title: Expanding Capacity With an Accelerated On-Line BSN Program.
abstract: Colleges of nursing are challenged to identify innovative, efficient, and effective mechanisms to expand enrollment in prelicensure programs. This objective of this project was to identify whether a prelicensure nursing program that is both accelerated and on-line is as effective as a traditional face-to-face program, in terms of graduation rates and National Council Licensure Exam pass rates.
  
  
  METHODS
  This analysis of 1,064 students compared demographic and outcomes data between students in a state university's college of nursing who were enrolled in an accelerated, fully on-line bachelors of science in nursing (BSN) program and the traditional on-campus BSN program.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Students significantly differed in their ethnicity, level of prior education, and graduation rates (95% vs. 89.3%). First-time National Council Licensure Exam pass rates for both groups did not significantly differ (92.5% vs. 94.5%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results indicate that an accelerated on-line BSN program can overcome factors known to limit capacity expansion in schools of nursing and produce high-quality student outcomes.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Assistant Professor, University of Texas at Arlington, College of Nursing and Health Innovation, Box 19407, Arlington, TX 76019-0407.. Electronic address: Marie_Lindley@baylor.edu.
authors.forename: Marie Kelly
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Lindley
authors.affiliation: Retired Assistant Dean, University of Texas at Arlington, College of Nursing and Health Innovation, Box 19407, Arlington, TX 76019-0407.. Electronic address: ashwill@uta.edu.
authors.forename: Regina
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ashwill
authors.affiliation: Clinical Associate Professor, University of Texas at Arlington, College of Nursing and Health Innovation, Box 19407, Arlington, TX 76019-0407. Electronic address: cipher@uta.edu.
authors.forename: Daisha J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Cipher
authors.affiliation: Senior Associate Dean, University of Texas at Arlington, College of Nursing and Health Innovation, Box 19407, Arlington, TX 76019-0407. Electronic address: mancini@uta.edu.
authors.forename: Mary E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Mancini
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003479:Curriculum; D020375:Education, Distance / Q000379:methods*; D004508:Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008004:Licensure / Q000592:standards*; D008297:Male; D015402:Nursing Education Research; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013338:Students, Nursing
keywords: Accelerated; BSN; Index words; On-line; Prelicensure