Returning to school: experiences of female baccalaureate registered nurse students

Most nurses enter the profession at the associate degree (AD) level, however, the link between nursing education and patient outcomes supports the need for nurses to be educated at the baccalaureate level. The purpose of this phenomenological study of 11 AD nurses enrolled in a baccalaureate nursing program was to describe their perspectives on returning to school. The central question for this study was: "What are the experiences of RNs who return to school for a bachelor's degree after being nurses for at least 3 years?" A total of 11 baccalaureate nursing students were interviewed. Applying a phenomenological data analysis method, the researchers identified four themes in the context of juggling everything that was important in these students' lives: going back, sacrifices, managing, and rewards. Implications for nursing education and practice are made, including the need to encourage, support, and facilitate the process for nurses returning to school.