A Continuing Mission: Development of a Veterans' Baccalaureate Nursing Program

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Veteran Affairs
• Higher Education Policy

Background:

• Over two million veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts require civilian career preparation.
• Student veterans face challenges accessing educational benefits like the GI Bill, college credit for military training, and adapting to academic environments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the development and impact of a Veterans Baccalaureate Nursing (VBSN) program.
• To address the specific needs of student veterans pursuing nursing degrees.

Main Methods:

• Implementation of a VBSN program offering academic structure and dedicated case management.
• Development of policies allowing student veterans to receive college credit for military training and experience.

Main Results:

• The VBSN program demonstrated significant growth, expanding from three to 29 enrolled students.
• The program has successfully graduated 34 students.

Conclusions:

• The VBSN program effectively meets the educational and support needs of student veterans.
• This initiative contributes to increasing the number of qualified professionals in the nursing workforce.