Working as a registered nurse is no easy feat, especially when you have a family to take care of as well. Add all that to the work involved in completing your bachelor of science in nursing (BSN), which is not the easiest course in the world, and everything suddenly starts to seem too overwhelming. The good news is that you can still do all of it because plenty of people are doing the same thing quite successfully every year. If you are wondering how that’s possible, let us help you with the following tips.
Organise
It’s a simple tip really, but so many people fail at this all the same. The key is to plan and chalk out a routine from day one and following it religiously, but making the necessary changes as and when they become necessary. Try out the two methods mentioned below.
- Set alarms and reminders for all the important events related to your family, work and education on your phone, so that you don’t forget anything
- Put out a family calendar and mark your busiest days for everyone in your family to see and prepare accordingly
Study Online
Do you realize how much time and money you will be able to save if you didn’t have to commute when completing your BSN? One of the best ways to keep it simple and manageable is to complete your RN to BSN online from the Duquesne University. Duquesne University Online offers a CCNE accredited course, so your online degree will be worth the same as any other regular accredited BSN program, but without all the extra expenses in terms of both time and money.
Choose a Flexible Shift
Assuming that you are planning to complete your RN to BSN online, working is definitely an option, but it cannot be full-time. Try to stay away from emergency nursing duty as much as possible and make sure that your weekly work hours do not exceed 20 – 24 hours. While you won’t likely be earning anything significant with such short hours, that doesn’t really matter. You are preparing for a brighter future and the job is only something to help relieve some of the financial pressure of paying for a bachelor’s degree in nursing.
Create or Find a Support System
You cannot manage a job, family, and higher education without the active support of your family. However, at times, even that is not enough, and you might need some external help from your friends, neighbors, or even colleagues to help you out of a difficult situation. Work on creating bonds with those around you, which in turn will lead to the creation of a mutual support system.
These may seem like simple tips, but these are basically what will help you get through these tough years. Keep your final goal in mind and whenever you start to feel too depressed or overwhelmed, remind yourself of what the future holds. To improve the quality of life, everyone must go through some tough, grueling times and they are never supposed to be easy. In the end, though, it will be well worth it, given that nurses with a BSN earn significantly more than general nurses and have better prospects in terms of long-term career growth.
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Photo Credit: Green Chameleon Alexis Brown Andrew Neel
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