4 Reasons To Pursue A Bachelor In Nursing
For many, nursing is more than just a career choice – it’s their true calling. Nursing is a rewarding career path where you help others lead a better life and make a difference in the world around you. Nurses go above and beyond to deliver positive results and help their patients regain their quality of life.
However, you can’t possibly achieve optimal patient outcomes without keeping up with the latest advancements in the field of medicine.
BSN: Take Your Nursing Career To The Next Level
Healthcare is constantly evolving, and so are the roles of healthcare professionals. And keeping up with the latest happening in the industry has become increasingly important for medical professionals, including nurses. But, for many registered nurses, pursuing a BSN is often the last thing on their minds.
In nursing, professionals must shift from technical competence and simple skillsets to one that emphasizes the ability to make nuanced judgments, comprehend health policy, and work effectively in a team setting to keep up with the changing industry dynamics. And for registered nurses, what better way to upskill your nursing practice than pursuing a bachelor’s degree in nursing?
Pursuing a bachelor’s degree will help you stay relevant in your current role and open new career growth opportunities. Advanced education, whether a bachelor’s or higher, enables nurses to deliver better care, advance to better roles, open leadership opportunities, and boost their earnings. If you think a bachelor’s may not be for you due to work commitments, you can enroll in an ADN to BSN online course from an accredited institute and learn at your own pace.
Four Reasons To Pursue A Bachelor’s Degree In Nursing
Today we have put together four reasons you should pursue a BSN degree. Keep scrolling to learn more.
- Deliver improved patient outcomes
Although all nursing programs focus on delivering quality patient care, bachelor’s in nursing programs go the extra mile. It exposes students to a varied curriculum beyond traditional clinical care that incorporates interpersonal communication, critical thinking, teamwork, and leadership.
After all, no day on the job is the same, and nurses must make critical decisions that can affect their patient’s quality of life. BSN programs equip nurses with soft skills that help them make during times of crisis and ultimately lead to delivering improved patient care.
Furthermore, nursing leaders recognize the need for a higher percentage of nurses with bachelor’s degrees in clinical settings due to the increasing complexity of patient care. Research also shows a correlation between advanced nursing education and better patient outcomes. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) found that hospitals with a higher percentage of bachelor-educated nurses had lower patient mortality rates, post-operative deep vein thrombosis, failure-to-rescue, and hospital-acquired infections.
Nurses with a BSN outperform their associate-degree-holding counterparts in the quality of care they provide and the success rate of their patient outcomes. This can be attributed to comprehensive BSN education, which equipped them with the expertise to make better patient diagnoses leading to better care.
- Higher earning potential
Although earning a bachelor’s degree in nursing is quite a hefty and upfront investment that can set you back financially, once you enter the workforce, you’ll see a solid return on your investment. After all, nursing is a rewarding career path with excellent long-term earning potential and strong job security.
Moreover, did you know that registered nurses with a bachelor’s earn ten percent more on average than their associate degree-holding counterparts? Yes, you read that right! RNs with an ADN earn an average annual salary of $70,820, while RNs with a BSN earn an average annual salary of $77,070. This translates to an automatic increment in your salary once you receive your BSN degree.
- Better career advancement opportunities
Getting a BSN degree also increases your marketability to potential employers and introduces you to exciting new career paths. Employment opportunities range from senior positions to those in medical specializations like urology or the pediatric intensive care unit, as well as generic positions like case manager or quality coordinator. Moreover, many RN certifications call for a bachelor’s degree.
Employment prospects improve dramatically, and individuals who choose to enhance their careers in nursing may lay a solid foundation for subsequent education in a specialty area. With a Bachelor of Science in Nursing under your belt, you’ll be better prepared for various nursing careers, including management roles and positions in advanced practice, such as nurse practitioner, nurse anesthetist, and nurse educator.
A BSN nurse can pursue accreditation in many sub-fields within the nursing profession. This raises their marketability and their earning potential in their chosen specialty. Apart from that, having a BSN will make your application more competitive. Earning a BSN will set you apart from other applicants.
- Better job security
Having a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) opens up more employment opportunities for you. The factors above explain why many healthcare facilities are looking for nurses with bachelor’s degrees.
Furthermore, Magnet hospitals, nationally recognized for their high standards of nursing care and positive patient outcomes, require all their nursing leaders and managers to have a BSN degree. In addition, the IOM requires that any healthcare facility hoping to earn Magnet status have at least 80% of its registered nurses have a bachelor’s degree.
A study by AACN found that almost 43% of healthcare facilities (including hospitals and nursing homes) require a BSN for entry-level nursing positions. Moreover, nearly 82% of hiring managers said that BSN degree holders are their first choice.
Additionally, Magnet hospitals and health centers have demonstrated better clinical results, patient outcomes, higher care quality, better job satisfaction, and lower turnover; earning a Bachelor of Science in Nursing will make you a more attractive candidate.
Bottom Line
Pursuing a BSN is a great place to start if your goals for the future reflect a need to stay relevant in the industry while pursuing advanced career opportunities. A BSN can set you up for a successful career with enhanced job security, where you can deliver improved and optimized patient care.
Furthermore, with a BSN, you can apply for various certifications in management, emergency care, physical therapy, diabetic care, and women’s health, which improve your marketability in front of employers. Considering that earning a BSN is not for you due to your current work schedule, consider these four benefits before making your choice. Plus, you can opt for an online degree as many online courses allow you more control over your schedule, and you can learn at your own pace.
