title: How Could I Balance Continuing to Work While Pursuing a Degree?
abstract: In October 2010, the Institute of Medicine released the report The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health, which called for 80% of all nurses to have a BSN degree by 2020. This expectation was overwhelming and, in the beginning, I felt like it was an insult. I have had my associate degree in nursing for more than 20 years. All I could ask was: How can I have worked so many years and now be considered a subpar nurse? Regardless, the fact remained that I needed to return to college and obtain a higher degree.
authors.affiliation: St. Joseph Hospital.
authors.forename: Laurie B
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Kofstad
mesh_terms: D004508:Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate / Q000639:trends*; D004509:Education, Nursing, Continuing / Q000379:methods*; D005544:Forecasting; D006801:Humans; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D009859:Oncology Nursing / Q000193:education*; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D011788:Quality of Life; D016526:Workload
keywords: balance; dedication; motivation; time management; achievement