Does baccalaureate nursing education for registered nurses foster professional reading?

Reading activities of registered nurses (RNs) were investigated using an untreated comparison group design study. The study group consisted of RN students (N = 60) enrolled in a baccalaureate in nursing (BSN) program at four distance education sites in northeast and central Texas who were queried about their reading activities. Total reading time of professional literature was reported at the time they started the nursing sequence of courses in their baccalaureate nursing program and 6 months after completion of these courses. The purposes of reading various types of professional literature also were identified by asking the respondent's interest, the perceived amount of application, and the commitment to reading this literature. RN counterparts at worksites of the RN-BSN students (N = 67) were respondents in the comparison group. After completing the BSN program, these nurses showed more interest in and commitment to reading and were more concerned about applying knowledge gained from reading in their nursing practice.