One year later: reflections and work activities of accelerated second-degree bachelor of science in nursing graduates.

PURPOSE

This article shares the reflections and work activities of a cohort of graduates from an accelerated bachelor of science in nursing program. This survey was conducted following the 1-year anniversary of the students' graduation.

SOURCE OF INFORMATION

Information for this study came from a mailed survey completed by program graduates.

CONCLUSIONS

These graduates perceived that they had been effectively prepared through their program of study. Graduates' perception that they had a knowledge base for management of patient care is further evidence that accelerated programs can be successful in conveying an understanding of discipline-specific concepts and professional judgment. An important finding for the nursing workforce is that retention of these graduates is better than the norm. In addition, if the finding of the percentage of students planning to remain at the bedside is a consistent finding in future studies, this population of nurses may provide stability of the nurses practicing in the acute care setting.