Cassel Busse
Acadia University School of Nursing
Canada
Abstract Title: Compressed Direct-Entry Baccalaureate Nursing Programs: A Scoping Review
Biography: Dr. Cassel Busse is a registered nurse and Director of the School of Nursing at Acadia University in Nova Scotia, Canada. Tasked with building a brand-new undergraduate nursing program, Dr. Busse’s research emerges out of a quest for greater evidence behind the decisions made in nursing education. Prior to her academic work, Dr. Busse has worked as an advanced practice lead and registered nurse in psychiatry, addictions, family health, and subacute medicine.
Research Interest: Healthcare systems worldwide face persistent registered nurse shortages, prompting educational innovation to accelerate workforce preparation. One emerging response is the adoption of compressed three-year undergraduate nursing programs that admit students directly from secondary school without prior university education. While accelerated post-graduate and second-degree pathways are well studied, these direct-entry compressed models remain poorly understood. As nursing educators explore alternative program structures to meet system demands, it is essential to evaluate whether compression supports student learning, professional readiness, and successful transition to practice. This scoping review mapped existing peer-reviewed and grey literature on compressed direct-entry undergraduate nursing programs, with attention to student experience and transition outcomes. Guided by Arksey and O’Malley’s framework and JBI methodology, a two-pronged search strategy was employed to address limited and fragmented scholarship. Sources published after 2005 in English and focused on compressed or accelerated first-degree nursing programs were screened using JBI SUMARI. The search yielded 1,145 peer-reviewed articles and 160 grey literature sources; only two publications met eligibility criteria, both derived from the same U.S. doctoral research in 2010. This striking lack of evidence highlights a substantial gap in nursing education scholarship. As compressed pathways continue to expand, major educational and workforce decisions are being made without empirical support. Rigorous research is urgently needed to evaluate educational quality, learner outcomes, and workforce impact, ensuring that innovative program models strengthen graduate preparedness, professional resilience, and long-term contributions to global healthcare systems. Key Words: Undergraduate Nursing; Nursing Education; Compressed Nursing Programs; Accelerated Nursing Programs; Nursing Shortage