Profile of non-nurse college graduates enrolled in accelerated baccalaureate curricula: results of a national study.

The rapid growth of accelerated baccalaureate curricula for non-nurse college graduates has been viewed as a critical strategy in efforts to address the projected nursing shortfall of 1.2 million registered nurses by the year 2014. While these programs have proliferated over the past decade, research has been limited to descriptions of students and their performance in selected programs.The purpose of this national study was to survey non-nurse college graduates enrolled in accelerated baccalaureate programs throughout the United States in order to identify the factors influencing program and career selection and provide a contemporary profile of these students.The results of this study provide a clearer understanding of this population in relation to their motivation, academic backgrounds, and their unique personal and educational needs.