You left your job to care for your family, but what was supposed to be short-term turned into an extended leave of absence from your career. What does returning to work look like?
That’s the question Maria Cantito asked herself in 2007 after more than a decade away from her nursing career. “I graduated with my associate degree as an RN in 1986. I postponed my bachelor’s degree and took a hiatus from nursing for several years after having children,” Maria says. “When I went back into nursing, it felt a lot like riding a bike in many ways, but I realized a lot had changed in the ten years I was away.”
After returning to her career, Maria still had a passion for patient care — she wanted to learn more about the advancements in the field of nursing and grow her confidence in her skills. “I obtained my ANCC certification, joined the clinical ladder program, and as my knowledge, skills, and confidence grew, I decided to pursue my BSN.”
Maria needed a program that would fit her busy schedule as a full-time RN. Maria’s husband, a professor in UB’s School of Chiropractic, mentioned the RN to BSN program at University of Bridgeport to his wife. “I wanted a program that would allow me to work and use my experience to enhance my learning,” says Maria. “From the information session to the admissions process, it was easy to navigate, and UB offered guidance when I needed it.”
After joining the RN to BSN program at UB, Maria found the support and collaboration she was looking for. “I had the most wonderful professors and found the courses engaging and relevant to the current state of healthcare and the nursing profession.” Maria found herself collaborating on projects with fellow RNs and peers in the program on campus to enhance her learning.
More than 30 years after first becoming an RN, Maria graduated from UB with her BSN in 2019. “Obtaining my BSN at UB increased my confidence in my skills and opened doors to exciting new opportunities that I wasn’t even looking for before UB.” Today, Maria works in her “dream job” as a nurse coordinator for a primary cardiovascular program — helping people identify and learn how to modify their risk for cardiovascular disease. “I have long dreamed of being in a position to help people before they fall victim to a life-altering cardiovascular event. I owe this to completing my BSN at UB and in doing so was re-inspired to learn and grow in the field of nursing.” – Maria Cantito, BSN, RN, CV-BC.
It’s never too late to go back to school. With 6 class starts a year and 7 week online sessions, University of Bridgeport’s online RN to BSN program helps registered nurses advance their skills and achieve their life and career goals.