How to Balance Work with a Nursing Degree

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The advent of online degrees has meant that students today no longer need to take time out of work to continue their education. They don’t need to deal with the local options, either, and “night school” can now occur in the home. You can earn a better degree, on your own schedule, with far less stress.

This applies universally to all working professionals looking to continue their education, but it has become the norm for nurses. Nurses are essential, especially today, and taking time out of work means you cannot continue to support yourself and your dependents unless you take out an even larger loan.

By working, you can put what you learn to work, can earn greater experience, and be ready to easily transition your nursing career from RN to APRN. If you were already working in healthcare when you earned your BSN, you would know what it takes, but if you transitioned into nursing or started out with a full-time BSN, this guide will help you manage the balance and succeed on both fronts:

Choose the Right Degree

The right degree makes all the difference, but you don’t want to just look at the degree itself. Look at the institution, and explore the services and benefits that they offer for their alumni. An online nursing education from TWU, for example, means investing in an accredited degree with a 99% FNP licensure pass rate. On top of being the #1 FNP program in Texas, it is also in the top ten for value. More importantly, however, it is designed for working nurses.

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Make it Easy to Stay Healthy

A healthy body and a healthy brain will both help you work more efficiently and, more importantly, will help you learn better. A good way to make it easier to stay healthy is with meal prep and routine. Meal prep means you prepare healthy meals (either partially or in their entirety) for you to eat throughout the week. This will help you save and increase your intake of vitamins and nutrients. You will also want to stock up on energy-fueling brain food and snacks, like nuts. To save, go to a bulk food store.

Other than that, your best bet is through your routine. Beingconsistent with your sleep schedule, for example, makes it easier to be fully rested night after night.

Rely on Your Peers

Finally, rely on your peers. Your peers are going through the same challenges you are and are not only a great source to split up study tasks and learn from but are also a support group to rely on. From venting your frustrations to others who understand, to passing on tips and tricks, to even spreading out the work by forming a study group and testing each other, there are so many ways you can benefit from your peers, but since you are learning online, this won’t come naturally. You’ll need to go out of your way to meet your peers online and even in person, so don’t let their distance deter you. Together, you can succeed.