RN to BSN Programs: The Social Media Perspective

AIM This article assesses and addresses common perceptions regarding RN to BSN programs. BACKGROUND Public online forums can provide educators with alternative perspectives on nursing education. Although such perspectives may, at times, be ill informed, they reflect views that shape choices regarding nursing education. Understanding diverse views equips educators with strategies that can promote degree relevance for learners. METHOD Using opportunistic sampling, a post on an anonymous, open forum for nurses with over 88,000 subscribers was retrospectively reviewed in an exploratory qualitative study to identify perceptual themes about RN to BSN programs. RESULTS Users expressed largely negative sentiments regarding the quality and value of RN to BSN coursework. CONCLUSION Evidence-based models for communication to promote the relevance of RN to BSN coursework are introduced. Such models permit nurse educators to proactively address negative perceptions of RN to BSN programs.