So, you’ve gotten your Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)! First, let us say “Congratulations on being ahead of the curve.” Why? Well, more hospitals and healthcare employers these days want nurses with bachelor’s degrees…and…by 2020, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) has recommended at least eight out of 10 nurses should have a BSN.
With your BSN a number of new career doors will be open to you. Among them: becoming a nurse supervisor or educator, serving in an administrative post, and getting involved in informatics. With your BSN, you’re also another step closer to earning a master’s and working as a nurse practitioner, nurse midwife or clinical nurse specialist, among other options.
Basically, your BSN can lead down many exciting career paths, from leadership, system improvement, and research and evidence-based practice, to community/public health and geriatric experience and health policy. And, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), your BSN also should translate into better job prospects.
Research has indicated RN curriculums tend to focus on acute illnesses and injuries, whereas today’s older patients often suffer more from chronic conditions. With your added education and enhanced critical-thinking skills, you likely can provide better care to patients. In fact, research by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing has shown nurses with BSNs enjoy better patient outcomes, so you can expect to be called upon to lead teams of caregivers more often than not.
BSN programs typically encompass various liberal arts courses and topics beyond nursing. Should you ever decide to leaving nursing, your bachelor’s degree provides the well-rounded education that can lead to many more career opportunities outside of nursing. Having that BSN is a win-win for you, whether you are committed to remaining a nurse, or if you ultimately decide to leave the profession.
In addition to its Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN – RN) offered at many campuses, Fortis offers the opportunity for its graduates to transfer credits into the online RN to BSN program through the affiliated Denver College of Nursing that you can take while working. It’s a degree that can offer a whole new world of opportunities to nurses. To learn more, check out your BSN options at our RN to BSN page.
With a BSN in your corner, expect your opportunities for nursing success to be expanded.
