An associate degree in nursing is obtained in the community college setting and is designed to be completed in 2 years of full-time study. Approximately 70% of practicing registered nurses (RNs) are educated at the associate degree or diploma (vocational training) level with only 15% moving on to achieve a degree past the associate level. The purpose of this phenomenological research is to study the lived experiences of registered nurses who obtained an associate degree in nursing and, while working in a health care setting, returned to school to attain a baccalaureate degree in nursing (BSN). Data gathered during individual interviews will provide documentation of the benefits of attaining a BSN as well as identifying barriers that associate degree RNs must overcome to pursue a BSN education.

College recruitment practices have remained stagnant for quite some time. However, due to decreases in state funding and hypercompetitive applicant pools colleges must adapt their recruitment practices to remain competitive. Due to precautions and social distancing guidelines which occurred in 2020 caused by the coronavirus pandemic, college information sessions, college fairs, campus tours and other recruitment events were suspended. As such, admissions administrators were forced to rely on virtual recruitment practices, including virtual campus tours, to recruit applicants. Virtual campus tours allow colleges to expand their applicant pool by engaging with prospective students, who may not possess the required finances or ability to travel to campus. While considerable research has centered on the factors that influence the college choice process, there is a lack of research pertaining to virtual campus tours. This study reviews the influence of virtual campus tours in the college choice process by interviewing 13 matriculated college students about their experiences with virtual campus tours. This qualitative phenomenological study focuses on the role of virtual campus tours in the college choice model and their influence on perceived levels of student-institution fit.