The general decline of the Diploma in Nursing (DIP) nurse has been a product of nursing governing bodies and their views on patient care needs. Although all nurses must pass the same NCLEX-RN exam to become a registered nurse (RN), DIP nurses are not educated in management, research, and other advanced areas, but they are trained and needed for entry-level nursing care. The problem addressed in this study is that diploma in nursing programs (DIPs) are being phased out in nursing education and this phase-out is exacerbating the nursing shortage. The purpose of this qualitative narrative study was to document nursing educators, clinical coordinators, and current DIP students and DIP graduate's experiences in developing a diploma nursing program at a career and technical center in a rural area in Southeast Ohio to help alleviate the nursing shortage. The purposive sample was four separate groups: two nursing educators instrumental in developing the diploma nursing program, two clinical coordinators from area hospitals, seven DIP graduates and seven current DIP students. The data collection method was one-on-one interviews involving four different participant groups using three different open-ended questions interview guides, specific to each group. This study documents that a DIP is one way to lessen the nursing shortage in rural areas, and this could be a solution for other rural and urban areas in the U.S. with nursing shortages. However, the profession calls for nurses to practice the highest standards of nursing care, so DIP nurses need to continue their academic pathways to BSN completion after receiving their RN licensure. Nursing accreditation bodies could reconsider the usefulness of DIPs to train beginner nurses and encourage and accredit such programs. One recommendation is for more research to be conducted on what qualifications nursing organizations think entry-leveled RNs need to possess. [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.]