The development of an innovative mentorship experience for an online RN-to-BSN program

The Institute of Medicine, Carnegie Foundation and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) initially accelerated the movement to increase the number of Baccalaureate (BSN) prepared nurses in the workforce. Research demonstrated lower mortality rates, fewer medication errors and positive outcomes linked to nurses prepared at the BSN and higher levels. The purpose of this article is to describe the steps utilized in the development of an innovative mentorship project that provides mentored clinical practice experiences to students enrolled in an RN-to-BSN program delivered 100% online. This mentorship project was developed with two main aims in mind: 1) To develop two quality clinical practice mentorship experiences for online RN-to-BSN students and 2) To provide a process for the implementation and evaluation of the clinical practice mentorship experiences.

What It's Like to be Poor: Teaching RN-to-BSN StudentsAbout Poverty

Because simulation in nursing school is used to allow nursing students a safe place to practice skills, it may not be widely used with RN-to-BSN students who are already registered nurses but are returning to school to earn their Bachelor of Science in Nursing degrees. But what if the simulation was presented differently, and the students were not the practitioners, but the recipients of services? RN-to-BSN students in a combined face-to-face and online program at a public research university in the Southeastern United States participated in a Community Action Poverty Simulation to better understand what people in poverty go through on a daily basis, hopefully helping these practicing nurses see beyond the bedside when providing patient care. This article describes the use of simulation with RN-to-BSN students to experientially introduce them to the concepts of poverty, social determinants of health, and vulnerable populations.