{"id":5722,"date":"2017-03-20T11:00:02","date_gmt":"2017-03-20T16:00:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/stgwww.capella.edu\/blogs\/cublog\/?p=5722"},"modified":"2017-03-30T09:26:55","modified_gmt":"2017-03-30T14:26:55","slug":"stories-of-3-rn-to-bsn-flexpath-graduates","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stgwww.capella.edu\/blogs\/cublog\/stories-of-3-rn-to-bsn-flexpath-graduates\/","title":{"rendered":"FlexPath: A Fast Track to the BSN"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you\u2019re a nurse, you\u2019re probably already familiar with the many reasons to get your BSN. It\u2019s recommended by the Institute of Medicine (IOM)<\/a>, you\u2019ll improve your skills, and employers have a strong preference for BSN graduates<\/a>.<\/p>\n

But going back to school can be intimidating. Combining your unpredictable schedule with family and other outside commitments can seem impossible. How will you manage the time for school? Plus, is it really worth it? Will you learn anything that you haven\u2019t learned on the job?<\/p>\n

Three graduates from the first class of Capella University\u2019s RN-to-BSN FlexPath<\/a> format recently shared their concerns about starting a BSN program\u2014and how FlexPath made all the difference.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Elizabeth Breckner\"Elizabeth<\/h4>\n

Elizabeth Breckner already had an associate\u2019s degree and wanted to continue on to a bachelor\u2019s, but the longer she was away from school, the more daunting it seemed to return. \u201cI knew I needed the bachelor\u2019s degree for my career. But I dreaded it\u2014I\u2019d been away from school for so long already,\u201d Breckner recalls.<\/p>\n

She started researching programs, but the requirements seemed time-consuming for a full-time nurse with a young family. One night, she stumbled on the FreshRN<\/a> blog from Kati Kleber<\/a>, and read a post about FlexPath<\/a>. The self-paced learning format seemed like a good fit, allowing her to set her own schedule around her work and family.<\/p>\n

She found the coursework invigorating, even if she was intimidated at first. \u201cI was nervous about the self-paced part\u2014I worried that I wouldn\u2019t learn as well that way, and it frightened me a little. But it turned out I learned a lot, and it opened my eyes to a broader nursing world. I really enjoyed my instructors, the feedback was amazing, and it definitely kept me motivated. It almost got addictive\u2014I wanted to do better and keep the pace up as I went along,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

Breckner was recently promoted to a full-time supervisory role. She knows that what she learned in her BSN program will help her in her new position. \u201cI am more accomplished, and it gives me better credibility. I have a much wider knowledge base now, and I\u2019m better able to do research and mentor others. The BSN has been beneficial to me, my patients, and my nurse colleagues,\u201d she explains.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Michelle George\"Michelle<\/h4>\n

Michelle George had been a nurse for many years, first as an LPN and then an RN. But in order to reach a future goal of becoming a nurse practitioner, she knew she\u2019d need to get a BSN. \u201cI did my RN when my sons were one and four years old,\u201d she says. \u201cI knew that to do the BSN, I\u2019d have to wait until they were older.\u201d Six years later, George began researching programs. \u201cI looked at a lot of different schools, regular and online, and then I learned about FlexPath. To set up your own pace, to pay as you go\u2014it was just right for me.\u201d<\/p>\n

George is currently enrolled in a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) program at another institution. She credits FlexPath with helping her move towards her career goal. \u201cThe ability to be so flexible, it\u2019s just amazing,\u201d she says. \u201cYou finish a class, you can start another one right away. You can\u2019t beat it.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Bobbi Jo Koons\"Bobbi<\/h4>\n

Bobbi Jo Koons worked as an RN manager\/education nurse coordinator for years, but a bachelor\u2019s remained on her horizon. \u201cI always wanted a four-year degree,\u201d she says. \u201cBut I\u2019m so busy at work, plus I coach diving for both the girls and boys swim seasons at the local high school, so my days are pretty full.\u201d<\/p>\n

When she began looking at options for a BSN, she had several concerns. \u201cI was really worried it would be too hard,\u201d Koons says. \u201cI hadn\u2019t been in school for 10 years. What if my mind wasn\u2019t open to that kind of learning anymore?\u201d<\/p>\n

FlexPath proved that her mind was, in fact, very open to learning more. \u201cI experienced so much growth through FlexPath,\u201d she says. \u201cI was really thrilled with it. I loved that it was so flexible. And the feedback from the instructors was awesome. Plus my FlexPath coach<\/a> helped me focus better.\u201d<\/p>\n

Being able to proceed quickly at her own pace benefited not only Koons, but her employer, who reimbursed her tuition. She\u2019s grateful to have the degree and to apply the new skills in her nursing career. \u201cI want to give back to them,\u201d she says, referring to her employer. \u201cI feel like with my degree and knowledge, I can educate people interested in nursing about what the field has to offer.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Learn more about Capella\u2019s online <\/em>RN-to-BSN program<\/em><\/a>, available in both <\/em>GuidedPath<\/em><\/a> and <\/em>FlexPath<\/em><\/a> learning formats.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Important information<\/a> about the educational debt, earnings, and completion rates of students who attended these programs.<\/h6>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In 2016, Capella University graduated its first class of nurses that earned their RN-to-BSN through the FlexPath format. Three alumni share their stories. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":81,"featured_media":5741,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[73,21],"tags":[53],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/stgwww.capella.edu\/blogs\/cublog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5722"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/stgwww.capella.edu\/blogs\/cublog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/stgwww.capella.edu\/blogs\/cublog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stgwww.capella.edu\/blogs\/cublog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/81"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stgwww.capella.edu\/blogs\/cublog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5722"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/stgwww.capella.edu\/blogs\/cublog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5722\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5785,"href":"https:\/\/stgwww.capella.edu\/blogs\/cublog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5722\/revisions\/5785"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stgwww.capella.edu\/blogs\/cublog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5741"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stgwww.capella.edu\/blogs\/cublog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5722"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stgwww.capella.edu\/blogs\/cublog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5722"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stgwww.capella.edu\/blogs\/cublog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5722"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}