A special pathway for registered nurses with baccalaureate degrees in fields other than nursing.

In response to the need for nurses with advanced degrees, Lehman College of The City University of New York instituted a special pathway to graduate education for registered nurses with baccalaureate degrees in other disciplines. More commonly referred to as the non-BSN program, this alternative pathway has provided the opportunity for approximately 65 registered nurses to obtain the masters degree in nursing during the past six years. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of the bridge course in preparing registered nurses with baccalaureate degrees in fields other than nursing for graduate nursing education.