Nurse Education in Practice xxx (2017) 1e6

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Nurse Education in Practice

journalhomepage:www.elsevier.com/nepr

Original research

The lived experience of registered nurses educated in accelerated second

degree bachelor of science in nursing programs: A hermeneutic
phenomenological research study
Lisa Hennessy, PhD, RN, NEA-BC
2285 Quitman Dr., Chaparral, NM 88081, United States

article info abstract

Article history: Accelerated Second Degree Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ASDBSN) programs have proliferated in response to the ongoing
Received 19 March 2017 and anticipated nursing shortages of the first decades of this century. While a number of studies have reported on the students
Received in revised form enrolled in these programs, limited information exists regarding how nurses educated in these programs experience their
3 August 2017
nursing careers beyond the first two years of practice. This study was undertaken to explore the lived experience of registered
Accepted 14 September 2017
nurses educated in an ASDBSN program. Using a hermeneutical phenomenological approach, twelve ASDBSN prepared
nurses with greater than 2 years in nursing practice were interviewed with five different ASDBSN programs and seven
different communities in the southwest United States represented. The interviews were face to face and occurred in a setting of
the participants’ choice. A total of 4 themes were identified through the data analysis and a model of ASDBSN nursing practice
was developed using the analogy of a river system. The themes included: Headwaters, Tributaries and Turbulence, The
Rolling River, and The Delta. The results demonstrated that ASDBSN educated nurses are well socialized in the nursing
profession and experience a high degree of job satisfaction and intent to stay in the profession.

© 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

1. Introduction
Accelerated second degree Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ASDBSN)
programs have proliferated in the United States since the nursing workforce
shortages of the early 2000's (Allen et al., 2010). Much of what has been
reported in the literature regarding ASDBSN programs and students has
focused on program development, student characteristics, student
experiences, comparisons of ASDBSN students to traditional baccalaureate
nursing students, and the new graduate nurse experience of ASDBSN
graduates (Cangelosi and Whitt, 2005; Suplee and Glasgow, 2008; Sweeney
Rico et al., 2010; Walker et al., 2008). Common to most of these reports is the
need for further research involving graduates of ASDBSN programs as they
progress in their careers.
A number of reports in the literature describe the students in these
programs as emotionally and professionally mature, dedi-cated, competent,
goal oriented, and career progression focused. Despite skepticism regarding
their long term commitment to nursing as well as their capacity to engage in
successful nursing
practice, these reports illustrate that programs of this nature can and do
succeed in recruiting a pool of viable candidates for nursing education,
(Brewer et al., 2009; Cangelosi, 2007a, 2007b; Cangelosi and Whitt, 2005;
Everett et al., 2013; Fernandez et al., 2012; Mckenna et al., 2015; Raines and
Sipes, 2007; Raines, 2009, 2013; Ziehm et al., 2011).
A few studies on ASDBSN graduates’ experiences in their initial years in
practice are found in the literature (Cangelosi, 2007a; Raines, 2009; Sweeney
Rico et al., 2010). The common findings were that the ASDBSN graduates
perceived themselves as prepared for practice as beginning registered nurses
after having completed an ASDBSN program. Further, the studies found that
the partici-pants/subjects were happy in their professional choices. In their
opinions, they had settled into the RN role more easily than their traditionally
educated counterparts who did not have prior de-grees, despite experiencing
the same fears and concerns commonly identified in new graduate nurses.
They felt that their previous professional experiences had contributed to their
successful tran-sition to nursing practice. Only two publications which
addressed their nursing experience after the first 2 years of their careers were
noted (Raines, 2013; Schwartz et al., 2015).

E-mail address: Hennessy_l@msn.com.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.nepr.2017.09.010
1471-5953/© 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Please cite this article in press as: Hennessy, L., The lived experience of registered nurses educated in accelerated second degree bachelor of science in nursing
programs: A hermeneutic phenomenological research study, Nurse Education in Practice (2017), http://dx.doi.org/ 10.1016/j.nepr.2017.09.010
2 L. Hennessy / Nurse Education in Practice xxx (2017) 1e6
This article reports on a hermeneutic interpretive phenome-nological
study of the lived experience of ASDBSN prepared nurses with 2e7 years of
experience in the profession and a minimum of 2 years in their pre-nursing
careers. This time frame was chosen based on Benner's (1984) theory of
nursing, From Novice to Expert: Excellence and Power in Nursing Practice as
this is the time frame which equates to achievement of the competent to
proficient do-mains of the theory. According to Benner's theory, the
competent and proficient nurse is no longer bound by the worries, stresses,
and rigidity that accompany the earlier stages of professional development.
They are able to act both consciously and uncon-sciously in the delivery of
patient care and they draw and their experiences to view clinical and
professional situations. This experiential depth is assumed to include the
participant's pre-nursing careers.
The guiding ontological framework for this study was phe-nomenology.
Phenomenology offers nursing research a venue in which experiential context
supplies the background for under-standing the lived experience. More
specifically, Heideggarian phenomenology provides a means to study the
human experience of being, and to understand the personal meaning derived
from that experience. Based on this philosophical stance, Patricia Benner
(1994) developed her phenomenological research approach and labeled it the
Interpretive Phenomenological Method. In this model, the words
hermeneutical and interpretive are used interchangeably.
Interpretive phenomenology recognizes that the phenomena associated
with knowledge, experiences, concerns, and perceptions are embedded in the
social interactive fabric of human society and that they can be uncovered and
brought to consciousness through the process of narrative description and
personal story-telling. Thus, this methodological approach supports the stance
that theoretical and logical understanding of these phenomena is insufficient
in explaining them. Rather, they must be placed and explored within the
situational context of the lived experience. Further, when the lived
experiences of multiple voices are com-bined, a description of those voices,
taken as a whole, can be arti-culated through the development of a paradigm
case which includes stated assumptions that describe the combined experi-
ence of the group.
Given that the purpose of this study was to gain understanding about the
lived experience of ASDBSN prepared nurses, this approach provided the
most appropriate philosophical and meth-odological foundation for this
project. The dominant themes discovered in the study, based on the
experiences articulated by the nurses who participated in the study, are
presented.
2. Methodology
The research question that guided this study was: What is the lived
experience of ASDBSN prepared nurses engaged in profes-sional nursing
practice? An interpretive or hermeneutic phenom-enological approach was
utilized as the conceptual design for this study. According to Speziale and
Carpenter (2007), Benner (1994), and Cohen et al. (2000), this methodology
is appropriate when the desired outcome of a research study is to explore the
relationships and meanings that exist within the context of a lived experience.
This research was conducted by a single researcher who, at the time of the
research, was the Director of an ASDBSN program. Having taught in the
program for several years she was able to clearly articulate her biases, chief
among them a belief that programs of this type represented a viable alternate
entry for those persons seeking a second career in nursing.
The population for this study was ASDBSN prepared nurses. After
obtaining permission to proceed from the university
Institutional Review Board which reviewed the study proposal for ethical and
human rights compliance, a purposive sample was sought to participate in the
study. Inclusion criteria were gradua-tion from an ASDBSN program at least
2e7 years prior to partici-pating in the study, at least 2 years of full time
employment in the capacity of a registered nurse, and work experience in a
profes-sional capacity related to their first degree for a period of at least two
years before entering the ASDBSN program. Exclusion criteria were a history
of immediate enrollment in an ASDBSN program following graduation from
a non-nursing degree program, and graduation from the ASDBSN program
with which the researcher was associated.
Two sampling approaches were deployed to locate potential participants
for the study. The first was distribution of a partici-pation solicitation flyer to
schools of nursing with ASDBSN pro-grams in the southwest region of the
United States and to the gatekeepers (Seidman, 2006), which in this case were
the nursing administrators in clinical agencies in the same region who might
employ graduates of ASDBSN programs. The second sampling strategy was
that of snowballing or networking (Polit and Beck, 2008) wherein participants
who have already agreed to partici-pate in a study to personally contact other
persons who were members of the same population. The strategy of contacted
faculty gatekeepers from regional ASDBSN programs proved to be the most
successful, with 20 potential participants being identified.
Each potential participant was initially contacted by telephone or email,
the study was explained, and they were assessed for the inclusion and
exclusion criteria. They were advised that the researcher would travel to their
location, that the data collection interviews would occur in locations of their
choosing, and that the interviews would be digitally recorded for later
transcription and analysis. Face to face interviews were then scheduled.
During the face to face interviews, and after obtaining informed consent,
each interview commenced with the question “Thank you for agreeing to
participate in this study. We are here to talk about your experience as a
registered nurse. Please tell me how you came to nursing.” As the interviews
proceeded, a question was posed to the effect of: “You've been a nurse for X
years now. Would you please describe your experience as a nurse who
graduated from an ASDBSN program?” Pursuant to the participants' stories of
being a nurse, several other questions were asked, depending on how the par-
ticipants' described their experiences as nurses. These questions were similar
to: “Tell me a story about a recent memorable event from your practice.”,
“Describe a typical day for you as a nurse.”, and “Tell me a story about what
happens when a day is not typical.” In order to explore how the participants'
previous careers may or may not have influenced their nursing career, the
following question was posed: “Tell me a story about how your life outside of
nursing influences your current nursing practice.” Interviews were closed with
the question “Is there anything you would like to add in relation to your
experiences as an ASD-BSN prepared nurse?”
Consistent with the hermeneutic phenomenological method-ology, other
than the opening question the questions were not numbered or asked at
predetermined points in the interview. Instead, they were woven into the
conversation in a manner which encouraged the participants to reflect upon
their experiences of being ASDBSN prepared nurses. The interviews lasted
90e120 min each.
Following each interview the researcher recorded notes of her personal
observations and any non-verbal cues or behaviors by the participants, as well
as any preliminary understandings, in a re-flexive journal. The recordings
were transcribed by the researcher and then iteratively read with the aim of
identifying common words, thoughts, and ideas. This data collection
continued until the researcher determined that saturation of the data had
occurred
Please cite this article in press as: Hennessy, L., The lived experience of registered nurses educated in accelerated second
degree bachelor of science in nursing programs: A hermeneutic phenomenological research study, Nurse Education in
Practice (2017), http://dx.doi.org/ 10.1016/j.nepr.2017.09.010
 L. Hennessy / Nurse Education in Practice xxx (2017) 1e6
with a total of 12 participants. These commonalities then coalesced into
cogent themes that were consistent across the stories of all of the participants.
As this data analysis process unfolded, the researcher was also in close
contact with a professional colleague who served as a sounding board with
the purpose of keeping the researcher's innate assumptions and biases from
influencing her interpretation of the data. This consultation helped ensure
rigor in the research study and also assisted in identifying when data
saturation had occurred.
3. Data collection and interpretation
Given that data analysis in interpretive phenomenological research begins
with data collection, tentative understandings were formed as the data was
collected, reviewed, transcribed, and analyzed. These tentative understandings
were recorded in a reflective journal and reviewed in periodic meetings with a
pro-fessional colleague. The data analysis continued by reviewing each
interview recording within 24e36 h for the purpose of adding notes as needed
to the reflexive journal. This journal created a narrative of the researcher's
observations, thoughts, and impres-sions and became part of the audit trail for
the study. Subsequent to this initial review, the interviews were transcribed
into written documents, with each line of each transcript numbered for refer-
encing. Once transcribed, the transcripts were read while simul-taneously
listening to the digital recordings for the purposes of ensuring accuracy. The
transcripts were then analyzed using the basic iterative and interpretive steps
of hermeneutic research data analysis, as described by Speziale and Carpenter
(2007). These steps include:
1. Naïve reading which is defined as reading the whole text in order to
formulate initial thoughts about its meaning.
2. Structural analysis which involves iterative reading of the tran-scripts to
identify patterns of connections, commonalities, and discrepancies among
the various participants' stories. This step is often referred to as the process
of interpretive reading. During this phase ideas about the emerging
structure were identified through preliminary code words placed in the
margins of the transcripts and by underlining passages of the text. The text
was then sorted into segments and the codes were refined for each. Serial
copies of the transcripts were printed for this process and maintained,
again as part of the audit trail.
A spread sheet was constructed which listed the codes as one axis and the
participants as the other axis. Specific line numbers from each transcript were
recorded in the appropriate cells of the spreadsheet, creating a data matrix;
this procedure provided a clear picture of the frequency of the occurrence of
each code, both within specific transcripts and across all transcripts. Through
the iterative readings and construction of the data matrix, the codes identified
in this process were continually revised and adjusted as new in-terpretations
and understandings emerged.
3. Reintegration of and reflection on the categories in order to un-derstand
the whole, which involved reflecting on the initial reading and the various
coded understandings in order to formulate overall themes which provided
a synthesis of the whole phenomenon. This synthesis was then recorded in
an exhaustive written document, organized by relevant codes, which told
the participants' stories. The codes and the related stories were then
organized into themes. After months of reflection, thought, and discourse
with professional colleagues, the themes were illustrated by a conceptual
model, represented by a river system, of the ASDBSN prepared nurses'
practice. This
Please cite this article in press as: Hennessy, L., The lived experience of registered nurses educated in accelerated second degree bachelor of science in nursing
programs: A hermeneutic phenomenological research study, Nurse Education in Practice (2017), http://dx.doi.org/ 10.1016/j.nepr.2017.09.010
3
interpretation then led to the construction of a paradigm case of the ASD-
BSN prepared nurse's lived experience, inclusive of assertions related to
each theme and uncovered during the data analysis (Munhall and Chenail,
2008). In this manner, the phe-nomenon as a whole was analyzed, without
losing or distorting the richness of each piece of data.
4. Findings
A total of 12 participants were interviewed for this study. Of those, 75%
were female and 25% were male. Ages ranged from 26 to 57 years, with a
mean age of 35 years. The participants had worked in their first careers 2e28
years, with a mean of 8 years. They received their BSN degrees from five
different ASDBSN programs and they resided in seven different communities
in the southwestern United States. One third were either enrolled in, or
recently graduated from, master's degree programs in nursing, and another
third indicated the intent to pursue graduate nursing education in the near
future.
Four themes emerged which describe how the sample experi-enced
nursing. The themes, when analyzed collectively, create a model and a
paradigm case, of the lived experience of ASDBSN prepared nurses. The
model is illustrated using the analogy of a river system, starting at its
headwaters and ending in a delta.
The first theme identified is that of Headwaters, which includes the
motivators that prompted the participants' interest in nursing as a career. The
second theme is Tributaries and Turbulence, which includes various
influences identified by the participants as having impact on their nursing
practice. The third theme is that of The Rolling River. This theme includes
characteristics which are integral to the participants’ perceptions of
themselves as experienced nurses and how they live their recent and current
nursing practice. The fourth and final theme is The Delta, which includes their
beliefs about nursing as a profession and their roles within the profession.
4.1. Headwaters: becoming a nurse
In a river system, the headwaters begin as mere trickles of snowmelt or a
bubbling spring. These trickles are the beginning of the ASDBSN prepared
nurse's experience as a nurse. The partici-pants, upon reflecting what brought
them to nursing, spoke about several things that motivated them to enroll in
an ASDBSN pro-gram. Chief among these was a desire to help others as
illustrated by the following comments.
“I had volunteered with the Red Cross and helped after Hurri-cane Katrina.
It was such a huge disaster and there was so much need, especially for the
medical field.”
“The main [reason I went into nursing was to] help people. I enjoy that, I
get satisfaction helping others.”
4.2. Tributaries and turbulence: the rough waters navigated by
ASDBSN nurses
As gravity pulls water from the headwaters of a river down-stream, other
sources such as streams and smaller rivers contribute to the greater flow.
These tributaries influence the main body of the river, adding to its character.
Sometimes, the confluence of a trib-utary creates turbulence in the river. In
much the same manner, the ASDBSN prepared nurses' experiences are
influenced by events and situations which sometimes cause turbulence or
rough waters in their careers. The participants spoke about the turbulence
caused by these situations as necessary elements in their development as
nurses, as well as how their previous life experiences helped them
4 L. Hennessy / Nurse Education in Practice xxx (2017) 1e6
navigate this period in their careers, confirming the earlier stated assumption
that the participants’ experience in their pre-nursing careers were helpful in
their development as nurses.
“I was in the IT industry before I went into nursing school. [There's] this
new push [in healthcare] to move to computerized charting. Our division,
the hospice division, is the first one to move to it. So now, [the company]
is making me a nursing informatics instructor. My IT background
definitely helps me in my nursing practice.”
“I think [second career nurses] have a better [understanding of] the bigger
picture and the communication skills and experience in a job environment.
There's the communication and the re-sponsibility of already having a job
before, and knowing what it’s going to take. That 8-5 experience and
knowing that people are depending on you to be there, I think that
prepares you for the responsibility you're going to have [as a nurse].”
“I think that I knew how to communicate better with the phy-sicians
because I had already had a professional job. I [also] think that I was
better able to form relationships with the rest of the staff than the other
new graduates. I think that working before I was a nurse gave me an
advantage.”
4.3. The Rolling River: being a nurse
As the river rolls out over the plains, it slows a bit as it gets deeper and
wider, having absorbed the contents and quieted the turbulence of the
tributaries that fed its earlier development. Similarly, the ASDBSN prepared
nurses in this study appeared to quiet the turbulence in their careers through
finding a deeper un-derstanding of themselves as nurses. Despite the
tribulation of their early careers, they stayed in nursing practice, perhaps
moving to other units or other levels of practice, but remained nurses. This is
perhaps the most important of the themes identified in this study and one that
answers the question of whether ASDBSN nurses will stay in nursing. With
only one exception, the participants stated positive affirmations on their
decision to become nurses. Examples of some of their comments include:
“[After spending some time talking with a patient] he turned to me and he
said thank you, I think you've done more for me in this half hour than all
my therapists. That was the most rewarding thing [I had ever experienced
as a nurse]. I felt so good. I'm so grateful that I've found my niche, the
place where I can really do the most good. This is the best thing I ever
did.”
“I am so very proud of what I do. It was the best decision I ever made! It
just changed my life, I'm so glad I had the opportunity to do what I did
and I'd do it all over again if I had to start over. I love it and I know that it
changed me. I always say I didn't even know who I was before the
[ASDBSN] program.”
“I thought [that nursing] would be satisfying as a career [and now] I love
it. Every day, it's the best job I could ever have and I don't want to change.
How many people can say that they've affected that many lives? [It's] just
the reward that you get from patients and [all] the little things that you do.
And the family members, [when they say] thanks for doing a good job,
there's just something about it that I just wouldn't change. I would do it
over in a heartbeat.”
“I love being a nurse and I love working with kids. It doesn't get much
better than seeing them get better. I love my job, I'm still a happy nurse I
can't imagine doing anything else. It's the best decision I ever made.”
Only one of the participants found nursing to be unsatisfying career. This
participant presented a strong contrary case to what the other participants said
about their love of being nurses. When talking about whether to recommend
nursing to others the participant said:
“I would say, definitely think about what you're doing before you go into
the nursing field. If you have any idea that you're going to do those things
they advertise in the Johnson and Johnson commercials about saving a
life, changing the world, and making the world a better place, then don't
go into nursing. I see myself out of it in two years, tops. I don't know
[where I'll go]. Somewhere that's not nursing. Probably IT, because
computers never lie, never hurt their offspring. I'm just going to quietly let
go, [I] probably won't even mention it on a resume.”
4.4. The delta: being a member of the profession of nursing
As a river system reaches the end of its course, it spreads out and splits up
into multiple small, shallow channels called a delta. Ultimately, the delta
mixes its fresh water with the saltier composition of the ocean. The ASDBSN
educated nurse does the same. These nurses have experienced both turbulent
and calm waters in their careers. Upon entering the delta, the river that is the
lived experience of the ASDBSN educated nurse joins with the profession of
nursing as a whole, with desires to continue their education, honor the
profession and experience the many options offered. Comments which
illustrate this final theme of the study include:
“If I get bored with women's health, I can be hospice nurse, I can transfer
to the Emergency department, or I could work in the operating room. I can
stay home with my kids while they are young and go back to nursing later.
The possibilities are endless. I can [work] when I want and where I want.
There are just so many opportunities.”
“I know that in general, the public really trusts nurses and I want it to stay
that way. I want us to continue to be a trusted field and a highly educated
field.”
“The rest of the plan is to get a master's degree in nursing. I'm thinking
about a nurse practitioner or certified nurse anesthetist. I think that's an
important thing in [nursing], to keep learning.”
5. Consolidating the lived experience of the ASDBSN prepared
nurses
Combining the collective experiences of the participants in an interpretive
phenomenological study allows for the construction of what is called a
paradigm case. It is a description or consolidation of the findings which is
representative of the phenomenon being researched (Benner, 1994). Further,
and more importantly, con-structing such a description from the data allows
for a deeper un-derstanding of the phenomenon. Such is the case with this
research study. What follows is the paradigm case of the lived experience of
the ASDBSN prepared nurse.
5.1. Assertion 1: motivation to become a nurse
The ASDBSN prepared nurse is primarily drawn to nursing out of a desire
to assist, serve, and/or care for other people in terms of
Please cite this article in press as: Hennessy, L., The lived experience of registered nurses educated in accelerated second
degree bachelor of science in nursing programs: A hermeneutic phenomenological research study, Nurse Education in
Practice (2017), http://dx.doi.org/ 10.1016/j.nepr.2017.09.010
 L. Hennessy / Nurse Education in Practice xxx (2017) 1e6
their health and overall functioning as human beings. Even when fully
engaged in their nursing practice, the ASDBSN graduate con-tinues to want
to serve although some go on to serve in different clinical settings, or in
advanced practice. Confirming this assertion are studies by Aktan et al.
(2009), Siler et al. (2008), and Raines (2011). In all three studies, it was
determined that students entered ASDBSN programs out of a desire to serve
others, as well as a desire to utilize the skills acquired in their first careers.
5.2. Assertion 2: the ASDBSN prepared Nurse's use of their previous career
experience
The ASDBSN prepared nurse enters nursing practice full of trepidation
and excitement. The period of transition from student nurse to practicing
nurse carries challenges and not a little frustra-tion as he/she learns to
navigate the health care culture. ASDBSN prepared nurses deal with common
issues associated with profes-sional nursing practice at both the entry level
and later on in their careers. However, they feel well prepared for the
challenges and use skills and professional maturity gained in previous careers
to answer these challenges. The maturity the nurses bring to the practice,
along with solid interpersonal communications skills gained through previous
professional and life experiences, aids in negotiating this transitional period
and in establishing the nurse as a practicing nurse. This assertion is consistent
with the results of a series of studies by Raines and Sipes (2007) and Raines
(2009, 2013).
5.3. Assertion 3: the ASD-BSN prepared Nurse's love for the career of
nursing
First and foremost, ASDBSN prepared nurses love being a nurse and
believe that entering nursing was the best decision they ever made, indicating
a high degree of job satisfaction. They intend to remain in nursing in the
future, perhaps in different roles or as advance practice nurses, but they are
proud to be members of a honored and respected profession. This assertion is
supported by the work of Raines (2009, 2013) in which a sample of ASDBSN
graduates from a single university were surveyed after graduation and at 5
years. The nurses interviewed indicated satisfaction with their careers,
aspirations of advancing their educations, and commitment to the practice of
nursing.
5.4. Assertion 4: the ASDBSN prepared nurse as a member of the nursing
profession
ASDBSN prepared nurses are committed to continuing their nursing
careers, seeing themselves as members of a noble and honorable profession.
They value the diverse opportunities pre-sented by nursing and consider
lifelong learning a professional obligation. They are highly likely to pursue
graduate nursing edu-cation and are proud of being a nurse. The altruism that
brought them to the profession persists as they advance professionally, the
desire to help others continues to motivate them. This assertion echoes the
results of two studies involving ASD-BSN prepared nurses (Brewer et al.,
2009; Raines and Sipes, 2007).
6. Implications
The findings of this study have implications for nursing educa-tion and the
nursing profession as a whole. Programs of this nature need to continue to be
offered in order to allow those persons who have a non-nursing baccalaureate
degree to gain rapid entry into the nursing workforce. Despite a transient
easing of the current nursing shortage due to the poor economic conditions,
the under-lying reasons for it have not disappeared. There is every reason to
Please cite this article in press as: Hennessy, L., The lived experience of registered nurses educated in accelerated second degree bachelor of science in nursing
programs: A hermeneutic phenomenological research study, Nurse Education in Practice (2017), http://dx.doi.org/ 10.1016/j.nepr.2017.09.010
5
believe that a strengthening economy will result in an exodus of older nurses
from the profession and a return to pre-2009 regis-tered nurse vacancy rates
(Auerbach et al., 2015, 2017; Buchan et al., 2015; Buerhaus and Auerbach,
2009; Snavely, 2016). Thus, the need for increased production of
baccalaureate prepared nurses who will remain in the profession is expected
to persist well into the future.
This study also demonstrated that ASDBSN prepared nurses add a
valuable dimension to the nursing workforce by virtue of their professional
and personal maturity. The skepticism surrounding their role in the profession
and the resistance to adopting an alternate mechanism for entry level nursing
education have been addressed, both by this study and the many other studies
of this population that have been published. ASDBSN prepared nurses are
committed to nursing practice, to continuing their education and to the
profession as whole. They represent a sub population of the nursing
workforce that merits continued study with regard to their contribution to the
profession.
7. Limitations
Phenomenological research, like most types of qualitative research, lacks
the generalizability of quantitative research. Further, the voluntary nature of
participation in this study may have resulted in this study not accurately
reflecting the overall experi-ences of ASDBSN prepared nurses, given that
those who are dissatisfied in nursing may have already exited the profession
and, as a result, were unable to be recruited for this study. Finally, recruiting
for this study was much more difficult than anticipated. It proved to be very
difficult to identify and locate ASDBSN gradu-ates in the nursing workforce
as there exists no central registry for them and once registered and in practice
they are not identified as ASDBSN graduates. Registered nurses who
graduated from ASDBSN programs are simply included in the graduate
listings and licensure data bases as being BSN prepared.
8. Conclusion
This hermeneutic phenomenological study explored the lived experience
of registered nurses educated in an ASDBSN program. The themes that
emerged from the study were illustrated by a model analogous to a river
system. Through this study a deeper understanding of how these nurses
experience nursing has been presented and the conclusion can be drawn that
they are well in-tegrated into the profession. It is now understood that, not
unlike most nurses, ASDBSN prepared nurses experience challenges in their
practice, challenges that they believe their previous career experiences help
them overcome. It is also understood that despite these challenges, they have
very high levels of job satisfaction and, as a result, intend to stay in nursing
practice. Their intent to stay in the profession was evident in their enthusiasm
about their career choice when interviewed. This study, coupled with others
directed at ASDBSN prepared experiences in nursing, demonstrates that
ASDBSN nurses can be a vital and important subset of the nursing workforce
and that skepticism about whether they will stay in the profession are proving
to be unfounded.
Conflict of interest
None/Not Applicable.
Funding sources
This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in
the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.
6 L. Hennessy / Nurse Education in Practice xxx (2017) 1e6
Ethical approval
This study was approval by the New Mexico State University Institutional
Review Board. Informed consent was obtained for all participants.
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