Beyond Articulation Agreements: Expanding the Pipeline for Baccalaureate Nursing in Ohio.

Aim: This article discusses a regionally located approach to seamless nursing education progression in Ohio. The Ohio Action Coalition supported nursing programs in creating educational pathways involving cooperative efforts of academia and clinical practice to provide access for students to achieve a baccalaureate degree.

Background: The Ohio Action Coalition was formed in 2011 and received its first State Implementation Program grant in 2013, with a major focus on promoting seamless academic progression models.

Reducing Barriers for RN-BSN Education: The Assessment Competency Evaluation.

The Northeast Team of the Ohio Action Coalition, composed of regional clinical and academic educators, identified a potential barrier for nurses pursuing a baccalaureate degree. Duplication of health assessment content was identified for some associate degree graduates enrolled in RN-BSN programs, thereby adding extra time and cost for attaining the baccalaureate degree. In response, the Northeast Team of the Ohio Action Coalition developed an assessment competency evaluation that, if successfully passed, would grant credit for the health assessment course.