The voices of online RN-BS students during the COVID-19 pandemic

The need for associate degree nurses to advance their education to replace the nursing workforce will be crit-ical in the next decade. This qualitative descriptive study explored the experiences and challenges of nurses completing their educational journey in a RN-BS program during the COVID-19 pandemic. Four focus group interviews were conducted with a total of 20 RN-BS students. Data analysis revealed four themes; pulled in many directions, faculty understanding, resilience and opening doors. The COVID-19 pandemic and the cur-rent nursing shortage presented increased challenges not experienced before for these nurses pursuing a bachelor's degree. The importance of faculty support and a caring presence during this time was a significant factor for student success.(c) 2022 Organization for Associate Degree Nursing. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.