Preparing to study for an ABSN is an exciting time. You’re ready to embark on the next stage of your career, with all the fresh prospects that will open up for you as a result. Naturally, you’ll want to ensure you get the best education you can, but there are a lot of different factors to take into account. Your location and finances will be a consideration, and life doesn’t stop just because it’s time to study; you may want to carry on working and have family responsibilities to juggle. This article looks at how distance learning, which is becoming more and more popular with nurses all over the country, can help you find a course that works for you.
Fit learning around work
Nursing is a profession in which lifelong learning is strongly encouraged, and most nursing jobs are reasonably adaptable, but still, it’s difficult to manage something as challenging as an ABSN and work at the same time if you also have to fit in a commute. You won’t want to have to give up your job in order to relocate to study, and if your work requires a flexible shift pattern, that’s almost impossible to fit around traditional classes. Distance learning solves all these problems. It means you can get the flexibility you need without causing difficulties for other students. You’ll be able to watch recorded classes and work on assignments at your convenience, as long as you meet agreed-upon deadlines. If you use public transport, you can study on your commute as well as fit it into breaks during the working day.
Fit learning around domestic responsibilities
If you’re somebody whose natural inclinations make nursing a true vocation, the chances are that you’re pretty good at acquiring other caring responsibilities as well. You may have kids you’re raising, with or without a partner, and you may be looking after elderly or disabled family members. It makes it difficult enough to hold down a job, never mind study as well. With distance learning, however, you can adapt your daily schedule to fit around this. You can watch or listen to classes while carrying out daily tasks like washing dishes and cleaning. You can even work on your written assignments at the same time as your kids are doing their homework, helping them understand the value of education.
Learn at your own pace
With traditional courses, there are generally just two learning options: full-time or part-time. Some don’t even offer that much flexibility. Distance learning courses, by contrast, are often broken down into modules, which you can study at your own pace as long as you complete the whole thing within an agreed-upon period. You can also vary the pace of your studies across the duration of the course, making it possible to get started even if you’re facing uncertainties and don’t know if you’ll have as much time available in the coming months. If you find you’re good at it, you may be able to graduate earlier than expected, saving you time and giving you a great talking point to use in job interviews.
Benefit from an adaptive learning environment
Not so many years ago, a lot of people were effectively excluded from education due to minor disabilities. As educators got better at adapting courses to include them, they began to realize that there are many different styles of learning and that all students can benefit from a more bespoke approach to learning support. Online course providers have taken this to heart. The larger scale at which distance learning courses operate means they can afford to offer a greater variety of solutions. It means that if you find some aspects of the course easy, you’ll be able to press ahead and won’t be held back by classmates who are struggling. If there are parts of the course that you struggle with, you’ll be able to get extra help. If you’re neurodivergent or have a disability affecting the way you learn, you’ll be able to get specialized support.
If you study towards an online ABSN at Baylor University, you won’t even need to relocate or commute to your lectures. Baylor University’s program offers hybrid interactive and online learning courses where those with a bachelor’s degree in a non-nursing practice can study to become a nurse. These different learning modes means the student can adapt their learning method that works best for them. Studying from the comfort of your home allows you to control how and when you learn, giving you greater autonomy and adaptivity in your studies.
Build better networks
The above-mentioned scale of distance learning courses also has some other advantages. It means that course providers are sometimes able to bring in professors who are the very best in the field and whose expertise you could not otherwise get access to without studying at the country’s most prestigious (and most expensive) universities. You’ll also have the chance to associate with other students from right across the country and even from other parts of the world. Both of these things present the opportunity to build more impressive networks. What’s more, instead of competing with your fellow students for the same jobs after graduation, you’re likely to end up working in different regions, making it easier to find support if you want to relocate in the future.
A respected qualification
A decade ago, few people gave distance learning the credit it deserved. Today, a qualification from a properly accredited online course provider is respected by other educational institutions and employers alike. It can provide you with all the same opportunities and all of the advantages mentioned here. Could it be the right choice for you?