The healthcare industry and the possibilities of various nursing professions are diverse and ever-changing. In order to keep up with growing career opportunities, professionals should keep up with their education requirements and be adaptable. And many nurses may have gone through the phase deciding to choose between an associate’s degree or a bachelor’s degree. Why get a BSN? Many RNs may have asked themself this question already.
In fact, both degree programs can help you become a certified registered nurse, but there are still some differences between the two degrees in terms of one’s career potential. Here are some reasons why you should advance your career with a BSN degree:
Improved Patient Outcome
Nurses need the most proficiency and proper knowledge necessary to understand and utilize the rapid advancements in the healthcare industry. They must know how to effectively communicate with other healthcare professionals in the field, how to give better quality care for their patients and operate advanced medical equipment. A BSN degree not only prepares an RN nurse for the changing demands of nursing quality care, but it also lets them prepare for more advanced career opportunities.
According to a report collected by the University of West Florida, the following outcomes are found:
“A workforce with 10% or more BSN prepared nurses decreases the chances of death and failure to rescue by 4%.”
“Lower failure-to-rescue rates and lower mortality rates in surgical patients were found at hospitals with a higher proportion of nurses having at least a BSN degree.”
“Hospitals with a greater percentage of BSN prepared nurses experience lower mortality and lower rates of post-surgery difficulties.”
“A 10% increase in the number of nurses with a BSN or higher degree than BSN was related to an average reduction of 2.12 deaths for every 1,000 patients.”
Better Job Security
There is a high demand for nurses with a BSN degree, and in the coming years, that demand is going to rise again. The Healthcare industry has changed rapidly in the last 50 years and the requirement for more educationally advanced nurses is also high. An article reported in the New York Times states that most of the hospitals prefer to hire nurses with a BSN degree. And some hospitals may help RNs to further obtain their BSN degree.
Magnet hospitals provide better job security and a good working environment for nurses. Nurses who work at these hospitals experience low rates of nursing burnout and it helps them to better focus on patient satisfaction. And magnet hospitals give more preference to RNs with BSN degrees. If you are an RN nurse who wishes to work there should remember that the very first step to getting your foot in the door is earning a BSN degree.
Potential Salary
Nurses with a BSN certificate are likely to make more salary than a registered nurse. The starting salary for a registered nurse with a BSN can be, somewhat similar to what an associate nurse earns. But gradually, their salary will increase as their professional experience grows. A well experienced, BSN prepared nurse is the top 25% earner in the healthcare industry. According to Payscale, RNs with a BSN degree earn an annual income of $83,000 on average. The upcoming need for BSN educated nurses is expected to grow in the next five years. Choosing your area of specialization also affect your salary.
Better Professional Appearance
Nursing has been fighting for its title “the professionals” in the healthcare industry. Being recognized as a professional in a certain industry requires you to have a huge amount of experience, quality patient outcomes, and also advanced education levels. When we are moving forward with our advanced healthcare tools and machines, the nursing job becomes more complex and focused on preventative care. To catch up with the changing nature of the healthcare field nurses have to be more advanced with their education levels and interaction with complex healthcare machinery.
More Career Opportunities
There are a lot of nursing job opportunities available for an associate degree nurse, and it’s even more doors open for a BSN educated nurse. There are many healthcare organizations ready to choose a BSN educated nurse over ADN educated nurses, thus resulting in limited job opportunities for new grads trying to enter the nursing field. Besides, there will be more career paths that will be open for you that isn’t possible or as easy to pursue if you were an RN. The below career opportunities require a Bachelor of Science in Nursing:
- Home health nurse
- Public Health Nurse
- Legal Nurse Consultant
- Nurse Manager
- Travel Nurse
BSN Teaches More Than Clinical Skills
Nurses have to make various important decisions throughout their nursing careers, and they need a strong foundation of proper knowledge, ground values, and healthcare ethics to help guide them through their decision-making process. A BSN degree helps them to explore the future of nursing from a leadership perspective, especially if they are looking forward to their career as a nurse leadership and management positions. Furthermore, BSN helps them to have an updated knowledge of technology and computer science to stay current in the workplace and look for future job opportunities.
Is BSN The Right Choice For You?
Is a BSN degree the right choice for you? There are so many nursing opportunities for nurses with BSN in the near future – it is best if you have already prepared for that wave of healthcare industry change. Comparing RN vs BSN will help you better understand how BSN can advance your career – it is like an investment you are making now, that will reward you over and over again.
As the demand for BSN nurses increases, the percentage of nurses with a BSN is gradually increasing year over year, although the actual goal has not been reached yet. In 2017 alone 56% of nurses had pursued their advanced BSN training when compared to 49% in 2010. So, the nursing field is getting more advanced and competitive, and nurses should take this into consideration.
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