Deciding to pursue your Associate Degree in Nursing and fulfilling your goal of becoming an RN is a big step but it’s a rewarding one. Earning your online ASN degree with Rue’s nursing programs will not only advance your income but you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing that you took the next step in your career.

 

Many nursing students, though, are pursuing their Associate of Science in Nursing degree while working full-time. Studying, juggling a 40 hour job and staying on top of family, social and personal commitments can cause an overwhelming amount of stress. 

 

There are ways to manage school and work without feeling like you’re in over your head. Here are a few tips to consider if you’re working full-time and completing your online ASN degree.

 

Support from your boss - Believe it or not, many employers recognize the fact that you’re working full-time while pursuing a degree. In fact, if you’re able to balance work and school, most managers will be supportive of their employees learning new skills. Also, because you’re balancing multiple projects at once, your employer might commend you for your ability to multi-task.

 

Lay out your priorities - Splitting up your responsibilities between work and school can get stressful. It’s important to determine what your priorities are for both and how to balance those priorities. Making daily or weekly to-do lists, jotting down in a calendar when projects are due and setting a reminder alert on your phone are just a few examples of how to plan your time and succeed in your associate degree nursing program.

 

Saying no - Success in an assoicate degree nursing program relies on your ability to prioritize. Having so much on your plate can make it hard to take on another new task. Don’t be afraid to say “no” when you’ve hit your limit. When you’re asked if you can take on another task from a friend, family member or co-worker, calmly explain to them that you’d love to help but you’ve not sure if you can take more on your plate right now.  Learning to say no may not be easy if you’ve always said yes. However, with practice, saying no can get easier; it can help you to reduce stress and it can help you stay focused on what your priorities are.

 

Study effectively - With working full-time and completing your Associate Degree in Nursing, you may find there aren’t enough hours in the day to study. When you have a break during your work day, take that time to review notes, read a few pages in a chapter or prepare for an upcoming exam. These small steps can help you retain more material because you won’t need to cram later. Also, while you’re working, see if what you’re learning in your studies can be applied to your current job. This can help you make connections between what you’re studying and real life situations.

 

To help you study more efficiently for your Associate degree nursing program, Rue Education’s subject matter experts have created a Rue Total Learning System™ for each of the subjects offered.

 

Rue’s learning styles feature:

- A workbook/study guide created by subject matter experts with PhD or master’s degrees 

- Objectives and required readings at the beginning of each chapter

- Textbook page references so you can quickly, find out what to study and efficiently check your answers

- End-of-chapter and final exams with page references and answer keys

- Study and time management tips

 

Rue hopes that these tips help show you how you can earn your online ASN Degree using Rue’s learning systems. Remember that Rue’s nursing programs are flexible to help you fit studying into your busy schedule. You can work full-time and still earn your Associate Degree in Nursing with Rue Education’s learning materials!

 

Rue wants to hear from you! How do you balance working full-time and your studies? What are some tips that helped you manage work and school?

1. Open the Workbook One Section at a Time

• Read the introductory information for useful study strategies that you can use throughout all of your learning systems.
• Now you can open “Section 1” to get started.
• Review the two sections on page one: The assignments and the learning objectives.
• Hint: Objectives help you identify the important topics and you may want to refer back to them when you have completed the assignments.

2. Follow the Reading and Work Assignments

• Read the assigned portions of your text(s) (Reminder: If the material is new to you, you may want to break the reading up into different “study sessions”).
• When you have completed the readings, it is time to open the workbook and complete that section in the workbook.
• Hint: Try to answer the questions in your own words – this helps YOU to evaluate your strengths and weaknesses. It can be tempting to rush through the questions but it is better to take your time.

3. Check Your Work

• Workbook questions have references to page numbers you should consult to check your knowledge.
• Hint: A highlighter might help you to mark sections where you want to re-read.
• The Quick Reference Guide answers the questions from the workbook so this will be a valuable way for you to quickly check your progress.

4. Review

• You have now identified where you need to focus your energies for this section.
• Remember, you are not alone. If you feel "stuck," contact an academic advisor at 800-479-2805 for assistance.
• When you feel you know all the information in a section, take the self-assessment exam at the end of the Workbook section.

5. Congratulations ~ You are ready to begin the next section

• Repeat this process throughout each learning system.

The nursing process, which is the foundation that drives all current nursing practice, is one of the misunderstood theories in nursing. Many nursing students have difficulty understanding this process and what it means for our patients and our nursing practice ...

Read More >>