A Huge Accomplishment

On August 2015, I started the RN-BSN program with the Transition to Professional Nursing as my first course. I took one class at the time because I was working as a full time nurse at the same time. I did not take a break and started a new class each start date because I wanted to complete this program as soon as possible. The journey has been a long, hard road and the stress was constant and many times I felt that I could not complete it; it has been a difficult but very satisfying journey.

Personal growth and development is important to ensure a successful and satisfying career. My education includes an Associate’s degree in nursing, but I am presently working on my BSN. I have been out of school for many years and love my nursing career. I decided to take an online class just to see if I could do it, and I now feel challenged to finish my BSN and possibly go forward to attain my MSN. I have always enjoyed the learning from continuing education at my place of employment and online to further my nursing expertise, but I have gained much

Scholarship. During my interview for UMMC I was asked if I had a bachelor’s in nursing to which I replied no. I was hired with the agreement that I would pursue my degree with two years of working. This isn’t the ideal way someone wants to continue his or her education. It leaves a bad taste in your mouth feeling forced to pay for more education when you are already licensed as a registered Nurse. At first you feel as though all of the hard work you put into your ADN program is worth pennies because you don’t have BSN next to your name. But then you realize, nursing is no easy task. It requires all that we have learned in this program; the valued ends, presence, praxis, self-care, leadership, advocacy and now scholarship. Having completed

I am aware that this is not an easy program. I know that it will a lot of take hard work, determination, and a passion for what I am studying. I am prepared to take on the challenge. I will come to school eager learn and ready to work hard. I am prepared to manage my time, and put nursing school as my top priority. I am ready to be your student, and I know I will be successful if accepted into the BSN

Completing my bachelor’s degree in Nursing has been a personal goal of mine since I graduated with my associate’s degree in nursing. Having my BSN degree is essential for my career and personal development. Initially after graduating with my ASN, I enrolled in a BSN program and started my first class, when life happened. I was a single mother raising my 5 year old daughter, working the night shifts at Miami Children’s Hospital. I was dating my now husband and became pregnant with my second child. I ended up having to quit my job as a pediatric nurse which was my goal, to be a pediatric nurse, get my BSN and climb the ladder there. After the birth of my daughter my personal goals changed, and my academic and career goals were put on hold.

Our team practice everyday for 2 hours and our record was 23-1. We were the first team ever to win in our age division to ever win for St.Mary’s. We had a hard time in the beginning of the season. One of our best players injured her knee. She was running towards the loose ball and her knee twisted. She was out for the rest of the season. Looking back on it made me better because I learned how hard you to to practice or try to achieve your goal.

I have many reasons to return to school for bachelors’ program. One of the reasons I returned to school is to advance my career beyond being staff nurse. After I graduated from a two-year community college as an RN, I realized that I have a potential to advance my career from staff nurse to nurse practitioner. When I was in nursing school, I thought I never back to school because nurse school was so stressful. Nursery school was the hardest thing I ever did, I remembered those days.

After I graduate, I am trying to get into the RIBN Program through Asheville Buncombe Technical Community College and Western Carolina University. I know becoming a nurse is the right job for me because no matter what I am going through in life someone else’s life matters more than mine. Recently I just finished my 40 hours at the Laurels of Greentree Ridge Nursing Home; this is time that I had to spend with my Nursing Fundamentals class to be able to become a Certified Nursing Assistant. I can honestly say it was nothing compared to what I thought it was going to be. I am one who always does more than I am asked to. I go over and beyond to make someone feel comfortable because no one wants to be in a nursing home. I knew becoming a nurse was

I have an Associate Degree in nursing from Queensborough Community College. I had a Bachelor in Environmental Engineering already and I was looking for the fastest and most inexpensive way to become a nurse when I started the nursing program at Queensborough Community College. When I graduated from the nursing school, I thought that ADN would be enough to be a nurse and I could start working as soon as I got the license. Soon after passing the board, I started realized that it was very hard to find any job as a newly graduated nurse with ADN. I got pieces of advice from professors and decided to go to Molloy College to study Family Nurse Practitioner. After three courses there, even though it would be the fastest way to be an FNP with other Bachelor degree, I realized that I had no experience to share in as a nurse. I sat down and seriously thought about what I like to do.

I work at Our Lady of Bellefonte Hospital. When I was hired two years ago, I was required to sign a contract stating that I would obtain my BSN degree within 5 years of my date of hire. Luckily for me, the hospital started a scholarship program to pay the tuition for its RN’s who wanted to get their BSN. Over the last decade, there has been increasing pressure on hospitals to employ nurses with a BSN degree. It is said that this is because foundational nursing skills are

There are only five years left before the 2020 Recommendation to increase the number of registered nurses with Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from 40% to 80%, would take effect. Nurses, who have no BSN credentials and are not yet enrolled in any educational program, are aware of the employers’ preference for BSN prepared nurses. Cognizant of the financial implication of enrolling in a BSN program, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) recommended that

There are more and more evidence showing that the BSN nurses bring exceptional expertise to their work and play important roles in providing high quality patient care. Enhancing the nursing educational preparation from an associate degree to baccalaureate degree through one of hundreds RN to BSN programs is a brilliant choice.

My motivation to get a BSN starts with my goal to become an Oncology Nurse. “Oncology is one of the most challenging and rewarding fields in nursing and no two days on the job are ever the same” (2017). Per this same website, an oncology nurse needs to be a BSN or higher to get accreditation. Being accredited as an oncology nurse means that I am a nurse that is specialized in taking care of cancer patients. Cancer and the patients who have this disease are one of the reasons why I want to continue my education. I have had a couple friends and family who had cancer and have lost the battle and my grandmother, amazingly, survived it. Cancer has taken too many lives from too many families.

The implications for BSN-prepared nurses in addition to those of RNs with an associate degree

Starting the Registered Nurse (RN) to Bachelorette of Science in Nursing (BSN) program at Jacksonville University in June 2015 was a simple transition for me. I had graduated an Associates Degree in Nursing (ADN) program in December 2014 and became a licensed RN in January 2015. I had just gotten hired for my first nursing position the month prior to the start of class and had not yet started working. I was very much still in student mode. While this makes it a bit easier to learn and process information in a classroom setting, I had no real world experience to help guide me. Through the knowledge I have gained as a student at Jacksonville University I have become a competent and well-rounded nurse. I am able to quickly problem solve and utilize critical thinking to identify and rectify issues. I have even put together, and will be presenting, and presentation about nursing practice for staff members at the facility where I work.