Alicia Caldwell graduated with her Bachelor of Science in Nursing in February 2024! Alicia shows us that through dedication, you can overcome challenges and fit going back to school into your life. Keep reading for Alicia’s story.
I am a 34-year-old wife and mom of an almost 2-year-old boy. I began my nursing school journey in 2015, I graduated my LPN in 2016 and bridged right through to the ADN program. I graduated from nursing school in 2017 and started my career right away. I worked as a night shift staff nurse on a medical floor. I hadn’t ever given a second thought to getting my BSN at that time because school was over, and I was ready for a break.
I experienced changes during my first years as an RN. In 2018 we combined with a neuroscience floor, and I changed schedules in 2019. Then, COVID happened, and everything got put on hold. As one of the volunteers working my hospital’s COVID unit, I was a catch all nurse. I became the nurse, the tech, case management, PT/OT, and charging specialist. I started my role as a Lead Charge Nurse at this time as well. I realized how much having my BSN could help me just hone in on critical thinking, through earning an advanced degree. My research then began to find the best program not only for my work schedule, but also my home life. I had just found out I was pregnant after trying to conceive for quite some time and would need a flexible program that was also affordable.
Then I found Aspen University. They had a great, flexible plan, a budget friendly payment plan option, and allowed me to build my course schedule in a way that worked for me. About halfway through the program, I experienced issues with my pregnancy, and I was in and out of the hospital, but Aspen allowed me to take a leave of absence, so that I could focus on my child’s health and not worry about school. We welcomed my son into the world 8 weeks early. After my leave, Aspen’s advisors were able to help me get re-enrolled so easily; I resumed the program right back where I left off.
This program helped me build structure and really develop a higher level of thinking. I worked as a Lead Charge Nurse on a Neuroscience Unit and after graduating with my BSN, I moved into a Performance Improvement role helping to identify nurses’ learning needs and update knowledge through attendance at seminars. Through this program, nurses can develop personal skills that improve efficiency, workload management, and goal setting. I’ve been trained to support leadership through providing back-up leadership, as needed, and overseeing regulatory and operational responsibilities.
The teachers I had throughout this BSN program always gave me the best feedback so my future work would only improve. I will forever be thankful for the knowledge I gained from this University! I graduated with my BSN in February 2024, and I am also a member of Delta Epsilon Tau Honor Society, Alpha Kappa of Arizona because of my ability to maintain my high GPA throughout this program as well! This program is for anyone wanting to do a full online RN-BSN experience. I will always recommend Aspen University’s RN-BSN program to anyone I talk to!