Access to graduate education for registered nurses with nonnursing baccalaureate degrees

This article reports a study to evaluate an option for alternate access to graduate nursing education for 85 registered nurses with nonnursing baccalaureate degrees. Using the National League for Nursing Comprehensive Achievement Test (NLN-CAT) to assess knowledge together with successful completion of a special course designed by the faculty, these applicants were admitted to an accredited graduate program in the Lienhard School of Nursing (LSN), Pace University, Pleasantville, NY. The study describes 6 full years of experience using this option. The theoretical rationale; a content analysis for the congruency of content among the NLN-CAT; the terminal objectives of the LSN baccalaureate program; the course outlines and objectives of required upper division baccalaureate nursing courses; and the content of the faculty-designed course, Matrices of Nursing Practice (NUR 589) are presented. Evaluation of NUR 589 for addressing the educational gaps of these students was based on the content analysis described together with the content analysis of the 23 NLN-CAT items incorrectly answered by 50 per cent (N = 12) of successful test takers defined as those who scored at the 70th percentile and higher. Of the 85 successful candidates, 22 did not enter the program, 20 entered and did not complete the program, and 43 were graduated, 6 with distinction. Their grade point averages (GPAs) ranged from 3.37 to 4.00. Results support this method of selection of qualified candidates for graduate education.