A native of Germany, Amorita began her career as a veterinary technician. “I enjoyed working with animals,” she said, “but after seven years I started to feel that I wanted to change careers. At that point I went into teaching.”
This career change illustrates the way Amorita seems to live her life: it’s an all-or-nothing proposition. She didn’t just do her job as a teacher and go home each day. No, Amorita also served as a volunteer in youth programs and at shelters in her city.
But then her husband developed a chronic, disabling muscle disease that changed their lives. “He really needed to live in a warmer climate than Germany,” Amorita explained. “We lived for a while in Mexico, and we tried the Canary Islands, too. But finally we settled on Florida to make our home, and it has been good for him.”
Becoming a Nurse at Mid-Life
Coming to the U.S. required yet another career change, and Amorita’s husband suggested something in the medical field because of her prior career history in caring professions. “This made complete sense to me,” Amorita said, “but I was in my forties, so I applied to an accelerated associate degree program for nursing that would allow me to go to work as quickly as possible. However, I’ve always planned to get at least a master’s degree.”
Amorita graduated with her ADN and worked at a long-term care facility for a year. The experience prepared her well for her current job as an RN on an acute care hospital floor that sees a variety of post-surgical and medical patients ranging from trauma to advanced care for the elderly. “It’s a very challenging floor, and I like that,” Amorita said. “I’ve been able to get great hands-on experience to prepare me to advance my career and my degree.”
Finding an RN to BSN program that fit her lifestyle wasn’t so easy, though. “I always viewed the ADN as just a way to get started, to get into nursing and get some experience,” she said, “but I didn’t realize it would take me a year of searching to find a BSN program that worked for me.”
Self-Paced RN to BSN Online Helps Amorita Achieve Her Goal
After evaluating BSN programs at local colleges and online, Amorita at last discovered Madison School of Healthcare. “I really needed a program that was one hundred percent online because I still needed to work full-time while earning my degree since my husband is disabled,” she said.
Amorita learned that not all online BSN programs are alike, however. “I needed a program with maximum flexibility because if my husband isn’t feeling well, I might need to take a few days or a week break from studying in order to care for him,” she said. “The Ashworth College Madison School of Healthcare program works great for me because some classes I finish really fast, while others take me a bit more time. But I never get penalized for taking a little time away. There’s no deadline pressure to turn a paper in on a certain day or anything like that. So far, it’s working really well.”
“I never get penalized for taking a little time away. There’s no deadline pressure to turn a paper in on a certain day or anything like that.”
Putting the Course Material to Work Immediately
In addition to the fully flexible, online nature of the RN to BSN program, Amorita found instant value in the course work. “I have completed five classes since starting in January 2018,” she said, “and I have found some of the coursework very valuable already - for instance, the information on cultural differences in patient care. Florida has a very diverse population, and I was able to put the diversity lesson into practice right away. It helped me so much.”
And aside from the coursework, Amorita is pleased that her BSN will be fully reimbursed by her employer.
As for what’s next, Amorita says it’s all about forward progress in her education and her career. “My long-term goal is a master of science in nursing,” she said. “Maybe I will go into administration, or maybe I will become a geriatric nurse practitioner. I haven’t decided yet, but either way it will be a wonderful career.”
No matter what obstacles Amorita may encounter on her journey, it’s clear she will steer around them with ease.
Get Started on Your BSN Today!
Like Amorita, you can achieve your bachelor’s degree no matter your lifestyle. Contact an admissions advisor today to learn more about Madison School of Healthcare’s RN to BSN program online!
