| During the past decade, prior learning assessment (PLA) has become a more prevalent issue within nursing education. At most universities, baccalaureate nursing programs for registered nurses consist of lesser credit requirements as a result of a fixed number of credits being granted for diploma nursing education. Yet, recognition in the form of academic credits for personal experiential knowledge gained through nursing practice, non-credit clinical specialty courses or other non-formal means remains inconsistent. In this study, the hermeneutic phenomenological human science research approach proposed by Max van Manen (1984; 1990; 1997) was used to gain a deeper understanding of the lived experience of registered nurses with PLA in a baccalaureate nursing program This research generates implications and insights that inform universities, nursing programs, and professional nursing associations about the relevance of PLA to nursing education. |
