Abstract
BackgroundThere are multiple educational programs for individuals to become registered nurses (RNs), and the transition from an associate degree or diploma to a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree is vital to healthcare. This study examined the factors contributing to delayed completion or withdrawal from online RN-BSN nursing programs from students’ perspectives.MethodThematic content analyses were conducted on qualitative data obtained from semi-structured interviews (N = 26).ResultsComplex factors contributed to delayed completion of online RN-BSN programs, including student-, institutional-, and faculty-related factors.ConclusionThis study validated and extends previous studies without delineating students in fully online programs from hybrid and face-to-face programs. Students, faculty, and institutions all have a role to play in facilitating on-time program completion. Recognizing and mitigating the barriers that delay on-time program completion is required to foster nurses to obtain a BSN degree.
Highlights
There are multiple educational programs for individuals to become registered nurses (RNs), and the transition from an associate degree or diploma to a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree is vital to healthcare
Study purpose The purpose of this descriptive qualitative study were a) to elucidate the factors contributing to delayed completion or withdrawal from online RN–BSN programs from students’ perspectives to determine ways to alleviate said barriers; b) to answer two important questions: i) What factors led to the decision to return to school for an online RN–BSN Program? ii) What were the most important factors online RN-BSN students considered before choosing which school to attend?
The findings in response to two major questions i) What factors led to the decision to return to school for an online RN–BSN Program? ii) What were the most important factors online RN-BSN students considered before choosing which school to attend?
Summary
There are multiple educational programs for individuals to become registered nurses (RNs), and the transition from an associate degree or diploma to a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree is vital to healthcare. Unlike many other health professional programs with standardized educational requirements for entry to practice, nursing has multiple educational programs for registered nurses (RNs): hospital or diploma school programs, a two-year junior college or associate degree (AD) program, and a four-year baccalaureate or university program leading to a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) [7] recommended that baccalaureatelevel education in nursing become the minimum educational requirement for professional nursing practice. This was followed by the National Academy of Medicine formally Institute of Medicine’s (IOM) recommendation to increase the proportion of RNs with a baccalaureate
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