Abstract

New developments in health care delivery, changes in the demographics, and the increasing complexity of health problems of the general population require baccalaureate prepared nurses. However, the educational preparation of the majority of nurses in the workforce is the diploma and associate degree level. This project study explored the reasons that hindered the graduates of the Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) program of a community college in South Texas from pursuing the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree. ADN-prepared nurses will have to go through a transformation process as they pursue the BSN. Mezirow‟s transformational learning theory served as the conceptual framework for this case study of graduates obtained through purposeful and snowball sampling. Individual and focus group interviews were conducted; codes were identified from the transcribed interviews and grouped into themes during data analysis. The barriers that hindered the graduates from going back to school to pursue the BSN degree were time; finances; family responsibilities; life events; and out of state, online RN-to-BSN programs. To address those barriers, a seamless RN-to-BSN transition program in the community college was developed. The ADN RNs who go back to school and obtain the BSN degree will promote positive social change by providing high-quality and patient-centered care, improving patient care outcomes, and leading initiatives on health promotion and wellness in the community.

Description

This dissertation has also been disseminated through the ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database. Dissertation/thesis number: 3731402; ProQuest document ID: 1728044151. The author still retains copyright.

Author Details

Christie M. Candelaria, EdD, RN, CNE

Sigma Membership

Pi Omicron

Type

Dissertation

Format Type

Text-based Document

Study Design/Type

Case Study/Series

Research Approach

Qualitative Research

Keywords:

Community College Baccalaureates, Curriculum Design, Program Evaluation, RN-to-BSN Transition Programs, Nursing Education

Advisor

Richard Braley

Second Advisor

Marianne Borja

Third Advisor

Marvin Putnam

Degree

Doctoral-Other

Degree Grantor

Walden University

Degree Year

2015

Rights Holder

All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record.

All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository.

All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.

Review Type

None: Degree-based Submission

Acquisition

Proxy-submission

Date of Issue

2022-02-28

Full Text of Presentation

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