If you are interested: Bradley To Launch New Nursing Program | WEEK News 25 - News, Sports, Weather - Peoria, Illinois | Local News

Bradley University will begin offering an accelerated nursing program in May for people who have received a bachelor's degree and want a career change.

Over a 15 month period students will get hands on experience...and a new degree.

Bradley University Nursing Department Chair Dr. Francesca Armmer says, "What we're doing is basically in the accelerated model lengthening the time of clinical experiences per day so that we can get the hours needed that we want within a shorter time frame but the quality doesn't change and our attention to detail and our faculty to student ratio to detail hasn't changed."

But is it safe to go through a fast-paced nursing program?

Or is there increased risk of mistakes with patients?

OSF College of Nursing Dean of graduate students Jan Boundy says, "All of us in teaching bacholorette students we all have to be conscientious about the licensure exam that people take at the end of the program and so that's a measure of competency so that validates that they're safe to practice."

OSF College of Nursing student Laura King says it could be a good option for people.

OSF College of Nursing student Laura King says, "The point of getting a BSN instead of just an RN is so that you can kind of get a better feel for the concepts behind what you're practicing so if they can really grasp that as well as we can then that would be great."

OSF College of Nursing Dean of graduate students says the program will help the industry due to the nursing shortage.

OSF College of Nursing Dean of graduate students Jan Boundy says, "I think the industry can benefit because they get the nurse sooner, more nurses, however, I think it's a benefit to the individual that already has a degree and wants to take a career change."

Candidates for the program must have a bachelor's degree in a discipline other than nursing and complete 34 hours of prerequisite courses.