BSN Degree Pursuit: Overcoming Common Challenges and Achieving Your Goals

I know you are a busy nursing professional who is considering earning a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree, but you may be wondering if it is possible to balance your work and family responsibilities with your studies. The good news is that it is possible to earn a BSN degree while juggling your other commitments, and you can do it online. In this blog post, I will share tips and tricks for completing an online BSN program, based on my experience working with tons of nursing professionals who have completed their BSN degrees through Western Governors University (WGU) (or some other universities like Capella, Binghamptom, Aspen, Grand Canyon, etc.).

It might sound another of many posts pouring down ridiculous ideas, but trust me I have done plenty of research on highly credible websites to glean this gist only for you.

My ultimate advice to you before you go through the gist below, is that your time to start is NOW.

Let's go with the points that most experts, productivity gurus, and nursing coaches believe work.

Why Choose an Online BSN Program?

Online BSN programs offer flexibility and convenience, which is especially important for busy nursing professionals who may not have the time or resources to attend traditional on-campus programs. Online programs allow you to complete coursework at your own pace, on your own schedule, and from the comfort of your own home. This means you can continue working and taking care of your family while pursuing your degree.

Tips for Completing an Online BSN Program

1. Choose a Self-Paced Program

One of the biggest advantages of online BSN programs is that they are self-paced. This means that you can complete coursework at your own speed, without having to worry about keeping up with a traditional class schedule. WGU, for example, offers a self-paced program that allows you to complete your degree in as little as six months. This flexibility allows you to balance your studies with your other commitments.

2. Stay Ahead of Schedule

To be successful in an online BSN program, it is important to stay ahead of schedule. Most online programs allow you to see the entire course schedule ahead of time, which can help you plan your school work around your life and even work in advance. This will help you avoid falling behind and feeling overwhelmed.

3. Prioritize Daily Tasks by Importance

Honing your time management skills and techniques helps eliminate pressure from the to-do clutter. That, in turn, allows you to focus on more critical tasks and what matters most — your patients. Implement these time management strategies for nurses into your day-to-day routine:

• Prioritize daily tasks by importance
• Plan out your week with buffers
• Review and assess your calendar regularly
• Practice delegation and teamwork
• Take breaks and practice self-care

4. Establish an Efficient Workspace

Creating an efficient workspace is essential for success in an online BSN program. Find a quiet, distraction-free area where you can focus on your studies. Make sure you have all the necessary equipment, such as a computer, printer, and reliable internet connection. Keep your workspace organized and free of clutter to help you stay focused.

5. Utilize Time-Blocking

Time-blocking is a technique that involves scheduling specific blocks of time for specific tasks. This can help you stay focused and avoid distractions. For example, you might schedule a block of time each day for studying, and another block of time for completing assignments. This will help you stay on track and avoid procrastination.

6. Join an Online Study Group

Joining an online study group can help you stay engaged with your peers and instructors. This can be especially helpful in an online program, where you may not have the opportunity to interact with others in person. Study groups can provide support, motivation, and accountability, and can help you stay on track with your studies.

7. Get Proactive with Your Instructors

Staying engaged with your instructors is important in an online program. Don't be afraid to reach out to them with questions or concerns. They are there to help you succeed, and are often more than willing to provide guidance and support. Make sure you understand the expectations for each assignment and seek clarification if needed.

8. Take Advantage of Clinical Opportunities

While online BSN programs do not typically involve in-person clinical experiences, there may be opportunities to gain hands-on experience through partnerships with healthcare employers. For example, WGU has partnerships with healthcare employers in several states, who provide practice sites and clinical coaches to help teach and inspire you on your path to becoming a nurse

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. Take advantage of these opportunities to gain valuable experience and build your skills.

9. Find Your Learning Style

Everyone has a different learning style, and it is important to find the approach that works best for you. Some people learn best through visual aids, while others prefer hands-on activities. Experiment with different study techniques to find the ones that work best for you.

10. Practice Self-Care

Finally, it is important to practice self-care while pursuing your BSN degree. This means taking care of your physical, emotional, and mental health. Make sure you are getting enough sleep, eating a healthy diet, and exercising regularly. Take breaks when you need them, and don't be afraid to ask for help if you need it.

Conclusion

Earning a BSN degree is a significant accomplishment, and it is possible to do it while juggling your other commitments. Online BSN programs offer flexibility and convenience, and with the right approach, you can succeed. By staying ahead of schedule, establishing an efficient workspace, joining an online study group, and taking advantage of clinical opportunities, you can earn your BSN degree and advance your nursing career.
 

Dealing with Bias in Quantitative and Qualitative Research

Dealing with Research Bias with Smiles

This blog post discusses one of the most complex and intimidating areas of research: Researcher’s bias, and how to handle it. The purpose of this post is to communicate to the reader (and novice researchers) that:

• Understanding bias is not a herculean task; 
• Defining it in your research study is also quite systematic; and
• Some useful strategies can be effectively adopted to address/reduce bias in research. 

We may define bias as an “unknown or unacknowledged error created during the design, measurement, sampling, procedure, or choice of problem studied”. More errors lead to less reliability of a study and vice versa. Thus, bias and reliability are mutually-exclusive. Your job is to work toward eliminating one (bias) to strengthen the other (reliability). (For a detailed discussion of bias in quantitative research, see: Research Bias.

In extant empirical literature, bias has long been recognized as a critical factor that can hamper a carefully designed research study. Although there are quite a few commonalities shared by positivists (quantitative researchers) and interpretivists (qualitative researchers) in relation to addressing bias in research, primarily, the two broad paradigms take different positions on not only defining what it means to be biased and neutral/objective in a research effort but also in attempts to devise strategies to address bias in a research endeavor.

First off, it is important to understand that the concept of bias has been extensively studied in different domains: social, management, and natural sciences, and other fields of inquiry such as management information systems. Today, it is seen as one of the most abused and misused concept not only in the production of research but also in the publication of it. Read more.

I will now very briefly review some major areas within the two paradigms on the concept of bias. This understanding alone will take away half of your fear and pain regarding bias and how to address it.

Bias in Quantitative Research

In quantitative research, bias is more relevant to the overall research design. Although it is present and discussed in the later stages as well, the emphasis is placed on the initial stages when a study is being planned. The position of this school of thought is that it is the way you plan your research design, instruments or research tools (e.g. questionnaire) that decides whether the study is reliable or not.

Therefore, for quantitative research studies, your conceptualization and the research design (sampling, instruments, tests, etc.) play an important role. A carefully designed study can lead to more rigorous conclusions. Strategies to address bias:

• Rigorous literature review

• Conceptualization of the problem, hypotheses, and propositions

• Choosing the most appropriate tools and strategies for data collection

• Using the most appropriate data analysis procedures

• Peer-review of the research plan

• Pilot study

 

Bias in Qualitative Research

In qualitative research studies, however, bias takes a somehow different meaning: something that has caused ongoing debates and heated arguments among qualitative researchers alone! Read more.

In simple words, qualitative research is more a matter of investigating people’s lived experiences. One of the most important sources of data comes in the form of words. Thus, there are as many theories of interpreting these words and lived experiences of people as, perhaps, there are scholars!

Overall, the basic meaning of ‘error’ is also relevant here. However, it is much more than this: It is about social issues, gender, ethnicities, background (and what not!) of people that may lead them to be biased toward some particular group and individuals.

For instance, a researcher, while studying a different ethnic community, may not be welcomed into an indigenous community as warmly as a person from their own community. This creates problems. How to address this issue and many more relevant to such a context?

Fortunately, to date, quite a few useful strategies and guidelines have been proposed; following these strategies can lead you to form a better and valid research report that can be trusted and admired. I list some major strategies that are recommended by most of the qualitative research scholars today:

• Write clearly ‘everything’ in the research report, from A to Z: your problems, the many issues you confronted during the research (at any phase), and so on…

• Confront your biases: acknowledge your background, ethnicity, language, beliefs, and so on.

• Take a position on a social issue and investigate it through that perspective, i.e., feminist, Marxist, pragmatist approach, etc.

• Maintain confidentiality and anonymity of the research participants (a very complex area).

There are some other important things to consider but there are some very useful strategies. Now, if you follow these strategies, what would be the result? It would be a research report that is honestly communicating to the reader all that the researcher thought, perceived, explored, and found out. 

This way, your study is an open book to your reader. For instance, you might state that, “I didn’t feel comfortable in that community because of my different ethnic background; however, I discussed this issue openly with these people, and we came up to a mutual acceptance – at least for the period of research! 

The reader would certainly acknowledge your truthfulness. Such a confrontation and reporting would also ensure them that you’ve been unbiased in your judgments: you didn’t say anything stereotypical about that particular community. Instead, you acknowledged your limitations and moved on to explore the social issue from the particular position you could naturally have in that research context.

Reading, writing, and reflection on these strategies are undoubtedly important activities that can help you refine your study. You might want to look at a very good article here.

Last word, be as systematic for validity in quantitative research, and be as detailed in your description as you can. This is your route to a reliable research study in qualitative domain, something that can convince others of your hard work.

Start working NOW!