Why You Should Go Back to School
by Donna Cardillo, RN, BS

When I decided, a little over ten years ago, to go back to college to pursue my bachelor’s degree, I viewed it as a necessary evil. I was contemplating starting my own business and believed I should “beef up” my credentials before moving forward. I saw the whole ordeal as a timely, expensive exercise that would yield me little more than a piece of paper.

I was in for a pleasant surprise. I got so much more.

When I graduated from a diploma nursing school in the early 1970s, I had no intention of ever returning to school for any reason. I had my career as a nurse and absolutely no desire to continue my education. In fact, I achieved a good deal of success without a degree and never saw any benefit in obtaining one. Besides, I never particularly liked school, and really didn’t have the time or money to go back.

When I decided to return, I wasn’t interested in obtaining a BSN, so I enrolled in a BS, Health Care Management program. I was delighted to discover that the majority of my fellow classmates were just like me. They were “older” adults with full lives that included jobs, families and many other things. We were all in the same boat and that, somehow, made it more tolerable.

Renewed life

As I proceeded with my coursework, amazing things began to happen. I found out that through reading assignments, classroom discussions, and assigned research and projects, I actually began to learn more about my profession, the world around me, and myself. I felt parts of my brain coming to life that had been lying dormant for years. I was being challenged in many ways and forced to think about things I had previously taken for granted or assumed I knew everything about.

I began to feel a sense of accomplishment for just having gotten myself back into school. I was developing an increasing sense of self-esteem, and much to my surprise, was learning something. These were all unexpected benefits of returning to school.

When I finally graduated, after several years of sacrifice and hard work, I realized that earning my degree filled a gap in me that I wasn’t even aware existed. It gave me a sense of closure. I found myself going out into the world with greater self-confidence and purpose. I realized that my previous lack of degree had actually been holding me back, in subtle ways, from pursuing even bigger, better dreams. Now, I felt as though nothing was holding me back and I attacked life with renewed gusto.

I entered graduate school several years ago and am currently pursuing an MA in corporate and public communication. Once again I find myself using parts of my mind that had been unchallenged for awhile. I’m learning even more and building a solid foundation for my professional practice.

In addition to the knowledge I’m gaining, I’m honing my writing, speaking, organizational, and research capabilities. I continue to build a sense of confidence and accomplishment for my efforts. Graduate study is expanding my mind in ways I never thought possible. I’m forming opinions about things I never gave much thought to. I’m seeing that the world is much less black and white than I had previously thought.

Getting back

If you have ever thought of going back to school, just do it. The first step is to choose a school and a major and do what it takes to get enrolled. Use the Internet to search and get more information or go to your public library and ask the librarian to show you were to find books that list universities by major and geographic location. Then send for catalogs and see what appeals to you. Many colleges today have special programs for nontraditional students.

Once you’re in, just keep plugging along knowing that eventually you’ll come to the end. If you never start, you’ll never finish. Do you need to get a BSN or MSN to be successful in nursing? Not necessarily. If you wish to pursue a nursing degree, great. But many nurses are going for degrees in healthcare management, health education, business, psychology, communication and other related fields. All of these majors compliment your nursing background.

Worried about money? Grants, loans, and scholarships are available from many different sources. When you are committed to achieving your goal, you’ll find a way to make it happen.

Learning keeps you young. It gets the blood coursing through your veins and makes you feel alive. There is an expression: “When you cease to learn you cease to live.” Rather than withering, nourish yourself with education.

Although there are career opportunities for nurses who don’t have a degree, a degree will open up even more opportunities. It can make the difference between your being considered for a promotion or not. A degree will, in some cases, especially outside of the hospital, garner a higher salary. But don’t just do it for career advancement, do it for yourself.

Propelled into the future

Continuing with my formal education has enriched my life in so many unexpected ways. I have earned, and continue to earn the coveted “piece of paper” and some additional initials after my name. But more important, it has a made a significant qualitative difference in my life. My education is like a wave of energy propelling me into the future. This, from someone who once hated school and was determined to prove to the world that I would succeed without a college education. I didn’t realize what I was depriving myself of.

Don’t waste time. Get back to school today.

Reprinted with permission from Nurses.com (www.nurses.com).
Copyright by Verticalnet, Inc., Horsham, PA., 215-315-3247.
All rights reserved.

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