Congratulations! You’ve worked hard to become a Registered Nurse. You accomplished prerequisites, got yourself into an associate or professional diploma program, studied hard, and passed your National Council Licensure Exam (NCLEX). You took your RN license straight into a career of helping others. You’ve spent countless hours in a hospital or healthcare facility, and now that you have experience to pad your theoretical and analytical training, you are wondering… what’s the best route forward? Can you shoot high with your educational aspirations, yet also remain grounded in your career?

The answer is a resounding “YES,” with the flexibility and ease of online learning. If you are thinking about obtaining your BSN, and eventually your MSN degree, you’ll be glad to hear that there are programs designed to help you cross each bridge. With online degree-earning options like Goodwin Colleges’ RN-to-BSN and MSN programs, you can pursue your dreams and continue to live your life.

Goodwin College’s RN-to-BSN program keeps your best interests in mind with a part-time structure that can be accomplished in just 16 months. In less than a year and a half, it is possible to achieve your BSN! By earning your Bachelor’s in Nursing, you will be able to:

• Provide a higher level of care as a nursing professional
• Obtain leadership and management skills
• Earn the right to coordinate care and advocate for patients
• Reaffirm your passion for nursing and accept the responsibility for your own continued skill development
• Look ahead towards your Master’s in Nursing degree

There are lots of BSN degree options out there, but what makes Goodwin College’s RN-to-BSN program special is that it is designed for the busy, adult learner. Students benefit from the help of a nursing advisor and are also able to personalize their course schedule to their existing needs. Going back to school after you’ve left the safety net of young adulthood doesn’t have to be impossible.

Once you’ve achieved a BSN degree, your career options will expand to possibilities in home health care, physician’s offices, schools, hospitals, and nursing care facilities. Even post-graduation, Goodwin College’s Career Services team is at your assistance, offering an entire lifetime of career building support, counseling, and placement.

If flexible online learning sounds like it will work for you, why stop at your BSN degree? Goodwin College’s MSN program is also offered fully online! The program requirements simply ask that you have achieved your RN licensure and Bachelor’s degree. We also prefer applicants who have two years of working experience as a RN. Additionally, with a 3.0 GPA, a personal statement, completion of college statistics, and a resumé, you’d be on your way from your RN to MSN in a way that blends seamlessly into your existing personal life and job responsibilities.

Goodwin’s Master’s in Nursing program can be completed in as few as 20 months, and our online classes are always available, 24/7: because we know that nurses usually work outside of the 9-to-5 routine. After accomplishing 30 credits plus 90 special-project clinical hours, you’ll be equipped for healthcare roles that offer greater leadership responsibilities, management components, and more clinically advanced care for patients.

RNs who achieve their MSN degree and advanced titles like “APRN” benefit from a substantial pay increase: you could go from making between $42-81k, to $62-195k, depending on your special skills, years of experience, geographical location, and specific hospital or healthcare facility.

In order to keep your education current, especially in a career such as healthcare where innovation occurs daily, Nurse Journal encourages that nurses should earn their MSN within ten years of achieving their RN licensure. If you’re considering embarking on the journey from RN to MSN, you should take a moment to think about the total time it will take to realistically achieve both your BSN and MSN online, and factor this into your decision.

If cost is the only thing standing in the way of your MSN degree, you’ll be happy to hear that Goodwin College offers several types of financial aid, including grants and scholarships, student loans, and work-study options. Tuition at Goodwin is transparent so that you know exactly what you’re getting yourself into, and it is competitive among other Connecticut area private non-profit colleges.

To learn more about the value of growing your RN training into an MSN career, and how to navigate the process, get in touch with one of our MSN program representatives today!