ALL Nursing Programs

One of the challenges for many potential nursing students is how to get their degree when there are so many other time demands in their lives. Fortunately, there are many new programs being offered by online colleges that enable students to get their nursing degrees and nursing certifications in record time. We have seen a huge increase in the demand for these types of accelerated programs and wanted to spend a little bit of time explaining why this should be considered a viable option for students. We feel it is important to dispell some of the myths surrounding concerns over these accelerated programs.

We have heard from some of our students that they are a little bit concerned that they may be missing some important training if they opt for an accelerated nursing program. This is simply not the case. An accelerated program just condenses the course work, it doesn’t eliminate or shorten the curriculum. An accelerated program just works better with your schedule while still providing you with all of the necessary skills you need to master your nursing certification tests.

It’s also important to consider that many of the traits of a good nurse aren’t tied to the education that they have received but really to the motivation behind becoming a nurse in the first place. Most of the best nurses really have a natural talent and or inclination to be in this field. They have that desire to help others and a natural knack for understanding basic treatments and remembering a wide variety of medical topics. These nursing instincts aren’t really taught, they are intrinsic to the person and therefore it doesn’t matter if you complete a program in four years or two years in the grand scheme of things.

An accelerated nursing program recognizes that the technical skills need to be targeted while the more subtle skills that the job requires are often inherent in the individual. Many patients have encountered the perfect nurse but few of us think about why that person was so good at his or her job.

There are some qualities that a good nurse has that can not be taught. Consider your best encounter with a nurse. She probably had the ability to put you at ease in just a few words. Or she could simply make you feel relaxed through her demeanor and approach.

Describing the types of qualities you look for in your caregiver is often difficult. There is just something about the person that helps you through a difficult situation but you are not sure what it is. Of course, an accelerated nursing program does not develop or extend those qualities any more than a traditional nursing program would.

Now consider your worst encounter with a nurse. She was probably abrasive and indifferent. Maybe she was sarcastic. She may have made you feel as if you were a burden. She could have technically done everything “right” but you just feel awful after seeing her and hope that there is a shift change before the next time you have to get treatment.

Bedside manner is briefly covered in an accelerated nursing program but it is equally addressed in the traditional school. The nurse who made you feel uneasy was probably unaware of her effect on you. She was just doing her job.

The fundamental difference between a good nurse and a bad one is their attitude toward the profession. The first nurse is caring for a person and she recognizes this. The second nurse is just doing her job. Again, these softer qualities cannot be learned in either a traditional or accelerated nursing program. That really gets to the heart of why the person decided to enter the nursing profession in the first place.

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