The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), which defines the expectations of a new baccalaureate-prepared nurse, includes a liberal education as a desired outcome for bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) graduates. A liberal education is thought to provide the professional nurse with the skills needed to practice nursing, including critical thinking, effective communication, collaboration with others, appreciation of diversity, and integration of knowledge from science and humanities in order to solve problems. In short, a liberal education enhances professional practice. Although a liberal education is thought to enhance practice, one knows very little about how it enhances practice or how BSN graduates perceive the relationship between their liberal education experiences in college and their nursing practice. This question is complicated by the fact that the BSN may be achieved in two ways. A BSN may be earned in totality through a baccalaureate-granting college or university, or the BSN may be earned through a registered nurse/bachelor of science in nursing (RN-BSN) program also known as an RN completion program. Both types of program include a liberal education component; however, the pursuit of liberal education occurs differently in the two programs. In the BSN program, liberal education is integrated with nursing education throughout the degree program, while in the RN-BSN program the courses are completed in a somewhat disconnected way. (Contains 4 tables.)