RN to BSN Nursing Programs

If you've considered furthering your nursing education through the pursuit of a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), you've likely wondered about the potential benefits of holding a BSN. While there are many routes that lead to a solid nursing education, the most direct and beneficial route involves becoming a bachelor's-prepared nurse. In fact, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Initiative on the Future of Nursing feels so strongly about the pursuit of a BSN that it hopes to increase the number of nurses with bachelor's degrees to 80 percent by 2020.

The College Network offers an online LPN to BS in Nursing program as well as several online RN to BS in Nursing programs. Below is a list of three major advantages of completing these programs and earning a bachelor's degree in nursing.

1. More Experience — Nurses who complete a bachelor's degree program have more experience in real-world hospital situations than those with a lesser degree. Most BSN programs require a significant number of clinical hours, which helps students feel more comfortable in the nurse role.
    
2. Broader Knowledge — Nursing bachelor's degree programs dive further into each nursing course and require completion of more courses than associate's degree and diploma programs. This gives students a broader knowledge base and enhances their problem solving and critical thinking skills.
    
3. Expanded Opportunities — With the changing nature of healthcare, hospitals are increasingly looking to staff their nursing units with nurses who have earned at least a BSN. Bachelor's-prepared nurses have a leg up on those who have only an associate's degree, and that helps them stand out when seeking initial employment as well as promotions. Additionally, some positions in the nursing industry (e.g., educator, researcher, and administrator) can only be filled by those with a bachelor's or higher degree.

If you're ready to advance your career with a BSN, contact The College Network today at 1-877-TCN-DEGREE (877-826-3347)!

May is upon us, which—here in the great city of Indianapolis, where The College Network is headquartered—means it's time for the 500 Festival! The 500 Festival is a month-long celebration that culminates with the Indy 500 auto race. One of the most popular festival events is the Mini-Marathon, which is the largest half marathon (i.e., 13.1-mile foot race) in the country. Each year, the Mini-Marathon draws people from around the nation and the world who are looking to accomplish a goal. Some people simply want to complete the race, while others want to run a personal best time.

On May 4, I will join thousands of other runners as I participate in the Mini-Marathon for the second time. I have been training for the past several months, and I'm hoping to run a personal best time on the course. I enjoy training for half marathons because I can set a goal and work toward it. Training for a half marathon is a lot like studying to advance your education. It takes hard work, dedication, and perseverance, and you often have to push outside your comfort zone. Additionally, much like successfully completing a degree program, finishing the race and accomplishing the goal is extremely rewarding.

Are you an LPN ready to earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) or an RN ready to earn a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)? Let The College Network help you race toward a new degree or a new career goal! The theme of this year's 500 Festival is "TurboCharging Indy," and we can help you turbocharge your education this May!

To learn more about the nursing degrees you can earn with assistance from The College Network, click here. It's never too late to start working toward a new goal! On your mark. Get set. Go!

Did you read today’s article in the Times-Herald on the increasing nursing shortage in the state of Georgia?

In this article, Dr. Grams, the Dean of the University of West Georgia, is predicting that there will be a shortage of nurses in Georgia that equals 20 percent by 2015, and that number could be as high as 260,000 nurses by the year 2025.

The shortages in nursing are due in part to our aging population, not enough quality nursing instructors and the limited amount of space to accommodate nursing applicant. Dr. Grams explained that her campus offers “a very competitive admissions program” and out of 350 RN applicants, most of them have to be turned away because her facility can only sit about 120.

Since 1992 The College Network has been offering great alternatives for working adults to earn their advanced nursing degrees online. We allow nurses to get started immediately with general education and elective courses. Nursing programs offered vary by state but include: LPN to RN (associate degree), LPN to BS in Nursing, RN to BS in Nursing, RN to MS in Nursing, and BSN to MS in Nursing.

If you or someone you know could benefit from an advanced nursing degree and have been considering alternatives, I would strongly encourage you to visit www.collegenetwork.com or contact Reggie Theodore, Atlanta area Program Advisor for The College Network, by calling  646-271-9617.

To read the article in its entirety, click on the link below:

http://www.times-herald.com/Local/20-percent-nursing-shortage-expected-by-2015-35675

 

As an LPN, you don't have to choose between your career and furthering your education. We make it possible to work and earn your degree at the same time. You can begin today and move at your own pace, setting your study schedule around the things that are important to you.

You may have even encountered the long waiting lists that many people find themselves on before they can enter nursing school. The College Network has designed an online learning environment exclusively for LPN’s, and you can begin working toward your advanced nursing degree as soon as you're ready - there is no wait list.

Hospitals in Georgia have also started requiring that their registered nurses hold a BSN--especially those hospitals who are attempting to earn Magnet status. Holding your RN license used to be the accepted standard, but in keeping with the call for a more educated workforce, hospitals now are giving more consideration to those nurses with their bachelor's degree.

Hospitals in Georgia struggle to find bachelor's-prepared nurses and because of this, have developed policies to address the issue.  These hospitals will hire nurses with an Associate of Science in Nursing degree, but will require those nurses to obtain their bachelor's degree within a certain number of years.

At The College Network, we have options for you if you are either an LPN or an RN who would like obtain a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree.

We partner with Indiana State University to offer the only online LPN to BSN program in the country.  This three-phase program allows you to work through your general education and prerequisite courses with The College Network and then enroll with Indiana State University for your nursing transition courses and final nursing courses with concurrent clinical hours. Courses are delivered online, and you can get started today.

The College Network has helped over 200,000 nurses begin working toward an advanced education! We can help you too! Getting started is simple. Just call me, Jerry Kelly at 404-217-6638 or go to www.collegenetwork.com/kelly to learn more about how you can reach your dream of earning your advanced nursing degree in the state of Georgia.

 

In a recent blog, we highlighted the changing healthcare landscape and the call from the Institute of Medicine for 80% of nurses to hold at least a  bachelor's degree by the year 2020. As well, there is a push for nurses everywhere to go back to school with more and more hospitals reaching to achieve Magnet status which requires a high percentage of nurses to hold an advanced degree. If you're wondering how you can reach the next level in your education, here are some options for you with The College Network® and our partner universities.

If you are an LPN who would like to earn a bachelor's degree, The College Network partners with Indiana State University to offer the only online LPN/LVN to BS in Nursing program in the country. Work through your general education requirements using the The College Network's program and then transfer those credits to Indiana State University, where you'll complete the rest of your program and obtain your BS in Nursing degree. Learn more about Indiana State University's program. 

Are you a registered nurse who wants to earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree? Regis University offers an online RN to BSN degree designed for busy nurses which allows you to complete your upper-level nursing courses in just 12-20 months. Regis University has full time faculty dedicated to their online students and offers a very student focused experience. You can learn more about Regis by watching the video below. 

The best part about our bachelor degree options is that there are no waiting lists. You can get started today in your degree program. So if you're ready to find out more, call us at 800-395-1014 or simply click here. 

If you are an LPN/LVN, you’ve probably considered going back to school to earn your degree and RN license. With the demand for qualified RNs on the rise, it’s a great time to start working toward a higher nursing credential.

Earning your associate’s degree in nursing isn’t the only way to get your RN license—in fact, there are lots of benefits to earning your bachelor’s degree instead.

The 80 by ‘20 Push

By now, you’ve probably heard about the Institute of Medicine’s 2011 recommendation—it states that 80% of all RNs should hold a bachelor’s degree in nursing (BSN) by the year 2020. But why is the industry pushing for higher nurse education? The simple fact is, due to the demanding nature of the patient landscape, the role of the RN is changing. RNs are required to take on more responsibilities than before, working directly with physicians to diagnose patients and manage teams of LPNs.

To be successful in these new working conditions, it is beneficial to have a bachelor’s-level nursing education. In fact, many healthcare facilities are raising their minimum education requirements for RNs as a result of this industry-wide push.

Aside from mastering the necessary clinical skills, BSN students gain an in-depth understanding of leadership skills and managerial strategies, preparing them to lead and manage teams of nurses and move up within their organization over time. Most nurse managers are required to hold at least a bachelor’s degree in nursing.

As RNs retire at a rapid rate, the number of open positions for BSN-RNs is on the rise. Over 55 percent of today’s RNs and nurse leaders plan to retire by 2020, creating more leadership opportunities for BSN-prepared RNs.

Go From LPN to BSN with One Online Program

As an LPN, your bachelor’s degree in nursing is well within your reach.  Although there are many degree programs that can bridge the gap between LPN and BSN, there is only one LPN to BS in Nursing program that can be completed entirely through distance learning. The LPN to BS in Nursing program from Indiana State University allows to complete your course work online, meaning you can continue to work in your current job while completing your degree. Upon graduation, you’ll receive your bachelor’s degree in nursing and will be ready to make an impact as a BSN-prepared RN.

To learn more about the LPN to BS in Nursing program from Indiana State University, watch the video below.

If you’d like more information on the LPN to BS in Nursing program, feel free to call us at 800-395-1014 to speak with a Program Advisor. You can also request more information by clicking here. 

 

Since the 2011 release of The Future of Nursing report by the Institute of Medicine (IOM), healthcare researchers have continued to justify the push for more baccalaureate-level registered nurses. One of the most powerful testaments to the power of baccalaureate education lies in the fact that facilities with more BSN-RNs have better patient outcomes.

The most recent evidence of improved patient results comes from researchers at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, who reviewed outcomes from 134 Pennsylvania hospitals. The resulting study showed that a 10-point increase in the percentage of bachelor’s-level RNs was directly linked with an average reduction of 2.12 deaths for every 1,000 patients.

The report is the University of Pennsylvania’s most recent piece of evidence in an ongoing effort to emphasize the link between baccalaureate-level education and improved care. In 2008, the University partnered with the Journal of the American Medical Association to release a similar study, which revealed that a 10 percent increase in the number of BSN-RNs on staff led to a 5 percent decrease in the risk of patient deaths.

In order for healthcare facilities to improve their bachelor’s degree-level nurse ratios, more nursing students will need to start choosing baccalaureate degrees over associate degree programs.  In 2011, 60 percent of candidates who passed the NCLEX-RN^® exam held an associate’s degree, while only 40 percent held a baccalaureate degree. In today’s workforce, only 45 percent of U.S. nurses hold a bachelor’s degree. The number of nursing students entering BSN programs will need to increase significantly if the industry hopes to meet the IOM’s recommendation, which states that 80 percent of RNs should hold a bachelor’s degree by 2020. 

If you are interested in earning your bachelor's degree in nursing, now is the time. The College Network offers a variety of options for LPNs and RNs who are interested in pursuing a bachelor's degree. To learn more, you can view a full list of our degree programs for nurses or request more information. Or, call us at 800-395-1014 to speak with a program advisor. 

 

Last month, ABC premiered ‘NY Med,’ an eight-part documentary series that explores the daily action on the ER floor at New York-Presbyterian Hospital. The series, directed by producer Terence Wrong, followed nurses and doctors over the course of 16 months, capturing their most touching and most tragic interactions with patients. The series has brought nursing to the forefront of the national television spotlight, and the nurses on the show couldn’t be happier. 

"The show could be one of the greatest public health campaigns, or it could be a great campaign for how rewarding and amazing a career as a professional nurse is," said the series’ Katie Duke, RN, BSN, CEN, CCRN in an interview with Nurse.com.  "It can touch so many people on different levels."

In Wrong’s typical style, the footage is raw and graphic, revealing everything from tumor removals to a “wide awake” neurosurgery. But the producer does his part to balance the series’ most dramatic moments with a good helping of lighthearted patient interaction. At times, the show is hard to stomach, but it’s that roughness that serves as just recognition for the men and women of the emergency room.

The show has received rave reviews from major media outlets (like this one from the LA Times), and many healthcare professionals have expressed their appreciation for the show's accurate depiction of the hospital workday. Nurses on the show hope that the series will do its part to make people appreciate the unique challenges of their work and inspire others to take interest in the nursing profession. You can watch several full episodes of the series here. 

I am really thrilled to see that Indiana State University's (one of the best schools in the Mid-West according to the U.S. News & World Report and The Princeton Review) online LVN to BS in Nursing program is now recognized in the state of Texas. This completely distance-based program allows an LVN to work full time and earn his/her BSN RN without ever having to return to the college classroom and without ever having to visit the campus in Terre Haute, Indiana. Indiana State University is accredited by the North Central States Association of Colleges & Schools (the same association that accredits such schools at the University of Michigan, Ohio State University, University of Chicago and the University of Illinois). It's recognized by the National League for Nursing and the Texas Board of Nursing.

This program has three phases. The first is the general education phase. Indiana State University allows nurses to transfer previous college credits into the program as long as the course 1) was taken within 30 years, 2) is from a regionally accredited school and 3) has a grade of C or higher. Any required subject the nurse hasn't taken, can be fulfilled by testing out via The College Network's Comprehensive Learning Modules in our online Resource Center. There is one learning module per subject. When the nurse passes the one exam, she/he receives the same credits from Indiana State University as if she/he sat in a classroom for an entire semester. Almost all of the general education examinations are taken from home via a webcam on the computer.

Phase Two are four nursing transition courses that essentially work the same way as Phase One except the exams are taken outside of the home but locally.

Phase Three are the online nursing classes taken directly with Indiana State University. Also, it's in this phase where the clinical hours are performed. This is one of the best parts of the program! The clinicals are performed locally one-on-one with a preceptor.

This program can be completed in the same amount of time or less time than if the nurse were to quit his/her job and go to school full time at a local university. One nurse told me recently what she liked about this program is that she can fit her education around her life instead of her life around her education.

For more information, please contact The College Network at 1-800-395-1014.

Very best regards,

Joel Kimzey

 

The College Network has exciting news for Texas LVNs! We are now making it possible to complete an LVN to Bachelor of Science in Nursing program entirely through distance learning. This program, available through Indiana State University, will enable you to sit for your NCLEX-RN exam in Texas.

As you know, registered nurses can make significantly higher salaries and have increased job opportunities. It is more important than ever before to advance your education by becoming an RN and earning a BS in Nursing considering a recent report from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Institute of Medicine that calls for 80 percent of RNs to hold a bachelor’s degree in nursing by 2020.

Indiana State University partners with The College Network to provide you with a way to continue your education while you continue working full-time as an LVN. We will work with you to ensure you have the education and training you need to advance your career right away without the need for long waiting list.

Please contact The College Network at 1-800-395-1014 to learn more about this program!

Very best regards,

Joel Kimzey

If you are a nurse, you most likely have heard of the call by The Institute of Medicine that by the year 2020, 80% of nurses hold Bachelor of Science in Nursing degrees.  It is a call to action for the nursing industry to respond to the changing needs of the healthcare system.

Hospitals have also started requiring their registered nurses hold a BSN--especially those hospitals who are attempting to be awarded Magnet status.  This change has happened in the last several years.  Holding your RN license used to be the accepted standard, but in keeping with the call for a more educated workforce, hospitals now are giving more consideration to those nurses with their bachelor's degree.  

Hospitals struggle to find BSN nurses to hire and because of this have developed policies to address this.  These hospitals will hire nurses with an Associate of Science in Nursing degree, but will require those nurses to obtain their bachelor's degree within a certain number of years.

At The College Network, we have options for you if you are either an LPN or are an RN who would like obtain a Bachelor's degree in nursing.  

We partner with Indiana State University to offer the only LPN-BSN online program.  This 3 phase program allows you to work through your general education and prerequisite courses with The College Network and then enroll with Indiana State for your nursing transition courses and final nursing courses with concurrent clinical hours.  Everything is online and there is no waiting list.  You can get started today.

For those registered nurses who are seeking their Bachelor's degree, you can obtain your degree through our partner, Regis University.  You can complete your upper-level core nursing courses in 12-20 months.  You can decide to work through a fast-track progression or a standard progression--depending on what works best with your busy lifestyle. 

Call us today at 800-395-1014 to learn more about these programs and find out which one is the best fit for you. Your Bachelor's degree is waiting for you.  

 

A recent article on Nurse.com offers an alarming statistic on the health of nurses: more than 50% of nurses are obese, and 10% are smokers. The article offers some interesting information and advice for working nurses on staying healthy. I have condensed some relevant points for readers of The College Network Nursing Blog below; the article in its entirety appears here.

 

Regarding behavior-change concepts used with patients: “We teach [these concepts] to students, but we don’t apply those same models when we want nurses to change,” said Bernadette Melnyk, RN, PhD, CPNP/PMHNP, FNAP, FAAN, associate vice president for health promotion, university chief wellness officer and dean at the Ohio State University College of Nursing in Columbus.

-Building breaks into schedules

Nurses work notoriously long, stressful and irregular/shifting hours. As this will not change, nurses looking to make behavioral changes to achieve greater health often find success by working short breaks into their schedule for walking, stretching or engaging in other types of physical activity.

-Planning for change and also for barriers

Before making a wide-ranging change in behavior, it is useful to document daily habits including time management, diet and water consumption, and activity. This will allow for clearer ways to make changes. It is also a good idea to think of potential barriers and ways to counter them preemptively.

Karen Gabel Speroni, RN, BSN, PhD, MHSA, director of nursing research at Inova Loudoun Hospital in Leesburg, Va  and co-creator of  research program Nurses Living Fit. Her report, “Effect of ‘Nurses Living Fit’ Exercise and Nutrition Intervention on Body Mass Index in Nurses,” cites a recent study showing that patients have less confidence in wellness advice from nurses who do not appear to have followed their own advice. “Weight-appropriate nurses had more public confidence in their teaching,” according to the report.

Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) that is. Do you have a nursing degree-perhaps an associates degree, but aren't really sure what your next move should be? If you're like many other nurses you probably love what you do, right? So, how can you stay in the nursing field, but also make a career change? It's simple, earn your bachelors degree in nursing and enjoy the opportunities that will come along with that.

By earning your bachelors degree in nursing you are putting yourself in a category of nursing that will earn a higher salary, have more responsibility and be exposed to more specialized work. Below is a chart indicating the average salary, broken down by years of experience, that nurses who have their BSN make annually.

 


Some of the job opportunities available to BSN nurses are Clinical Nurse Manager, Nursing Director, Nurse Case Manager, Emergency Room RN, Operating Room RN and Nurse Educator. Nurses who have their bachelors degree typically have more job security due to their advanced education and knowledge.

At The College Network we work with several top universities to offer convenient and affordable Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree programs. We have an LPN to BSN program and an RN to BSN program. With our self-paced programs, you can begin working towards your advanced degree with little interruption to your daily life. Most of our customers continue to work full-time, raise a family and still do all of the things the enjoy all while earning their degree.

If would like more information on our online Bachelor of Science in Nursing programs, give us a call today at 1-800-395-1014. 

A recent article from U.S. News University Directory reports that more nursing students are choosing to earn bachelor's degrees instead of associate's degrees. The article goes on to state a couple of important facts: "According to a press release, enrollment in entry-level baccalaureate nursing programs increased by approximately 3.9% between 2010 and 2011. Additionally, the survey found that enrollment in bachelor's degree completion programs, or RN-to-BSN programs, grew by 13.4%."

More importantly, the article says, "As more students opt to enroll in these courses of study, many schools across the country have found that they are having trouble accommodating so many degree seekers due to faculty or space restrictions. Preliminary data from the report shows that in 2011, about 51,082 qualified students were turned away from 503 entry-level bachelor's degree nursing programs." 

For aspiring bachelor's degree nurses, this is troubling news. Demand for bachelor's degree nurses is still very high, but traditional colleges don't have the means to satisfy the desires of many who wish to earn these degrees. So what can one do? Give The College Network a try. With a myriad of degree programs in nursing, whether associate's, bachelor's, or master's, TCN can possibly help you bypass the long wait lists of some universities by offering convenient higher education online. 

With the growing desire for more nurses to obtain their Bachelor's of Science in Nursing, programs are filling up very quickly.

According to an article from the US News University Directory website, "Preliminary data from the report [completed by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing] shows that in 2011, about 51,082 qualified students were turned away from 503 entry-level bachelor's degree nursing programs."

 American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) reports that there was a 3.9% increase in enrollment for BS in Nursing programs this year. Since the year 2000, there has been an annual rise in nursing school enrollment. from 2009 to 2010, there was a 5.7% increase! 

“With the Institute of Medicine and other leading authorities calling for significant increases in the number of nurses with baccalaureate and graduate degrees, moving to prepare a more highly educated nursing workforce has become a national priority,” said AACN President Kathleen Potempa, quoted on ModernHealthCare.com.

What does this mean to you? If you are an LPN--go for RN status! Associate prepared or Diploma RN? Think about the online BS in Nursing or the RN to MSN program! BSN Nurse? Time for the MSN! The demand for nurses continues to increase, but so do educational expectations. Research The College Network and see how we can help you to become more competitive in the ever-expanding nursing field!

There is an extremely high projected nursing need to account for the baby boom generation's aging and the healthcare system's expansion, and young people are increasingly stepping up to fill the gap. According to a study mentioned in an article on LATimes.com, the number of RNs aged 23-26 was at 165,000 in 2009, as compared to only 102,000 in 2002. The number is only going up, and if it continues the need for nurses may possibly be filled. California is certainly a hotbed of activity for new RNs--2002 saw only 5,300 people graduate from nursing schools in the state, whereas the 2009 number was over 11,500.

I talk to people in California on the phone all the time, and they tell me that the wait time for entrance into local nursing schools is very long. If you live in California and you want to become an RN, your options are not limited to local schools with swelling student populations. The online LPN to BSN program, offered by Indiana State University in partnership with The College Network, is a smart route to becoming a BSN Nurse that allows you to work and/or raise your family and complete your education when it is convenient for you---without the wait time!

If you are interested in learning more, give me a call at 1.800.378.8515. extension 4768, or checkout collegenetwork.com!

The United States is moving towards making it mandatory for all RNs to possess BSNs in the near future. “Research shows that there are better patient outcomes when patients are cared for by nurses with a BSN.” Pamela Brown, RN, PhD, president, Blessing-Rieman College of Nursing, in Quincy, Ill. The wish for Magnet status on part of healthcare institutions is another reason. Canada, Sweden, Portugal, Brazil, Iceland, Korea, Greece and the Philippines already require four year degrees for Registered Nurses.

Recently, the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching released a study directed by University of California at San Francisco School of Nursing professor emeritus Patricia Benner, RN, PhD, FRCN, FAAN, calling for BSN as the minimum requirement for RN licensure. The Institute of Medicine also released a report, entitled “The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health,” recommending that 80% of RNs hold BSNs by 2021. If this movement turns into legislation, it may not be the end of the road; there are also strong pushes towards skipping the BSN entirely and requiring MSNs of RNs. 

Luckily, there are options.  Current diploma or ASN RNs can obtain their BSN or MSN online with help from The College Network.  LPNs can obtain an ASN or BSN, depending on their state of residence, with help from The College Network and then later enroll into another program to receive either a BSN or MSN. Don't wait until the law puts you out of a job; advance your nursing career today! Information appeared in an article on nurse.com.

Compassion for others certainly tops the list of reasons to become a nurse, but the love that nurses receive from their patients is not something that is always brought up. I wanted to re-post this story, which appeared on nurse.com, to The College Network Blog for all of our readers.  If you are thinking of becoming a nurse or looking to find nursing programs, this may push you in that direction. If you are already a nurse, this may remind you of why you do what you do everyday! Thanks go to Robyn L. Pascale for writing this beautiful piece.

Being a nurse, you frequently are asked the question, “What made you become a nurse?” My answer always is, “I love being with people, helping them and their families; that’s the kind of person that I am.” They would look at me and just smile.

I first was introduced to Betty last summer when she was admitted to Urban 4 with a small bowel obstruction. As I walked into her room, I felt an instant connection with her. She looked at me with her big brown eyes, grinning from ear to ear, even with her nasogastric tube clamped. Betty was completely obstructed and needed surgery. But because she had chemo a few weeks before, she had to wait some time. As I stood at her bedside pushing barium through her NGT, we really got to know each other. She would tell me about her two boys, how much she loved her grand kids, and all the cross-country adventures she had with Roger, her husband. I would talk about my family, how my parents just moved cross-country to Oregon and about a big family reunion I was planning at my house.

Because Betty was going to be with us for a while, I decided to move her into a private room. At that time, I got to know Roger. He was coming in every day and spending all day with her. He cracked me up with his stories of Betty and him. This pair was a class act, and you could see how much love they shared. It was truly amazing. Betty eventually had her surgery and went to CCU postoperatively. 

The day she was transferred back to our unit, I personally went down to CCU to help transport. I was excited to see her, and she gave me the biggest hug and kiss on the cheek. “Robyn, I missed you,” she said with a huge smile. “How was your party?”
 
I was glad to have her back with me. I would change my assignment just to have her as a patient. But suddenly, Betty took a turn for the worse. She was having difficulty breathing and needed BiPAP machine. Physicians performed a thoracentesis and made her comfortable. She would be discharged within the next few days. I was going on vacation and was upset to have to leave her. She was sad I was going. We embraced, and I told her I would always be with her. I checked on her while on vacation, and she made it home.

My first day back, I ran into Roger, who told me Betty was about to have surgery to remove more fluid from her lungs. I was able to surprise her in the holding area of the OR and then postoperatively on another unit. She was doing well and was to be discharged soon. Just two days later, Betty was readmitted to PCU. She was dying and was given a DNR order. She wasn’t going to make it through the night. I ran down to see her. She looked so peaceful, resting comfortably in bed, surrounded by her family and friends. Tears immediately ran down my face as I leaned on Roger for comfort. “You’re all she talked about when she got home. She loved you so much,” Roger said. 

He thanked me for all the care I had given his wife while she was with me. I was overwhelmed with sadness, something I had never before experienced with a patient. I whispered in her ear that I was there next to her and gently kissed her cheek.

Betty died just a few hours later. She was at peace.

To me, being a nurse is unlike any other profession. We may get yelled at by our patients and physicians, but the love that we get from patients and the care that we provide outweighs all the rest. This is why I am a nurse. 

Robyn L. Pascale, RN, BSN, is a shift supervisor on 4B at Saint Clares Hospital in Denville, N.J.

Many of you have heard of the Ironman competition.  It consists of a 3 part test of endurance, competition, and will power.  The 3 legs of the Ironman competition, consisting of a swim, bike ride, and marathon made me think of how the LPN/Paramedic to BS in Nursing through The College Network and Indiana State University is its own test of endurance and will power.

Below is a recap of how the Online LPN to BS in Nursing works, and its Ironman equivalent.

Phase I – The College Network (Ironman Equivalent = 2.4 Mile Swim)

•  Study The College Network’s Comprehensive Learning Modules and complete end-of-course equivalency exams to earn credit for your prerequisite and nursing courses (link to program brochure)
•  Experience learning entirely online in our Online Resource Center (link to the ORC demo) which is designed to uniquely compliment various learning styles
• Work at your own pace  (If you can commit to studying an average of one hour per day, you can expect to test out of a course once every 3-6 weeks)
•  Succeed with The College Network. We guarantee you will pass each exam and offer academic support via phone, email, and online chat 5 days a week
•  Take your exams online from the comfort of your home.

Phase II – Complete 4 Customized Study Modules (Ironman Equivalent = 112 Mile Bike Ride)

• Apply and enroll into Indiana State University
• Study the 4 College Network Customized Study Modules (CSMs) to test out of those 4 courses
• Take and pass your 4 CSM Exams Online Directly Through Indiana State

Phase III – Indiana State University and Clinicals (Ironman Equivalent = 26.2 Mile Run (aka a marathon)

• Apply to the Indiana State Nursing School
• Complete 12 remaining nursing courses through Indiana State online
• All remaining courses are online, asynchronous, and based on 16 week semesters with summers off
• Complete your clinical hours with a preceptor at a local facility
• Graduate with your Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) from Indiana State University
  • Average completion time for your BSN degree is 3-5 years (Phases I and II are self-paced, whereas Phase III is not)
• Prepare for your state RN boards with The College Network “Rx for NCLEX Success” (link to more info) developed in partnership with the National League for Nursing
• Become an RN and earn up to $20,000 more annually!

So what are you waiting for?  Would you rather compete in the Ironman competition, or get going on your online nursing degree?  Either way, let me know, and I'll be happy to help you get started (at least on the nursing program)!

Kevin Burton, Program Advisor, 1-800-307-1006 Ext. 4734, kburton@collegenetwork.com