As I stated to you in Part 1 of this article, I started my nursing education in a traditional manner. I received the building blocks required for a Registered Nurse...and Associate Degree in Nursing that was heavily concentrated with patient care and diverse clinical experiences. I was fortunate enough to work with nurses as preceptors that were extremely helpful, nurturing, knowledgeable and supportive.
I started nursing school as somewhat of a mid life career change so I planned in advance to continue my education and to receive my baccalaureate degree. I took the prerequisite classes that I was going to need for acceptance into an RN-BSN program simultaneously with my classes for nursing school. These classes were available on my same campus and I was able to take them in the summer. This allowed me to be successful both in my classes for nursing school and in my classes to transition into an RN-BSN program. All along my plan had been to start my RN-BSN classes as soon as I was able to work it out with my employer following a rigorous Graduate Nurse Internship program in Trauma Step-Down. I began my RN-BSN classes (2 semesters) 8 months after I started working as an RN, and for me, this was the perfect amount of time to be prepared for the classroom again.
My program was a "face to face" program which met one day a week for two 16 week semesters. My employer was extremely flexible with my scheduling during this time and I continued to work 3 12-hour shifts per week while going to school full-time. I enjoyed the interactions with my fellow students and direct contact with nursing faculty.
Tarleton State University (TSU) offers the same learning opportunity for our RN-BSN students. Classes are taught face to face in a comfortable, familiar environment on the Tarrant County College (TCC) Trinity River East campus in downtown Fort Worth. Our students are linked to the campus already for their nursing school classes so it is a very easy transition for them into baccalaureate classes. There are state articulation agreements in place to facilitate ease of course transfer credits earned in an Associate Degree program. TSU has advisers in place on the TCC campus and at our campus on Camp Bowie in Fort Worth and are happy to meet face to face, through email, or phone. We hope you will consider the long term outcomes of furthering your education and earning your baccalaureate degree in Nursing. Some long term outcomes may include upward movement within a healthcare facility, greater opportunities within the profession, and the opportunity to pursue graduate nursing education and move into an advanced practice role (Stalter, Keister, Ulrich & Smith, 2014).
Stalter, A., Keister, K., Ulrich, D., & Smith. S. (2014). Overcoming the barriers to achieving a BSN part 2.
Nursing 2014, 44(4), p. 46-49.
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