Inducements and Discouragements for Students Transitioning from Associate Degree to Baccalaureate Degree in Nursing: A National Study

The call to educate more nurses at the baccalaureate level of education has been made (IOM, 2011). Accomplishing this requires innovative access and seamless progression to higher education levels for the associate degree nurse.  Understanding the needs of the associate degree nurse should be in the forefront when addressing seamless academic progression. To further understand the needs of the RN to BS/BSN student population, a national study was undertaken to examine the actual items that are considered to be enhancements and barriers by the RN to BS/BSN student population currently.

This presentation seeks to not only present findings from a national study examining current enhancements and barriers for the RN to BS/BSN student, but to engage the participant in crafting creative solutions to address the findings.  Findings from a national random sample for RN to BS/BSN students who completed the study tool will be presented. The tool contained multiple choice questions, ranking type questions and open ended questions which sought to better understand enhancements and barriers for the RN to BS/BSN student. The findings related to enhancements and barriers will be presented, along with potential interventions to address both enhancements and barriers will be presented. Additionally, participants in this collaborative presentation will be encouraged to provide feedback related to the proposed interventions, provide feedback and potentially provide alternative interventions.