Seamless Academic Progression in Nursing Education: A Qualitative Descriptive Study.

Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate programs throughout the United States for seamless academic progression from associate degree nursing (ADN) to baccalaureate degree nursing programs (BSN).
Background: Seamless academic progression has been shown to have a positive effect on increasing the proportion of BSN nurses. Goals to increase the number of BSN-prepared nurses have not been met.
Method: A qualitative descriptive study was conducted to assess how nurse administrators of ADN programs move toward seamless academic progression for students.
Results: Three themes that described the current state of seamless progression emerged from the data: a) ongoing communication between program leaders, students, and stakeholders; b) development of pathways that enable seamless academic progression; and c) stakeholder influence on academic progression.
Conclusion: Administrators who participated in this study shared that their progression programs were in the early developmental stages.
Competing Interests: The author has declared no conflict of interest.
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