6 Benefits of an Online ABSN for Your Nursing Career Change

Working is often an important part of our lives, with the majority of people going to work at least five days per week for around eight hours per day on average. But while a job is something that we do to earn money and fund our lifestyles, it’s never fun to work in a career that you do not enjoy. Whether you got into your current line of work out of necessity and never intended to do it forever or you have lost interest in it over time, there’s always the opportunity to change your line of work to something that you are more passionate about.

If you feel that you would do best in a job where you can use your time and energy to help and be there for other people and want to make a difference with the work that you do, a career change to nursing might be an ideal option for you. Along with being a career where you can really make a difference in the lives of others, nursing is a profession with lots of different opportunities for advancement and climbing the career ladder. If you’re looking for a change of direction in your career and already have a bachelor’s degree, here are some great reasons to consider getting an online ABSN, or accelerated bachelors of science in nursing.

Graduate Faster

If you’ve already been to college for four years to get a bachelor’s degree, chances are that you would rather avoid doing it all over again. ABSN programs such as Baylor University’s online BSN programs for non nurses are designed to allow you to build on the knowledge and skills that you have already gained in another line of work to qualify as a registered nurse in around half the time. These programs allow you to graduate in around two years rather than four, making it easier and faster for you to change your career.

Work and Study

Today there is a wide range of ABSN programs that are available for you to study online, making it easier than ever for students to consider the prospect of working and studying at the same time. This is often something that career changers will need to prepare to do as many people cannot lose their income for several years while they get the new qualifications and skills needed to change to a different career path. If you need to continue working full-time while putting in the work required to change your career to nursing, an online ABSN program can be the best way to do this. Online programs can be mostly studied from home and some are completely flexible, allowing you to study in the evenings, on the weekends, and any other times that are more convenient for you rather than being required to attend classes at set times throughout the day.

Save Money

Another big reason to consider getting your ABSN online to change your career to nursing is that it will likely allow you to save money in a range of different ways. With nursing students able to continue working full time in their current career while studying for an ABSN, you will be able to continue bringing in the same income, leading to a much lower opportunity cost of changing your career compared to other methods. Along with this, the fact that an ABSN takes around half the time compared to a standard BSN will usually mean that you pay less in tuition fees since they are typically charged by the year. Finally, studying online eliminates the need to relocate to be closer to your chosen nursing school or commute to campus most days of the week, which will help you save a significant amount of money over time.

Better Nursing Career Opportunities

One of the main benefits of getting an ABSN over another type of entry-level nursing degree program is that, with a BSN, you will be qualified for much better nursing career opportunities. Today, an increasing number of employers are actively looking to hire BSN educated nurses and nurses with an associate degree are not getting the same type of opportunities. This is apparent in the state of New York where the new BSN-in-10 regulation means that nurses need to have earned a BSN within ten years of getting their nursing license if they want to continue practicing in this career path. With studies finding that BSN educated nurses have a much more positive impact on the patient population including fewer fatalities and lower readmission rates, it’s often much easier for nurses with a BSN to find work – most are employed within six months of graduation.

Enter a Career with High Demand

With an ABSN qualification, you are all set to enter one of the most in-demand career paths in the world right now. Nurses have always and will always be needed wherever there are people. With BSN educated nurses in the highest demand right now, getting this accelerated degree online gives you the opportunity to get started in a career where you will be sought-after straight away. Nursing as a career change choice gives you peace of mind that you will not need to spend a huge amount of time searching for work once you have graduated.

More Career Progression Opportunities

Today, nurses that want to progress in their career will typically need a minimum of a BSN degree to qualify to study on advanced degree programs such as a master’s degree in nursing or a nursing doctorate degree. If you plan to move up the career ladder in nursing and work in a specialty area, become a nurse practitioner or get into nurse leadership, a BSN will most likely be required for you to continue training and meet your overall career goals.

A career change to nursing may be in order if you are no longer satisfied with your current line of work and want to work in a role where you can help others and make a difference in the world.