Abstract
Background: There is an estimated shortage of 16,000 nurses entering the workforce annually.1 Additionally, roughly 23% of existing nurses are scheduled to retire within five years.2 In the rural state of this study, only 76% of nursing positions are filled.3 The ongoing shortage is further exacerbated through national challenges in numbers of nursing school applications, acceptance, enrollment, and completion.4 Despite these challenges, there is a strong interest in pursuing a nursing career.5 Innovative approaches are needed to address these longstanding workforce issues. We developed and implemented a novel fast-track BSN program to facilitate earlier graduation and entry into nursing practice.
Purpose: Therefore, the purpose of this project was to evaluate students’ perceptions of the fast-track BSN program.
Methods: All students in the fast-track program (n = 38) were provided an electronic survey. The survey included Likert scale questions pertaining to the fast-track didactic and clinical components. Participants also answered open-ended questions regarding specific clinical experiences and the fast-track program as a whole.
Results: Half (n = 19) responded to the survey. Overall, the fast-track program has been well-received; 89.4% rated the fast-track as beneficial (i.e., “definitely yes”). Most (78%) highly recommend the program to others and rate the coursework as manageable. Participants provided robust insight into perceived didactic and clinical strengths, opportunities for improvement, and overall fast-track format.
Conclusions and Implications: The fast-track BSN program offers a unique opportunity for highly motivated students to enter into nursing practice earlier than a traditional BSN program. This may help improve the workforce by producing nurses in a reduced timeline. The fast-track option may also encourage increased enrollment in the nursing program, thus producing more nurses through novel means.
Notes
References:
1. Hoover, M., Lucy, I., & Mahoney, K. (2024, January). Data deep dive: A national nursing crisis. United States Chamber of Commerce. Retrieved from https://www.uschamber.com/workforce/nursing-workforce-data-center-a-national-nursing-crisis
2. American Association of Colleges of Nursing. (2024, May). Nursing shortage fact sheet. Retrieved from https://www.aacnnursing.org/news-data/fact-sheets/nursing-shortage
3. Brawner, S. (2023). AHA study: State short of nurses, other professions. Talk Business & Politics. Retrieved from https://talkbusiness.net/2023/01/aha-study-state-short-of-nurses-other-professions/Arkansas-in-2021-had-only-care-workers-in-crucial-areas
4. American Association of Colleges of Nursing. (2024, April). New AACN data points to enrollment challenges facing U.S. schools of nursing. Retrieved from https://www.aacnnursing.org/news-data/all-news/new-aacn-data-points-to-enrollment-challenges-facing-us-schools-of-nursing
5. American Association of Colleges of Nursing. (2025, June). Schools of nursing enrollment increases across most program levels, signaling strong interest in nursing careers. Retrieved from https://www.aacnnursing.org/news-data/all-news/schools-of-nursing-enrollment-increases-across-most-program-levels-signaling-strong-interest-in-nursing-careers
Sigma Membership
Gamma Xi at-Large
Type
Poster
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
Other
Research Approach
Other
Keywords:
Workforce, Curriculum Development, Teaching and Learning Strategies, Teaching Methods, Learning Strategies, Advances in Education, Nursing Education
Recommended Citation
Trotter, Stephanie; Beasley, Brittany; McFerguson, Rochelle; Ward, Nicole; Jones, Jamie; and Rainey, Larronda, "Implementation and Evaluation of an Innovative Fast-Track Prelicensure Nursing Program" (2026). International Nursing Research Congress (INRC). 80.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/inrc/2026/posters_2026/80
Conference Name
37th International Nursing Research Congress
Conference Host
Sigma Theta Tau International
Conference Location
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Conference Year
2026
Rights Holder
All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record. All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository. All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.
Review Type
Abstract Review Only: Reviewed by Event Host
Acquisition
Proxy-submission
Date of Issue
2026-08-27
Implementation and Evaluation of an Innovative Fast-Track Prelicensure Nursing Program
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Background: There is an estimated shortage of 16,000 nurses entering the workforce annually.1 Additionally, roughly 23% of existing nurses are scheduled to retire within five years.2 In the rural state of this study, only 76% of nursing positions are filled.3 The ongoing shortage is further exacerbated through national challenges in numbers of nursing school applications, acceptance, enrollment, and completion.4 Despite these challenges, there is a strong interest in pursuing a nursing career.5 Innovative approaches are needed to address these longstanding workforce issues. We developed and implemented a novel fast-track BSN program to facilitate earlier graduation and entry into nursing practice.
Purpose: Therefore, the purpose of this project was to evaluate students’ perceptions of the fast-track BSN program.
Methods: All students in the fast-track program (n = 38) were provided an electronic survey. The survey included Likert scale questions pertaining to the fast-track didactic and clinical components. Participants also answered open-ended questions regarding specific clinical experiences and the fast-track program as a whole.
Results: Half (n = 19) responded to the survey. Overall, the fast-track program has been well-received; 89.4% rated the fast-track as beneficial (i.e., “definitely yes”). Most (78%) highly recommend the program to others and rate the coursework as manageable. Participants provided robust insight into perceived didactic and clinical strengths, opportunities for improvement, and overall fast-track format.
Conclusions and Implications: The fast-track BSN program offers a unique opportunity for highly motivated students to enter into nursing practice earlier than a traditional BSN program. This may help improve the workforce by producing nurses in a reduced timeline. The fast-track option may also encourage increased enrollment in the nursing program, thus producing more nurses through novel means.
Description
The nursing workforce is consistently facing a shortage, further impacted by less-than-optimal enrollment in nursing schools. A novel fast-track program was developed and implemented to allow students to complete traditional BSN nursing education in a shortened timeframe. Participants in the fast-track program evaluated their clinical and didactic experiences as generally highly favorable and beneficial. The fast-track program facilitates earlier graduation and entry into practice.