Stressors identified by RN/BSN adult learners returning to college to obtain a baccalaureate degree in nursing

The current controversy over the type of formal education needed by registered nurses has resulted in an influx of associate-degree and diploma-prepared nurses into baccalaureate nursing programs. This study presented the results of a survey used to identify stressors that RN/BSN adult learners encountered when returning to school to earn a baccalaureate degree. The respondents included 60 registered nurses from both associate degree and diploma programs who had either graduated or were currently enrolled in a BSN completion program at a small private mid-western college. The results of the survey substantiated the presence of stressors during the educational experience but that these stressors were not sufficient enough to adversely affect the students completion of the program