Direct articulation of AD nursing students into an RN-to-BSN completion program: a research study

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Higher Education Policy

Background:

• Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) programs form a primary pathway to registered nursing licensure.
• RN-to-BSN programs offer advanced education for ADN graduates.
• Direct articulation policies impact student progression and educational efficiency.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the educational validity of direct credit transfer from ADN to RN-BSN programs.
• To determine if ADN graduates meet upper-division nursing program entry requirements.
• To inform policy regarding articulation agreements in nursing education.

Main Methods:

• Comparative analysis of nursing curricula content.
• Statistical evaluation of student performance using the ACT-PEP validation battery.
• Assessment of academic records, including GPA, for ADN graduates.

Main Results:

• A common core of content exists between associate and baccalaureate nursing curricula.
• Transferring ADN credits into RN-BSN programs is educationally defensible.
• No significant difference in composite scores was found between ADN seniors from NLN-accredited programs and university candidates (GPA ≥ 2.75).

Conclusions:

• Direct articulation for ADN students into RN-BSN programs is supported by the findings.
• A general policy for direct articulation from state-approved, NLN-accredited ADN programs is recommended.
• La Salle University faculty recommended adopting direct articulation for RN-to-BSN admissions.