Returning to School

If you are thinking of returning to school to pursue a graduate degree in nursing, congratulations! The number RN’s returning to school to either advance their training or transition to newer specialized roles in nursing. Though returning to school will mean an extensive investment of time, monetary resources, and effort, nurses that continue their education through to a baccalaureate degree in nursing will find themselves with expanded opportunities in the workspace.

Continuing your education will allow you to:

• Update your knowledge and skill set, allowing you to keep up with any medical and technological advances in the nursing field
• Make a smoother transition to any new opportunities or roles that become available in your organization or elsewhere
• Bring a sense of fulfillment and satisfaction that comes with the acquiring of knowledge, as well as your being able to use that knowledge in the furtherance your nursing and healthcare skills.

Things to consider

There are some important facts that you need to consider if you are a nursing professional contemplating a return to school. Due to an aging population, technological advances in nursing care, accompanied with acutely ill patients that are living longer, the demand for skilled professional nurses is increasing. Additionally, nurses are increasing taking a larger role in primary care, health promotion and patient education. As more hospitals become acute and critical care centers, the nurse’s role will only become more complex, requiring more sophisticated knowledge and skill sets.

Many leading nursing organizations, including the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, are calling for the baccalaureate degree in nursing to be recognized as the minimum requirement for professional nursing care. Nursing executives in many hospitals desire the majority of their nursing staff to be at least at the baccalaureate level to handle the increasingly complex responsibilities of patient care and delivery of associated health care. Because of this, the demand for nurses with a baccalaureate degree will continue to grow.