Becoming a Nurse Later in Life: Can I Make the Transition?
There are many reasons why, after completing a bachelor’s degree in another subject and maybe even working in a related field for a few years, you might want to change direction completely and pursue a degree in nursing. Maybe you have a deeply personal reason, like a nurse helped a close friend or relative through a difficult illness or injury and the experience moved you very deeply. Many people feel called to join the nursing profession.
Whatever your reason, the heart wants what the heart wants. You are firmly committed to long hours, aching feet, and spending your days mopping up the blood, tears, and vomit of people who were complete strangers to you a short while before. But how can you accomplish this big life change?
Shifting gears
You might have become used to your previous field and feel comfortable with the language, customs, and even annoyances. When you switch, you're confronted with the unknown and that can cause a great many people pause, especially if they are taking a second chance later in life.
However, there's no reason to be nervous. You'll most likely find peers in class who are doing the same as you, or might even have a professor who has a previous work doing something unrelated to nursing. The good news is that even though you are starting over at work, you don't have to start over in your education.
Bachelor to BSN
Earning a Bachelor of Science in Nursing through an accelerated Bachelor to BSN program can help ease the transition so you can get your nose out of the textbooks and start working toward your goals, without spending yet more years in the lecture hall. Obtaining a BSN should prepare you for the NCLEX-RN examination and give you a head start so you can become a Registered Nurse.
How to prepare for a BSN program
In order to prepare themselves to leap straight into a concentrate nursing program, students have to take perquisites such as biology, anatomy and physiology, biology, chemistry, nutrition, and chemistry. If you did not take these during the first two years of your bachelor’s degree or if you took them several years ago, it’s a good idea to check with your institution to see if they are still needed for your BSN course.
In addition to preparing yourself academically for your Bachelor to BSN adventure, you will need to reorganize yourself logistically. This is helpful especially if you’re planning to work, at least part time, while you study. Planning ahead and time management will be vitally important when you get into the swing of nursing school.
How an accelerated BSN prepares you for nursing
We’re not talking just about studying theory. We’re talking about learning less tangible, but no less important, skills. There won’t be a day that goes by that you won’t be counselling your patients on their own direct role in healing.
When recovering from an illness or injury, they also will have to learn to pace themselves and prioritize just like you did. You should be well schooled in the role of stress on the body, both physiologically and emotionally.
Taking the first step
Are you interested in a new degree as a nurse? If you want to earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree, ECPI University offers this course at an accelerated pace. For more information about this exciting opportunity, connect with a friendly admissions advisor today.
It could be the Best Decision You Ever Make!
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