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Martha Jean Koziol
I am pursuing a bachelor degree in nursing after a 32 year hiatus from college. What have I been doing for 32 years?? Let me give you a little history into my life.
I graduated in 1979 for a 3 year RN diploma program. The majority of nursing programs were 3 year programs that gave the graduate a lot of clinical experience versus the 4 year BSN  that was more academics verses hands on nursing. There was no real limitations with being a 3 year RN verses a 4 at that time, in fact 3 year programs were very  popular and the graduate nurses from diploma programs were preferred by most employers due to there clinical skills. The diploma nursing schools eventually  shut down  and were replaced by 2 year associate degree RN's. The 4 year BSN  programs also remained.
Why when most people my age are thinking about retirement in the next 10 years or so am I returning for my degree? Marketability for one, I have worked in a labor and Delivery unit most of my career and I am thinking about a change. With my degree I would perhaps like to work in an oncology unit, coming full circle from seeing life begin to helping others pass on from this life. A lot of hospitals now prefer if not require a nurse to have her BSN. Another reason is for my personnel benefit, maybe I will enjoy learning more than when I was 18!! Also keeping my mind active learning new things might  help ward off "alzheimers" as one of my colleges stated. I don't know where it will lead me but I am open to change.
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