The ability of student nurses to utilize clinical reasoning skills in the clinical environment is essential to safe and effective patient care. The purpose of this study was to examine if a difference in clinical reasoning skills exists between the traditional and accelerated baccalaureate nursing programs, and the determining factors that may cause the difference. A descriptive comparative design was used to determine any differences that existed between the two groups. The population consisted of baccalaureate nursing (BSN) students enrolled in an accelerated or traditional nursing program that successfully completed their second medical-surgical clinical course. A nonprobability convenience sample consisting of 33 accelerated BSN students and 50 traditional BSN students, from three difference colleges in the Midwestern United States, was used to gather the data for this study using the Nurses Clinical Reasoning Scale survey. The data obtained was analyzed using an independent "t" test. Results indicated that there was a significant difference in the clinical reasoning skills between nursing students in the accelerated BSN program and traditional BSN program. The perception of clinical reasoning skills was higher among students in the accelerated BSN program, than it was in the traditional BSN program. Based on these results, there may be a link between the level of clinical reasoning skills and the use of reflective and experiential learning activities among nursing students in the BSN programs. Additional qualitative and mixed methods studies, focusing on both nursing students as well as nursing faculty, are recommended to provide a more in-depth evaluation and analysis on the development of clinical reasoning skills using specific reflective and experiential learning activities, both in the classroom and clinical environment. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]