It has been estimated that over the next five years, approximately 1.5 million service members will separate from the military and will be returning to college and looking for employment (Snyder, Wick, Skillman, & Frogner, 2016). Moreover, it has been suggested that one of the top degrees sought out by veterans is a nursing degree. This is due to interest in the healthcare field and the overall demand for nurses within the job market (http://www.bestcollegesonline.org/top-degrees-for-veterans/). After notification of award, the necessary approvals needed to be obtained, as well as the complete development of the VBSN infrastructure that included: approval by the State Board of Nursing, the admission process, the awarding of credits, the development of curriculum to support the VBSN pathway, and the development of collaborations and partnerships with internal and external constituents to ensure sustainability.
The VBSN pathway developed processes that allows qualified veterans the opportunity to test out of designated courses based on demonstration of course competencies. These courses include: fundamentals of nursing didactic, pharmacology, and health assessment. An additional component of this grant was to provide faculty and staff with workshops that addressed the physical, emotional, and environmental issues affecting veterans in order to minimize barriers to their transition into the nursing profession. The goal of these workshops were to facilitate the development of a culture of respect for veterans returning to the University setting. Overall, the VBSN pathway has been successful in reducing barriers and providing needed supports to ensure the success of the veterans when returning for their Bachelor of Science nursing degree.