Recent trends in healthcare and an ever-increasing nursing shortage provide clear rationale for examining a broad array of issues related to educational delivery methods associated with professional nursing. Focused inquiry in regard to the student's lived experience within an alternative graduate educational program is necessary to determine why students select such programs over traditional options, factors they deem critical to their success, key descriptors of the learning experience, and the essence of meaning of that experience. This book is derived from an interpretive phenomenological study examining the lived experiences of 14 graduates of alternative graduate Masters level nursing programs. These participants were all recent graduates of 3 universities in the Western United States. All were enrolled in a graduate nursing program track using alternative methods of instructional delivery. Although this study was conducted in the Western United States, alternative instructional delivery is of worldwide interest and the information derived from examining these lived experiences may prove to be of benefit to individuals and universities elsewhere.

Mikel W. Hand, EdD,MSN,RN,OCN,CNA,BC is currently Assistant Professor of Nursing and Coordinator of the Master of Science in Nursing Program at California State University San Bernardino. His professional career spans nearly 2 decades and is inclusive of research, administration, education and clinical practice.