Strategies to Evaluate and Enhance Accelerated Second-Degree Nursing Pathways.

Area of Science:

• Healthcare education
• Nursing workforce development

Background:

• Health systems face critical staffing shortages.
• Efficient student pipelines are essential for practice.
• Accelerated second-degree programs are vital for meeting market demands.

Purpose of the Study:

• Assess the landscape of second-degree nursing programs.
• Compare graduate-level second-degree pathways with alternatives.
• Identify strategies to optimize and sustain these programs.

Main Methods:

• Discuss the current second-degree program landscape.
• Analyze challenges within second-degree nursing education.
• Compare graduate entry pathways against other options.

Main Results:

• Second-degree programs exhibit considerable variability.
• Inconsistent nomenclature and limited data hinder assessment.
• Graduate-level pathways provide financial and career advantages.

Conclusions:

• Standardize nomenclature and data collection for second-degree programs.
• Refine program scope and requirements for consistency.
• Promote graduate-level second-degree pathways in nursing education.