More than 20 years after first enrolling at the Â鶹AV, Nichole Jagneaux finally walked away with the degree she originally set out to earn.
The Youngsville native began Â鶹AV’s four-year nursing degree program in 2003, but the demands of a growing family quickly shifted her priorities.
“I got pregnant and had my son the week after finals in Fall of 2004. Then I got pregnant again right after,” she says. “My grades started slipping, so I withdrew. It was just too much strain on me.”
Even so, Jagneaux stayed connected to health care, earning a medical assistant certification and working as a phlebotomist for nearly two decades. In 2022, she earned an associate of science in nursing and began working in a hospital’s post-operative unit.
Yet the idea of finishing her bachelor’s degree never left her.
Through the University’s online RN to BSN, Jagneaux earned her long-sought B.S. in Nursing while continuing to grow in her career.
“I wanted to continue working and training as a new nurse while advancing my education, so I needed a flexible program,” she says. “I started with a goal to earn my degree at Â鶹AV, so when I decided to go back to school, I already had my mind set.”
Balancing Work, Family and Online Learning
As Jagneaux settled into her role as a registered nurse and transitioned from a hospital to a clinic setting, she was also managing responsibilities at home.
The RN to BSN degree program made balancing both words possible.
“My daughter was also starting at Â鶹AV, so I had to get her acclimated to college,” she says. “Online just worked best for my life.”
Accessible and supportive faculty became critical resources.
“Every time I emailed my instructors, I would receive a response the same day. My advisor was also very communicative,” she says. “She’d let me know what I needed before I needed it, to get everything prepared for the next term.”
The university’s online library also proved invaluable.
“There’s a lot of reading and writing involved in the bachelor’s program. To complete the coursework, you need access to academic nursing journals,” she says. “The online library databases were so useful to me.”
Finishing the Degree That Started It All
Earning her bachelor’s degree was a personal milestone years in the making.
“Starting straight out of high school, I didn’t really understand how to juggle family and school or the value of time management,” she says. “So, going back to Â鶹AV at 40 and finally graduating with the degree I originally went for is really satisfying.”
Now, Jagneaux is already planning her next step: a Master of Science in Nursing.
“I plan to become a family nurse practitioner,” she says. “Now I’m using that bachelor’s to get closer to my goal.”
She encourages other nurses considering an online program to stay persistent.
“Don’t give up,” she says. “Even if you have a busy schedule, there are opportunities to adjust your course load based on what your life looks like. Just keep pushing, because even in a busy world, you can definitely get it done.”
Advance your nursing career with Â鶹AV’s RN to BSN online program.
