In 2000, one Canadian university began offering a 12-month baccalaureate program to provide registered nurses (RNs) with a condensed program to expedite baccalaureate preparation. The paucity of current literature regarding returning RNs experiences emphasized the need to explore these students perceptions regarding their educational experiences. Twelve participants were interviewed for this descriptive/exploratory study. A major theme of "surviving" emerged from the qualitative analysis. Surviving embraced the themes of "the quest", "the struggle", and "the aftermath". Implications for nursing curriculum and program development and recommendations for research are discussed.
