The Use of the Barriers to Baccalaureate Nursing Education Instrument Among ADN Students: Purpose, Reliability, and Validity

Abstract

Background and PurposeChallenges abound as to the goal of “80% BSN by 2020.” This study reports the use and the psychometric properties of the Barriers to Baccalaureate Nursing Education instrument among associate degree nursing students.MethodsAnalyses included content validity, component analysis with oblique rotation, and hypothesis testing.ResultsFour factors with total variance explained of 61.24% emerged: Dispositional, Situational, and two Institutional barriers. Reliability coefficients ranged .62–.88. Group differences in subscale scores based on educational level, number of dependents, hours worked, and age were found along with correlations.ConclusionsThe instrument demonstrated adequate validity and reliability. A structural framework toward understanding the barriers to baccalaureate education among students and nurses is provided. Future studies should include psychometric testing for further refinement, validity, and reliability.