Returning to school is an excellent way to counteract the glacial cold of a stalled career and rekindle your passion for nursing - Editorial

AORN Journal, March, 1997 by Beverly P. Giordano, Lesley J. Henderson, Laura A. Castle

Are you shivering in the glacial cold of a stalled career?(1) Would you like to break out of this icy trap? Returning to school is an excellent way to rekindle your original passion for nursing.

American adults are returning to school in droves, searching for new knowledge and skills and striving to remain employable in today's economy. Reentering the student world after achieving competence in one's chosen field can be an uncomfortable experience, but it also can be enlightening and invigorating.

WHY RETURN TO SCHOOL?

Some nurses are returning to school to earn degrees needed for certification examination eligibility. As of 1998, the American Nurses Credentialing Center will require a bachelor of science degree in nursing (BSN) for generalist certification examinations,(2) and the National Certification Board:Perioperative Nursing, Inc, will require a BSN degree for first-time CNOR and CRNFA certifications beginning in 2000.(3)

Other nurses are returning to school because they want to become knowledge workers. The term knowledge worker describes a person who thinks about all the ways in which he or she can obtain knowledge to carry out job responsibilities. Knowledge workers learn not only how but why they do things.(4)

PERSONAL INSIGHTS

The three of us--an AORN Journal Editorial Board member and two of the editors--have reentered the student world and, in doing so, have rediscovered the passion that led us to choose our respective careers. As this is the theme of next month's Congress, we believe it is timely to share our experiences with readers who are seeking to "rekindle the passion."

New goals. (Lesley J. Henderson, RN, BSN, CNOR, AORN Journal Editorial Board member) "A few years ago, I began working on my BSN for no real reason other than I wanted it. After starting the BSN program, education became my priority, and I set goals that I thought would be out of reach. I was suffering the classic symptoms of burnout, and the BSN program helped me discover abilities that I thought I had lost. I now realize that I can be a learner and can cope with school, family responsibilities, and job changes simultaneously.

"A year ago when someone asked me if I would ever pursue more education, I answered, `Not me.' My goals have changed, and I have just started graduate school. The BSN program prepared me for changes that I must make in myself and taught me to handle changes that I may confront in the future."

Career advancement. (Laura A. Castle, BA, AORN Journal associate editor) "I decided to pursue a master's degree in communications because I know that the knowledge base and skills I will acquire can help further my career. It also is nice to use my brain for something other than work every day. Without the variety that my classes offer, I would simply go to work, go home, and do the same thing again the next day. I need this variety to help me appreciate the repetition of my editing work."

Clinical contact. (Beverly P. Giordano, RN, MS, AORN Journal editor) "I enjoy editing and helping create the Journal each month, but I also need contact with patients and families. After being out of the clinical setting for five years, I was beginning to feel `rusty,' so I decided to enroll in a nurse practitioner program. I also decided that I should practice what I preach (ie, continue to learn and prepare for the future)."

WHAT CAN BE GAINED?

Returning students tend to be talented, energetic people, and their enthusiasm (ie, passion) is contagious. Being around people who have hope for the future and are willing to work for it helps balance the negativity and turmoil that can permeate work settings.

On many evenings, we drag ourselves to classes exhausted and harassed after working all day, but after class, we feel recharged and ready to work again. We are undergoing professional and personal growth, developing critical thinking skills, and being exposed to new concepts, all of which are helping us rediscover passion for our careers.

Professional growth. (Henderson) "In the years since I finished my associate degree program, I had come to think of myself as being limited by my chosen perioperative nursing specialty. I wondered if my skills were equal to those of nurses in other areas of nursing. Through discussions with my BSN classmates, I learned that this feeling of isolation is common. I now believe that my skills may be different, but not inferior. I feel like the BSN program gave me back my career."

(Castle) "Returning to school has made me appreciate what I have at work, especially when I talk with classmates who are out of work or have less satisfying work environments. This experience also has increased my community contacts and networking opportunities."

Personal growth. (Henderson) "I am less burned out than when I started the BSN program. My blood pressure has dropped 20 points, I can sleep at night, and I no longer need cervical traction to see over my shoulder. My BSN classmates and I became a `care' group, and we plan to continue as a support group. The faculty members in my BSN program argued with us, encouraged us, empowered us, and in some cases, healed us."