Top 10 Reasons Traveling Nurses Choose to Earn ... - Bisk Education

Contact Information<br />

Sandy Levine, VP of Marketing Services<br />

<strong>Bisk</strong> <strong>Education</strong>/University Alliance Online<br />

9417 Princess Palm Avenue, Tampa, FL 33619<br />

813-621-6200, ext. 328<br />

For Immediate Release:<br />

<strong>Top</strong> <strong>10</strong> <strong>Reasons</strong> <strong>Traveling</strong> <strong>Nurses</strong> <strong>Choose</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Earn</strong> Their<br />

Bachelor’s Degree Online<br />

Jacksonville University’s Online RN <strong>to</strong> BSN Program Provides Flexibility for <strong>Nurses</strong><br />

TAMPA, Fla., August 12, 2009 – U.S. Labor Department analysts predict that by 2012 the country<br />

will need 1 million nurses <strong>to</strong> care for the more than 60 million aging baby boomers population.<br />

By 2016, it is estimated that 587,000 new nursing jobs will be created nationwide – the largest<br />

number of new jobs created in any industry.<br />

Institutions of higher learning, such as Jacksonville University (JU), are developing nursing degree<br />

programs <strong>to</strong> not only meet the needs of the healthcare industry but also the needs of those<br />

seeking the degrees. JU’s online RN <strong>to</strong> BSN program is run in conjunction with the University<br />

Alliance (UA), the largest facilita<strong>to</strong>r of e-learning in the country.<br />

The challenge for registered nurses who are working but want <strong>to</strong> earn their bachelor of science<br />

in nursing (BSN) degree is how <strong>to</strong> schedule courses around their work schedules and other<br />

commitments. This is particularly true for traveling nurses, who typically work 13-week shifts then<br />

move on <strong>to</strong> another assignment, often in another locale.<br />

Jacksonville University’s administra<strong>to</strong>rs understand that traveling nurses do not want <strong>to</strong> put their<br />

education and careers on hold. JU’s online BSN program is designed <strong>to</strong> overcome scheduling<br />

obstacles, and its administra<strong>to</strong>rs cite the following reasons why traveling nurses are choosing<br />

online programs like theirs:<br />

1. A bachelor’s of science in nursing (BSN) degree makes a traveling nurse more marketable.<br />

Additional fields open up, including medical-surgical, obstetrics/gynecology, pediatrics,<br />

psychiatry and many others.<br />

2. <strong>Traveling</strong> nurses usually earn a higher hourly rate and can earn even more with a BSN. Pay<br />

scales range from $21 <strong>to</strong> $42 per hour, plus benefits.<br />

3. An online program allows nurses <strong>to</strong> study while they travel. E-learning systems such as JU’s<br />

provide the same information, material and degree as offered in a traditional classroom setting.<br />

In fact, a recent Department of <strong>Education</strong> study showed that, for adults, online learning is more<br />

effective than face-<strong>to</strong>-face learning, on several measures.<br />

4. Online BSN programs are as flexible as the lifestyles of its students. “I am able <strong>to</strong> continue <strong>to</strong><br />

work full time and go <strong>to</strong> school part time,” said Candice Jewett of Massachusetts. “I have been<br />

able <strong>to</strong> work full time and maintain a 4.0 in my online classes.”<br />

- continued -

---

<strong>Top</strong> <strong>10</strong> <strong>Reasons</strong> <strong>Traveling</strong> <strong>Nurses</strong> <strong>Choose</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Earn</strong> Their Bachelor’s Degree Online, page 2<br />

5. An online BSN program allows the flexibility <strong>to</strong> take sessions off. There are six 8-week sessions<br />

in a year, so students can tailor the program <strong>to</strong> match their own schedules. Students can opt <strong>to</strong><br />

attend part time and take off a session or two if needed<br />

6. Students can complete their BSN at their own pace. Most students complete the online BSN<br />

course in about two years.<br />

7. Practice projects (clinicals) can be completed wherever there is a BSN-trained nurse. No<br />

travel is required <strong>to</strong> complete practice projects. At JU, two courses require projects, which are<br />

self-directed and allow students <strong>to</strong> work one-on-one with men<strong>to</strong>rs.<br />

8. Money is available <strong>to</strong> pay for nursing school. The American Association of Colleges of<br />

Nursing’s “Scholarships and Financial Aid Resources for Nursing Students” is a good place <strong>to</strong><br />

start. Also, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services offers the Nursing <strong>Education</strong> Loan<br />

Repayment Program. Individual states also may offer grants and loans. JU offers a helpful<br />

resource on how <strong>to</strong> pay for nursing school.<br />

9. Many traveling nurse agencies offer tuition benefits. American Mobile Healthcare, <strong>Nurses</strong>Rx,<br />

Medical Express, RN Demand, Platinum Select, Nurse Choice and Preferred Healthcare Staffing<br />

have partnered with the University Alliance. A <strong>10</strong> percent tuition discount from JU and UA is<br />

available <strong>to</strong> traveling nurses who work for these agencies.<br />

<strong>10</strong>. An Internet connection is all that’s needed <strong>to</strong> get started. “The JU website is easy <strong>to</strong> access<br />

at any computer – whether I’m at home, at a friend’s house or at the hospital,” said Susan<br />

Cardona of Massachusetts.<br />

For more information about JU’s online RN <strong>to</strong> BSN program, visit www.jacksonvilleu.com.<br />

About Jacksonville University<br />

Founded more than 70 years ago in Jacksonville, Florida, Jacksonville University has more than<br />

18,000 alumni. With students from 44 states and 55 foreign countries, the university offers seven<br />

bachelor’s degrees in more than 30 areas. JU offers one of the largest online RN <strong>to</strong> BSN degree<br />

programs in the country and is recognized as one of the nation’s foremost teaching institutions.<br />

The School of Nursing is a member of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN)<br />

and is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing <strong>Education</strong> (CCNE). Jacksonville<br />

University was named one of “America’s Best Colleges” for the fifth consecutive year in 2009 by<br />

U.S. News & World Report.<br />

###<br />

Contact:<br />

Sandy Levine, VP of Marketing Services<br />

Jacksonville University Online/University Alliance Partner<br />

813-621-6200<br />

http://www.jacksonvilleu.com