Students' Experiences of Studying in an Accelerated BSN Program in Taiwan

Introduction Today's global nursing shortage is having an adverse impact on health systems around the world and in Taiwan. Many universities in the United States have implemented accelerated BSN (ABSN) programs to create a shortcut for students who have bachelor's degrees in other fields to become nurses. Previous studies have revealed that students feel stress during the programs, especially in their first year. Students' first-year experiences in an ABSN program in the Taiwanese context are worthy of study. Study aim The purpose of the study was to understand nursing students' first-year experiences in an ABSN program in Taiwan. Design A qualitative research design was used in this study. Setting and participations A total of 25 students from a university in central Taiwan participated in this study to share their first-year experiences of studying in an ABSN program. Methods Data were collected from 3 focus group interviews and students' written reflections and were analyzed by qualitative content analysis with the help of ATLAS.ti 7.0. Findings Five themes were identified: (1) pursuing a brighter future, (2) positively facing doubts (3) challenges of surviving, (4) changing their learning attitudes and methods, and (5) seeking support. Conclusions The findings of this study may help nursing schools to provide the support students need and serve school administrators as a reference for refining such programs in the future.