Teaching experiences of second degree accelerated baccalaureate nursing faculty

Despite the extraordinary growth of accelerated second degree baccalaureate nursing programs, little research has been conducted about the experiences of faculty teaching these students. Using a hermeneutic phenomenological approach, this study explored the experiences of 14 accelerated second degree baccalaureate faculty from the eastern region of the United States. The data revealed that many faculty teaching second degree students feel unprepared and want guidance on how to teach these students, which was identified in the theme, Figuring It Out On My Own. This article describes this study and the implications of this theme for faculty recruitment and retention in accelerated second degree baccalaureate nursing programs.