Nursevillage.com - Career Resources - Student Nursing - How an English Lit Degree Can Prepare You For Nursing

Did you spend your college years researching the history of the Russian Revolution? Were you writing papers on the feminist perspectives of modern American authors? If so, you may be well prepared to enter nursing school.

A growing number of adults who already hold degrees in fields like literature or history are now returning to school to pursue yet another bachelor's degree-this time in nursing. And, according to Richard MacIntyre, RN, Ph.D., president of the New York State Council of Deans of Nursing, these philosophy, English literature, and social science majors make excellent nursing students.

"Someone who's bright enough to get through a philosophy or English lit degree at the undergraduate level is not going to have a problem with physiology, because it's also contextual," says MacIntyre. "We can teach them the (science) they need to know to become RNs."

That's great news to those who are eyeing nursing as a meaningful second career. And now, thanks to the new second-degree, accelerated bachelor of science in nursing (B.S.N.) programs that are cropping up all over the country, these career-changers can become registered nurses with a minimal commitment of time and money.

Second-degree programs offer those who hold prior degrees an accelerated way to obtain their B.S.N. by focusing only on the required nursing courses and clinical hours. Their initial undergraduate credits apply toward the B.S.N., which shortens the amount of time generally needed to earn a B.S.N. Most of these accelerated programs can be completed in 12 to 24 months, depending on a student's background and whether he or she attends full time or part time.

To enter a second-degree program, students need to hold a bachelor's degree in another subject, and have a minimum GPA (this can range from a 2.5 to 3.0, depending on the school). In addition, they must have completed a specified number of hours in undergraduate behavioral, physical, and biological sciences, usually within the last 10 years.

Students who don't meet these requirements can do some extra work to ensure entry into a B.S.N. program. Those who were weak on science credits can take "bridge" or pre-clinical courses before launching into the full nursing program.

Others, who may have enjoyed the extracurricular life too much and performed poorly in their undergraduate studies, should not shy away from trying to enter nursing school. "What I would say to somebody like that is to go back to school and start taking the science and liberal arts courses (again)," says Dr. Linda Perkel, associate dean of undergraduate programs for the Barry University School of Nursing in Miami, Fla. "Show me that you are capable of doing academic work. In that case, we'll look at the more recent transcripts."

It's this kind of determination and seriousness of purpose that healthcare facilities love about second-degree students. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing says hospital employers find these graduates "are more mature, possess strong clinical skills, and are quick studies on the job." In addition, colleges find that second-degree graduates move into management positions more quickly.

AnneMarie Aberman, a second-degree nursing student at Adelphi University in Garden City, N.Y., agrees. She says she can see the difference in herself as a student now versus when she graduated with a bachelor of science in communications seven years ago.

"The first time around I was much more into the social aspect of school. I didn't really know what my ultimate goal was," she remembers. "With this nursing degree, I feel much more focused and I take it more seriously.

"Plus, I'm paying for it this time."
Finances are often the biggest issue for older students. Luckily, going back for yet another degree doesn't have to break the bank. Part-time second-degree programs allow students to continue working to support themselves and their families while attending school. In addition, many healthcare facilities, which view second-degree programs as an important way to address the nursing shortage, will fund these experienced nurses in return for work commitments after graduation.

Some universities have established formal partnerships with local facilities that provide their students with scholarships. For instance, at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska, several local healthcare providers are offering full or partial tuition to students in return for a three- or four-year work commitment once they've completed the program. These providers also offer special incentives, including individualized orientations, educational opportunities, and mentor or preceptor guidance during the first year of employment.

At other schools, such formal relationships may not exist, but students can easily find these work-commitment scholarships on their own. More than half the students in the accelerated B.S.N. program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill take advantage of these types of scholarships, according to Linda Cronenwett, Ph.D., RN, dean of UNC's School of Nursing.

"A number of hospitals have these programs and they tend to advertise them widely since they want the students to know about them," she says. "The support is important to our students, and some probably would not be able to attend without it."

It seems everyone wins with second-degree programs. Schools gain focused, goal-oriented students, and hospitals gain knowledgeable nurses who bring with them diversity and a broad range of experience. The big winners, however, are the students who have decided it's never too late change their career paths-and to put that English literature degree to work in a new and meaningful way.