Accelerated BSN Program

BACKGROUND: Given the aging nursing education workforce and the persistent high demand for doctorally-prepared nursing faculty, there is a critical need to increase the number of nurses entering and completing PhD programs. To fill this need, accelerated PhD education pathways, such as the direct entry BSN/BS-PhD education pathway, have become popular. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to explore the unique characteristics of the direct entry BSN/BS-PhD student experience...

BACKGROUND: Accelerated second-degree baccalaureate nursing (ASDBN) programs have become popular in the United States as a solution to meet the demand for BSN nurses. The research conducted on ASDBN graduates is limited and focuses on educational experience or early career outcomes, such as NCLEX-RN pass rates or first-year job performance. AIM: This research is designed to provide a better understanding of the status of ASDBN graduates two years after completion of the BSN program...

BACKGROUND: To meet the increasing demand for RNs to further their education, many colleges of nursing have developed RN-to-baccalaureate nursing (BSN) programs, many of which are delivered online. A better understanding of the demographic and academic characteristics and outcomes of individuals enrolled in online RN-to-BSN programs is needed. METHOD: This article reports a retrospective predictive analysis of 9,567 students enrolled in an online RN-to-BSN program...

Relatively few studies have addressed predictors of first-attempt outcomes (pass-fail) on the National Council Licensure Examination-Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) for accelerated BSN programs. The purpose of this study was to compare potential predictors of NCLEX outcomes in graduates of first-degree accelerated (FDA; n=62) and second-degree accelerated (SDA; n=173) BSN programs sharing a common nursing curriculum. In this retrospective study, bivariate analyses and multiple logistic regression assessed significance of selected demographic and academic characteristics as predictors of NCLEX-RN outcomes...

Students in a second-degree accelerated BSN program experience a rigorous curriculum and fast-paced introduction to the nursing profession. This study examined the relationships among self-esteem, motivation, learning strategies, demographic characteristics, and academic achievement. The results indicated that all of the students had good self-esteem; some demographic characteristics influenced the type of motivation and learning strategies they endorsed but did not influence their current academic performance...

Colleges of nursing are challenged to identify innovative, efficient, and effective mechanisms to expand enrollment in prelicensure programs. This objective of this project was to identify whether a prelicensure nursing program that is both accelerated and on-line is as effective as a traditional face-to-face program, in terms of graduation rates and National Council Licensure Exam pass rates. METHOD: This analysis of 1,064 students compared demographic and outcomes data between students in a state university's college of nursing who were enrolled in an accelerated, fully on-line bachelors of science in nursing (BSN) program and the traditional on-campus BSN program...

The definition, implementation, and benefits support the value of service-learning for nursing education. However, accelerated RN-to-BSN programs may have difficulty requiring service-learning experiences. This article offers a biblical rationale for service with vulnerable populations and an example of how service-learning is implemented into the curriculum of an accelerated, nontraditional, online/onsite RN-BSN completion program at a Christian university.

Development of perceptual aptitude is a critical yet complex skill that requires the effective organization and interpretation of data using visual and auditory clinical observation. Educators face challenges in creating pedagogy that consistently demonstrates reliability and validity in fostering clinical skills. We have dependably used the arts as a means to improve students' auditory and visual skills, and this article will describe replication of our work with accelerated nursing students in a bachelor's program in their last semester of nursing school (n=23)...

The coach model is an innovative approach to clinical education in which registered nurses facilitate clinical instruction. The nursing students are assigned with a specific coach throughout the 12-month accelerated baccalaureate nursing curriculum. The purpose of this article is to share our experience using the coach model for students' clinical education including the benefits, challenges, and outcomes.

The California Collaborative Model for Nursing Education (CCMNE) promotes seamless ADN-BSN academic progression as the most effective means by which the state can educate the numbers of BSN-prepared nurses needed in the future. Accelerated by state legislation and a national commitment to a higher-educated nursing workforce, the framework is sufficiently flexible to accommodate a variety of strategies that meet the intent of each Core Component, and can be implemented at local, regional, or state levels. Six percent of all current ADN students in California are dual enrolled in CCMNE BSN programs...

BACKGROUND: Many articles describe how service-learning has been implemented, but few studies have demonstrated its effectiveness. METHOD: A service-learning component was added to a course in a registered nurse-to-baccalaureate degree (RN-to-BSN) completion program. The service-learning component included a 5-hour service requirement and class discussions. The purpose of this study was to evaluate service-learning's impact on postlicensure RN-to-BSN students' self-evaluation of their leadership skills and their interest in social justice...

BACKGROUND: In 2004, nurse leaders in California recognized the imminent need to increase the number and educational preparation of the state's nursing workforce. The California Collaborative Model for Nursing Education (CCMNE), a key strategy to meet this goal, was introduced in 2008. METHOD: The CCMNE set a new statewide standard for associate degree in nursing (ADN)-to-baccalaureate degree in nursing (BSN) progression by defining seamless academic progression parameters...

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to understand the educational status and plans of Kentucky's RN workforce in advancing nursing educational levels. BACKGROUND: The Institute of Medicine called for 80% of nurses to hold a minimum of a BSN by 2020. Nurse leaders from practice, academe, and the community need evidence to guide the development of effective strategies. METHODS: An electronic survey was administered to Kentucky's RNs. This descriptive analysis was based on 1363 usable responses...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

AIM: The purpose of this article is to examine research studies that compared outcome measures of students/graduates of traditional and accelerated BSN programs. BACKGROUND: Accelerated postgraduate baccalaureate nursing programs are popular. It is important to compare outcome measures and explore equivalence between traditional and accelerated programs. METHOD: Peer-reviewed research articles published within the last six years were identified in ERIC, CINAHL, and MEDLINE...

BACKGROUND: Stress is an inevitable part of life and is especially pervasive in the lives of nursing students. Identifying the predictors of stress as well as coping strategies used can allow for the implementation of appropriate coping interventions to assist in the management of stress in nursing students. Mixed methods research that has been undertaken to gain an understanding about student stress, especially juxtaposing generic versus accelerated nursing students could not be identified...

AIM: This article articulates lessons learned about an accelerated family nurse practitioner course offered to foreign medical doctors who also held baccalaureate nursing degrees (BSN). BACKGROUND: In the last decade, many physicians in the Philippines returned to school to obtain BSN degrees and licensure as registered nurses (referred to as nurse-medics) to emigrate to the United States in the hope of a better life. Once in the United States, many remain in nursing even though they prefer the practice of medicine...

This retrospective study explores the work activities of graduates from an accelerated, second-degree BSN program. There is documented growth in the number of accelerated, second-degree programs and the number of graduates from these programs. However, there are no published studies of whether or not these graduates are members of the workforce 5 years following graduation. This retrospective study found that the majority of the graduates are employed in nursing, and a large percentage have earned or are pursuing advanced degrees in nursing...

AIM: The purpose of this study was to describe the critical thinking (CT) skills of basic baccalaureate (basic-BSN) and accelerated second-degree (ASD) nursing students at nursing program entry. BACKGROUND: Many authors propose that CT in nursing should be viewed as a developmental process that increases as students' experiences with it change. However, there is a dearth of literature that describes basic-BSN and ASD students' CT skills from an evolutionary perspective...

This article describes the design, development, and implementation of an innovative teaching/learning model involving integration of classroom teaching, clinical simulation, and debriefing/critical thinking to prepare accelerated baccalaureate nursing students for clinical practice experiences in the inpatient psychiatric setting. Lessons learned and future directions for simulation experiences involving standardized patient scenarios in undergraduate psychiatric nursing education are shared.