How Nurses Can Make the Transition into Advanced Roles Easier

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Are you curious about what you can do with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing? Whether you are currently working in the field or are seeking a career with room for ongoing professional growth, nursing offers a number of opportunities beyond what you might imagine. In fact, nursing is a journey in which you can continue achieving new heights if you understand just what is available to you. It wouldn’t be a stretch of the imagination to say that this is one career in which the sky is the limit. Are you seeking a career with ample opportunities for growth and a solid future? Consider the following about just how easy it is for nurses to make the transition to advanced roles.

Addressing an Extreme Need in the Field

It is a fact that in the field of medicine, the need is much greater than the resources available at this time. From lab technicians to doctors, nurses, pathologists and beyond, there is a dire shortage of qualified professionals. In the State of Texas alone, for example, the shortage of nurses is the second highest of anywhere in the country. It is estimated that by the year 2030, at least one million nurses will retire in the United States alone, with a huge number of those now practicing in the Lone Star State.

Within a decade, the shortage will be so severe that many hospitals and clinics will be operating with what amounts to as a skeleton crew. In order to fill the void, many universities and colleges are providing alternatives to traditional campus education so that a greater number of students can advance their careers as they continue working in their current places of employment.

How One Texas University Addresses the Need

When it comes to nursing, schools like Baylor University have made it easy for practicing nurses or those seeking a degree in nursing to further their education through distance education. With their innovative accelerated BSN programs online, those students with the required prerequisites can take 62 credits online to receive their Bachelor of Science in Nursing.

Many prospective nurses are entering the field from other disciplines through programs just like this. It makes it easy to transition into advance roles within nursing while continuing a full-time job. The only time it is required to be on campus is during clinicals and the requisite two-week visit just prior to clinicals. Not only does this enable practicing nurses to receive their BSN, but it also enables those changing professions to do so smoothly while studying for a new career.

A BSN as a Launch Pad for Advanced Careers in Nursing

Once a student earns a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, they can work in the field while taking time to consider just how far up the ladder they would like to climb. With a BSN, a nurse is prepared for careers such as:

  • Nurse Practitioner

  • Midwife

  • Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner

  • Nurse Anesthetist

  • College Professor

And, that is just the start of the careers that require advanced degrees and certification within the profession. However, it is important to note that a BSN is required prior to entry into graduate school, and this is why an accelerated BSN program makes a great deal of sense. It is possible to work in the field as a nurse while advancing step by step to higher levels of nursing.

How Distance Education Makes Life Easier

In today’s world, few students have the luxury of studying full time without working at the very same time. No matter what field of study you are in and no matter what kind of scholarship you have earned, there are bills that must be paid. Even full scholarships don’t often include the cost of living, so it is necessary to work to pay the rent, cover the costs of food and utilities, and cover other expenses necessary in day to day life.

As a student in distance education, you can choose your own hours of study around your schedule. If you work days, you can study nights, and vice versa. The only time set schedules might be an issue is if your advisor sets up a video conference or, again, those few weeks you would be required to be on campus or involved in clinicals. Even students with families can advance their careers in nursing because of the flexibility distance education offers.

Additional Benefits to Advancing Your Career Online

There are several other benefits to online education you may not have considered. Perhaps the most attractive benefit would be the fact that you can literally ‘attend classes’ as you are. Whether you are in your pajamas or bathing suit in the heat of summer, no one is any the wiser. There is no need for setting a clothing budget and as mentioned earlier, you can study at any time of the day or night so that you literally set your own hours.

Then there is the fact that when you study online, you can pause whenever you need a break. There is no walking out on a lecture only to ask another student for their notes upon your return. You simply need to pause whatever screen you are on and continue when you return. Also, travel expenses are minimal as are upkeep on vehicles. The savings most students realize are incentive enough to advance their careers online with distance education.

With nursing being the largest career within healthcare, it is possible to see why advanced degrees in nursing are on the rise. As of 2018, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing stated that there were more than 3.8 million nurses (RNs) employed at that time with a great number of them pursuing advancements within their areas of specialization through distance learning. Perhaps the best way to sum up the whole notion of advancing your career through online education would be in the words of Charles Darwin.

It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.”

You can change or advance your career easier through distance learning, and that is something even the great Charles Darwin may not have foreseen those many years ago.