full time.

Accelerated nursing programs have almost doubled in the past six years, from 105 nationwide in 2002 to 205 this year, according to Robert Rosseter, associate executive director for the American Association of Colleges of Nursing.

A 2007 study published in the journal Nurse Educator found that the number of men enrolling in accelerated programs between 2003 and 2006 is three times the number enrolled in traditional undergraduate nursing programs.

The study also found that in 2005, 7,829 students enrolled in accelerated programs, but only 3,769 students graduated, raising concerns about how effectively the programs will help address the nursing shortage (Abram, Los Angeles Daily News, 10/9).