Going back to College!

[wdwfamilyof4]

Hi All! I'm very excited to say that after 13 yrs. I'm going back to college. :party: I had completed 3 yrs towards a degree in biology and education. During my senior year I had to come home to take care of my mother who had spinal surgury and as they say "life happened". Met the love of my life, got married , bought a house and had two awesome kids. Now they're in school full time and it's Momma's time to accomplish a life goal. I have decided that what "I really want to be when I grow up" is a nurse :nurse:.
Here are my questions, for everyone who's gone back or started college as a non-traditional student:
1. Tips as far time-managment
2. for the nurses out there, do you recommend going for the two year RN and then completeing a RN-BSN program later? Is there a big difference as far as being hired or your duties in a hospital setting if you have a RN vs. a BSN?
3. Please wish me luck I haven't had to study, besides up to a 4th grade level :D for a long time.

[NewDVCowner]

Congratulations on going back to school! I don't have any tips for you, but it's great that you've made the choice to go back! :number1:

[mook3y]

Hiya, First of all.

:congrats:

I recently graduated from a university. I worked full-time and have 3 small children.

For time management:

I would recommend trying to get classes with around a 1 hour break in between. This is an ideal time to work on homework, projects, meetings with other students for group projects, etc without distraction's.

Keeping a calendar that you keep all of your due dates on helps you avoid forgetting something and keeping track of what is coming up at a glance.

Take it 1 week at a time but have an idea whats coming after that so if you find yourself with a little extra time and energy you might work on a bigger project that is a little farther out.

Good Luck!

[MNNHFLTX]

Congratulations! I think it's great that you are going back to college!:thumbsup:

As far as your question about what RN program might be best, it depends on your state and even more importantly, the hospitals you might want to work at. Some states are strongly pushing BSN's as the entry-level requirement for nursing practice. Even in states that don't, some hospitals do the same. So do some research on that. It will also depend on your finances. The Associates Degree programs are shorter and less of a financial burden, of course, but many will still require more than two years to complete, with pre-requisites.

In the bedside clinical setting, all RN's perform the same functions, as they all take the same boards to become licensed (whether ASN or BSN). The BSN degree is important if you want to advance up the management or clinical ladder in the profession, as many non-clinical and leadership positions will require BSN or even MSN (Master's in Nursing) prepared nurses.

You may have another option open to you, if you wish--a BS to BSN degree. If you opt to finish the degree that you started 13+ years ago, you can then apply to a program that will morph into a BSN degree. It generally takes about two years to complete.

Whatever you do, don't delay too long in applying to schools! Many have limited openings and often require pre-requisites, so the sooner you get started the sooner you will be done!

[Cinderelley]

Another thing to consider is that if you get in with an associates degree, a lot of hospitals will help finance your schooling to get your bsn.

[MstngDrvnDsnyLvr]

No idea on the nursing degree question,
Just wanted to say Good luck!!!