Finishing my degree...

[chame]

I am in the final semester of an ADN program. I want to finish and get my BSN degree. I am thinking about taking a break from school though.

I want to know if taking a break is wise or if it will make it more difficult to go back and finish my degree??

[fishchick72]

I think taking a break will make it harder to go back.

[KnarfKS]

I'm starting back right now, I just graduated in may. Honestly I had to have a break, I would have gone nuts otherwise, I had worked full time and gone to school full time for 4 years straight.

[dria]

There are advantages and disadvantages to each scenario.

If you take a break and work full time as an RN, you may be able to take advantage of tuition reimbursement programs provided by your employer, on site completion programs, or even a free completion program. However, life has this funny little habit of getting in the way of even the best laid plans...who knows what may come up to prohibit you from finishing?

If you choose to continue your education right away, your momentum will help to carry you through, but you will most likely foot the bill for your education.

At the end of the day, only you can decide the best path for yourself. But let me just tell you that I faced the same decision when I completed my ADN. I chose to "take a break."

That was 10 years ago, and I still have my ADN.

[llg, PhD, RN]

I have worked with many new grads as the coordinator of their orientation programs. I have found that those who are in school while they are trying to orient to their new role as an RN often struggle with the transition more than those who devote their full attention to their jobs and that difficult role transition. Many try to accomplish too much at once and end up spreading themselves too thin and doing a poor job at everything.

For that reason, I recommend that new grads take a short break before starting back to school. The break doesn't have to be a long one (6 -12 months) -- just long enough to pass NCLEX and get settled successfully into your RN role. Then you will be in a position to sufficiently focus on your schoolwork and be successful both on the job and at school.

[RNsRWe, ASN, RN]

I am reminded of a line of dialogue in M*A*S*H, uttered by Major Charles Emerson Winchester: "I do one thing at a time, I do it very well, and then I move on". :)

It popped into my head because, for me, I focused on each new part of my nursing world at a time: student, finals (graduation), studying for NCLEX, job search, employment. I knew, for myself, that I didn't want to start a new job while worrying about and studying for the NCLEX, so I did that first. I knew I wanted time off before starting a new job, so I did that too. And when I started a new job, it was with my full attention on the orientation process and thoughts of school took a back burner.

I'll go back to school, but I've spent the last several months focusing on learning my new job and plan to continue that for awhile longer before allowing my focus to turn toward studies again.

But then again, I'm an old dog and the tunnel-vision works pretty well for me

[RNsRWe, ASN, RN]

.....or I could have just read what llg wrote first and said "ditto that"!!

[llg, PhD, RN]

.....or I could have just read what llg wrote first and said "ditto that"!!

Ahh.... but a good quote from Major Charles Emerson Winchester is always welcome.

... and you gave us a personal story as well! :)