"Jump Start" a Baccalaureate Degree by Increasing Self-Efficacy in Associate Degree Nursing Students

An educational model was developed in collaboration with three community college associate degree nursing programs and a public baccalaureate nursing program. The purpose of the project was to develop a model to encourage and increase self-efficacy to complete a baccalaureate degree with associate degree nursing (ADN) students who have a goal to obtain a Bachelor of Science Nursing degree (BSN). Schunk & DiBenedetto (2014) believe academic self-efficacy is strongly related to performance, adjustment, satisfaction, and commitment. An increase in self-efficacy for this project was evaluated by students’ adjustment to online coursework, commitment to continuing education, and overall satisfaction with the associate to baccalaureate (ADN-BSN) model. Success of the model was measured by satisfaction and continuation into an RN-BSN online program after graduating from an ADN program. One hundred percent of students who completed two RN-BSN online courses, 1) Nurse’s Role in Health Promotion (2 credits) and Health Care Policy Today and in the Future for the Registered Nurse (2 credits), while concurrently completing their associate degree in nursing enrolled in a RN-BSN program after graduation. Based on the success of this model, collaboration with additional ADN programs are being initiated in other states. Implications for nursing education include increasing the number of ADN nurses completing their BSN degrees and contributing to the Institute of Medicine 2010 goal to increase the baccalaureate prepared nursing workforce by 2020. In 2017, the State of New York passed legislation that requires all nurses to obtain a baccalaureate degree in nursing within ten years of receiving their initial registered nurse license. Notably, other states have plans to enact similar legislation in the future. Implementation of this model enables associate degree nurses to continuing their education without stopping out after graduation from an associate degree program and starting a RN-BSN program. This model will facilitate education advancement of ADN nurses for future state requirements and licensure.