Accelerated Nursing Programs in Iowa
If you have done your research, you know that becoming a registered nurse in Iowa with an unrelated bachelor degree will almost guarantee you a job right out of graduation.
The graduate nurse makes a minimum of about $62k as a full time worker with many perks and even sign on bonuses. The competition to get into such a program can be very competitive, so you may even need to consider attending it in another state if you have to. The tuition and fees may be much higher, but you may not have to wait to get in.
The accelerated nursing degree option in Iowa involves intensive study, and it is not recommended to work while you are in the program. It is designed to help you get your degree as quickly as possible, and then use it.
In Iowa, according to the American Association of Nursing, there is only one accelerated BSN option in Iowa, and that is offered at Allen College. There is one accelerated Masters option offered at the University of Iowa.
The accelerated option at Allen is a 15 month program. You must complete a minimum of 124 semester hours of coursework and a minimum of 66 semester hours of general education. The tuition listed for direct expenses currently is $34,712. The Allen campus is located in Waterloo at Allen Memorial Hospital. There are more than 500 students who attend there.
If you find that getting into the accelerated BSN program in Iowa is too competitive or the waiting list is too long, consider attending in a neighboring state where there is much more opportunity and perhaps less stringent guidelines.
The posts on this website list the individual accelerated nursing degree programs by state. For instance, Illinois currently has 8 accelerated BSN programs. Minnesota has 6. Nebraska also has 6.
If you are determined to get into the program, taking the time to research school after school by going to each individual website and calling the department of nursing at each location will give you good info as to how long you can anticipate waiting to get into the program.
If you have completed the prerequisite classes already, consider taking some of them over again if you grade for the class causes you to move down on the waiting list to get into the program. The competition can be a little daunting, but the accelerated nursing program may be worth the effort and time because of the abundance of jobs in this field around the country.
