Measuring the Gap Between Students' Expectations and Experiences in an RN-to-BSN Nursing Program

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Higher Education
• Online Learning

Background:

• The nursing profession demands a more educated workforce, leading to increased enrollment in RN-to-BSN programs.
• Many nursing schools are expanding RN-to-BSN programs, incorporating online learning components to meet demand.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore student expectations and perceptions of a Midwestern university's RN-to-BSN program.
• To identify quality gaps in online RN-to-BSN program delivery.

Main Methods:

• A modified SERVQUAL tool was utilized to assess student perceptions.
• Six quality dimensions were measured: empathy, assurance, responsiveness, reliability, website content, and e-learning quality.

Main Results:

• The greatest expectation-perception gap was observed in responsiveness (-0.506).
• The least significant expectation-perception gap was found in website content (-0.156).

Conclusions:

• Significant gaps exist between student expectations and perceptions in RN-to-BSN programs, particularly in responsiveness.
• Gap analysis findings will inform quality improvement measures for online nursing education programs.