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Background: To achieve the growth of RN-to-Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) programs in the face of ongoing faculty shortages, many large online RN-to-BSN programs have embraced the use of academic coaches to assist with course delivery. Method: An associational analysis of data collected from academic coaches and their student and faculty evaluators was performed on a sample of academic coaches who were teaching students enrolled in a large online RN-to-BSN program. Results: The multilevel data consisted of 94 coaches who taught in 166 courses. Evaluation data from 12,004 students were captured and connected to each academic coach and course. Overall, the RN-to-BSN coaches received favorable ratings by both instructors and students alike. Conclusion: The use of academic coaches can help to expand capacity while delivering a high-quality educational experience. These results indicate that satisfaction with academic coaches has the potential to be very high, from both the students' and the faculty members' perspectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To meet the increasing demand for RNs to further their education, many colleges of nursing have developed RN-to-baccalaureate nursing (BSN) programs, many of which are delivered online. A better understanding of the demographic and academic characteristics and outcomes of individuals enrolled in online RN-to-BSN programs is needed. Method: This article reports a retrospective predictive analysis of 9,567 students enrolled in an online RN-to-BSN program. Outcome variables examined were graduation, timely graduation, and discontinuation. Results: Younger students who received financial aid and had a previous baccalaureate degree reflected the demographic profile associated with the highest likelihood of graduating and graduating sooner. Fewer failed and withdrawn courses also predicted graduation and retention. Conclusion: Implications of these findings are that when online programs are designed with persistence in mind, progression to graduation in such programs can be consistent with national benchmarks. The creation of an early identification process for at-risk students would have the potential to enhance educational outcomes even further. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A multitrait, multimethod approach was used to evaluate the validity of a hospital-based nurse competency assessment program as a mechanism for assuring compliance with the three standards for competence established by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, Inc. For selected competencies, both knowledge and skill performance were evaluated under simulated conditions and under routine patient care conditions. Under simulated conditions, pass rates on first attempts among the 368 participating nurses were high as expected (82 per cent to 94 per cent on knowledge and 75 per cent to 99 per cent on performance). Offering immediate educational feedback followed by second attempts yielded a 97 per cent overall pass rate. Competencies assessed under both simulated and patient care conditions (35 sets of observations) revealed no differences in assessed competence. The equivalence of assessments made under simulated and patient care conditions supports the validity of competency assessment programs currently in use in many large health care settings., (Copyright 2002 by W.B. Saunders Company)