Earning your bachelor’s degree in nursing can expand your career options!

From Registered Nurse to Bachelor of Science in Nursing
Registered Nurse to Bachelor of Science in Nursing – RN to BSN Guide

Discover the many opportunities enrolling into an RN to BSN program can provide for you.

The Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) will prepare you for a career as a registered nurse. Obtaining a BSN will equip you with the professional knowledge and skills that will enable you to work in a significant number of health care settings.

If you have an Associates’ degree in nursing (ADN), you can work as a registered nurse. The difference between a registered nurse who has obtained and completed an ADN program in comparison to a registered nurse who has completed a BSN nursing program. Is that more upper management along with supervisory positions is available to a BSN nurse. Many upper management employment positions are reserved only open to registered nurses that hold Bachelor’s Degrees in Nursing.

Besides that, there’s not much of a difference both ADN and BSN nurses have the same job responsibilities, and both can work in specialized nursing units.

The BSN nursing program can be completed in about four years. Topics in a BSN nursing program include critical thinking, foundations and professional nursing, pharmacology, and nutrition.

 

Table of Contents

Why should I earn my RN to BSN degree?

There are many reasons why you should earn your BSN. For starters, if you have already received your registered nursing RN license and decide that you would prefer management or supervisory position then you will need a BSN degree. BSN-prepared nurses can earn higher-paying management jobs.

This is because a bachelor’s degree in Nursing is often the preferred degree for upper supervisory nursing positions. Typically many hospitals will pay more for BSN-prepared nurses that are in supervisory positions.

BSN-prepared nurses can work and several nursing specialties. This includes nursing research, pediatrics, neonatal nursing, or even taking on a nursing educator role.

Typically to become a nurse educator you will need to have a Master’s degree however at some community and some technical colleges and may be able to lead clinical rotations.

If you have already received your registered nursing license and have completed an associate’s degree nursing program, you may want to consider enrolling in an RN to BSN program.

Additional reasons why you should earn your bachelor’s degree is because the BSN is the preferred degree among many institutions. Many healthcare organizations have what is called a BSN preferred, or BSN required policy for upper and supervisory as well as nonclinical positions.

Additionally, BSN preferences are needed if you would like to move into a research position as well as public health position they both require a BSN.

If you are still hesitating about enrolling in an RN to BSN program, please know that there are several online RN to BSN nursing programs that are available to you.

By enrolling in online RN to BSN classes, you can advance your nursing career while you still work and take care of your other responsibilities. Additionally, if you have already passed the are in NCLEX-RN your credits most likely can be transferred towards earning your BSN degree.

 

How long does it take to get a BSN degree?

The typical timeframe it takes to complete your BSN and your RN to BSN nursing program Are as follows:

If you do not have any previous university or college credits and are looking to earn your BSN from the ground up typically, you can expect to spend about four years at a college or university.

On the other hand, if you have already obtained an associate’s degree in nursing and have passed the NCLEX-RN, and already received your nursing license, then to earn your bachelor’s of science in nursing can take two years.

The best way and quick way to earn your degree is to make sure that you are enrolled in your BSN and your RN to BSN nursing programs without taking any time off and making sure you’re attending school as a full-time student.

Am I a good fit for this program?

To find out if you are a good fit for an RN to BSN nursing program, it’s best to take a look at where you are currently at and what you are willing to sacrifice to get to where you want to be. Unfortunately, we don’t have all the time in the world to start making big things happen in our life.

Whatever fears and doubts or insecurities that you may have about entering into a BSN nursing program are best to contact a school or a hospital and find out the answers that you need to know. Besides the last thing that you want is to enter into a BSN nursing program only to find that earning your BSN is not a good fit for you.

However, if you are in a position where you want to improve your quality of life, you will need to bring in more income. Sometimes you may have to work you may have to make a program work for you. However, you have many options, and not all nursing programs in nursing schools are the same. So before you enroll in any nursing program, it’s best to ask yourself what are you looking to accomplish.

Below are a few career questions you may want to ask yourself When deciding if entering into a BSN nursing program is for you:

  • What are the opportunities for advancement?
  • Would I like to go someday on and earn a master’s degree and take my nursing career to the next level?
  • How about does a BSN degree improve my bottom line?
  • What I like to earn additional skills and knowledge to work and a more specialized unit such as cardiac care, the intensive care unit, or even the emergency room?

Enrolling in pursuing an RN to BSN program is a huge investment of your time and money so you may want to take a look and ask yourself some really hard personal questions before deciding if you are a good fit for the program. Below are a few personal questions you may want to consider:

  • What time commitment can I devote towards my nursing studies?
  • How am I going to pay for my house and car while I go to nursing school? Do I need an online nursing program that can offer me more flexibility to complete my classes?
  • What fears are holding me back from enrolling? If I’m not going to enroll now then when?
  • What’s my plan for paying for school?

There are so many reasons to delay finishing up your nursing degree. However, one of the biggest benefits is just feeling the fear and doing it anyway. Time flies so quickly and before you know it ten years have gone by, and you’re stuck in the same position.

A bachelor of science in nursing education could just be the key to providing you with more career confidence as well as promotions, additionally, you will be able to stand out above your colleagues who may be trying to obtain the same nursing position as you. You can stay a bedside expert, or you could be a hospital manager the choice is yours.

 

What will I learn in my RN to BSN degree program?

Your nursing program is geared towards professional adult learners. The BSN program curriculum will build on a foundation of social sciences, physical, and biological sciences which help to contribute to the overall science of nursing.

Within the BSN nursing program, there are there is a liberal arts component that will help to enhance your development of intellectual, social skills as well as cultural aspects of the nursing profession. The BSN program will also concentrate on the development of the nurse’s role as a leader, practitioner, and researcher.

On the other hand, if you have already completed your Associate’s degree in nursing Or your nursing diploma your RN to BSN nursing program will build upon your previously learned foundation.

Within your nursing classes, you will learn to apply leadership concepts, the labor, and advocate for health promotion and as well as disease prevention strategies for individuals and families.

Also, you will demonstrate professional behaviors that will integrate autonomy, integrity, as well as respect for working in diverse settings. The RN to BSN program will incorporate concepts from the arts and sciences to help promote health along with managing complex nursing situations.

Some typical BSN courses you may take include the following:

  • Leadership and management within healthcare systems
  • Professional role integration
  • Nursing leadership and management
  • Transition to professional nursing

Do you need a more flexible way to take your BSN courses? Discover if earning an online bachelor’s degree are available for you.

Here is how a bachelor’s degree in nursing can help you achieve your goals

The advances in healthcare technologies create a large demand for highly skilled BSN professional nurses. According to the U.S Bureau of Labor statistics, they anticipate over the next several decades More nursing positions will be created in any other career field.

Find out now what career opportunities your BSN degree could bring you!

What can I do once I earn this degree?

Once you have completed your nursing classes it’s great to know what employment opportunities will be open to you.

The remarkable thing about being a BSN graduate is that you will have a chance to choose your specialty such as surgery, pediatrics, oncology, psychiatric and more.

Many BSN Nurses go on to hold job titles such as executive vice president, vice president and chief nursing officer, and director of research as they advance their education with a Masters’s degree. The job titles would have been difficult if not impossible to obtain with just an ADN or nursing diploma.

The actual job duties between a registered nurse who holds an ADN and a registered nurse who hold a BSN  have similar job functions.  The reason why the ADN nurse and the BSN nurse have the same job duties is that they both sit for the same exam which is the NCLEX-RN and both are RNs.

To give you a better idea of what general job responsibilities you can expect to undertake as a BSN nurse are listed below:

  • Determine the clinical needs of a diverse number of patients
  • work in collaboration with other health
  • manage patient care as well as dispensing medication, ensuring they get their orders
  • develop a plan of care that includes discharge planning interventions to the patient the importance of health promotion by providing them with patient education
  • perform diagnostic testing
  • Explain To the patient’s the importance of health promotion and health counseling of new and returning patients
  • Complete physical exams
  • Monitor the patient’s progress as well as their readiness to be discharged by focusing on their health status
  • Record accurate records of the patient’s vital signs
  • Provide wound care and patient vaccinations

However, the BSN registered nurse’s job responsibility will increase as they moved into upper management positions such as charge nurse, nurse educator, or even case management RNs.

If you are if you have one of these titles as a BSN nurse your typical job responsibilities may look like this:

Charge Nurse: As a charge nurse you will oversee other nurses but also you may be involved in treating a small number of patients. Your role will consist of assessing other nurses below your performance as well as guiding and motivating other health care team members of your staff. You will additionally be in charge of administrative tasks, and inshore a high level of patient care is given.

Nurse Manager/Nurse Supervisor: As a nurse manager your primary job and concern will be overseeing the activities of your nursing staff. You will make sure that the registered nurses, as well as the licensed practical nurses, comply with the nursing scope of practice. Some of your duties will include writing to update hospital policies and prose teacher.

Within this role you will be responsible for retaining, recruiting as well as supervising nurses. You will be responsible for employee development and employee retention. As a nurse manager, you will often wear many hats and have to juggle multiple roles when working in a healthcare organization.

Case Management Nurse: Taking on the role of case management nurse will include coordinating patient care. Most likely you will collaborate with a particular population of patients To oversee their treatment as well as care plans to promote long-term effectiveness.

Some of your duties will include scheduling and coordinating preventive care visits or even a patient’s upcoming surgery. Part of your role may also include researching treatments and or procedures. Other days you may be following up with the patient insurance companies To help e sure they receive the necessary approval for the proposed medical treatment needed.

What institution can I work for?

There are many places you can work once you have earned your BSN degree. Registered nurses practice and all health care settings. Some of these settings can include medical offices, community health centers, schools, nursing homes, hospitals, and even surprisingly locations such as homeless shelters, prisons, or even a tourist destination.

However, according to the labor, the Department of Labor, and statistics nearly half of all registered nurses are working within a hospital setting.

So let’s take a look at some of the most common places BSN nurses can be found working:

State and Local Hospitals: Working at a local or state hospital can offer you more on-the-job training and experience. If you’ve ever walked through a hospital, you can see just how vast it can be. So many units and departments that make up a hospital. This allows you room for exploration with the option of exploring several specialties that appeal to you best.

If you’re looking for a position that can help you learn and gain more on-the-job work experience then perhaps a hospital position could be a great fit for you. Working in a hospital is located in a faster-paced environment with a diverse group of patient populations.

Pretty much whatever you are interested in you can find working in a hospital setting. This is because hospitals offer a tremendous amount of room for professional growth as well as development. This could allow you to get involved in hospital staff programs, learn about cutting-edge technology or even become involved in research projects.

Many hospitals offer full-time nurses benefits such as medical and dental and may have programs for tuition reimbursement to help pay for you to go back to school. Some hospitals even offer on-site child care options for their staff; this could be a bonus if you have small children at home.

Hospitals operate twenty-four seven so finding a shift to fit into your schedule could be a great fit for you.

Nursing Homes: Deciding to take a position working in a nursing home you will be able to form a closer bond with patients. Many residents in a nursing home need specialized care that sometimes the families of the patient working with geriatric patients you will need to have quite a bit of patient as well as interpersonal skills. You will be working one on one with the same patient daily you will learn about their lives and their families. Patients that enter a hospital have short visits.

However, working in a nursing home you will be able to provide long-term care for patients over several months or several years. This is wonderful because you may get a chance to meet the patient’s families and form a special bond that can be very meaningful and rewarding to you.

There is quite a bit of personal satisfaction that comes with knowing that you are taking care of older generation patients. As the baby boomers age so will, employment opportunities in nursing homes grow.

Physician offices:  Nurses are often an ideal fit for working in physician offices. Many physicians have good reasons to hire BSN nurses. Gaining employment within a doctor’s office could mean the environment will be less hectic as opposed to working within a hospital setting.

This could help benefit the patient as you will have more time. With the patient improving the quality of care that you provide. So if you would like to work in a physician’s office, your job would need to assist and help free up the physician time so they can see other patients at the same time.

As an RN, some of your responsibilities will include seeing patients for follow-up of previous physician procedures, reporting your findings back to the doctor, and letting the physician know if there are any post-process reasons to see the patient. This could be a great career fit for you because many doctors have multiple clinics and can give you more autonomy and management responsibility that will be reflected in your salary.

Working in a physician’s office you may be responsible for supervising medical attendants, educating patients of their test results, preparing specimens of bodily fluids for lab testing in addition to performing administrative duties.

One of the biggest perks of working in a medical office setting Is the schedule of hours you can expect to work.

Having employment in a medical office often has more 9-to-5 hours scheduling as opposed to working in a hospital that often has longer 12-hour shifts.

Home health care:  If you are looking for more than constantly and are interested in working in a more intimate environment you may want to consider becoming a home health care nurse. There are many advantages to caring for patients within their home environment.

Deciding to take on a career within home health care can allow you to create your schedule. Home healthcare is a huge industry That is not likely to slow down anytime soon.

Your responsibilities of being a home health care nurse are huge this is because the patient’s life may depend on you. Sometimes you never know what you may be walking into as some patients you may visit then you may think they’re fine when in reality they are in respiratory distress.

Working in home health, you may sometimes have limited help from other health care team members, so your previous clinical nursing skills are vital within the home health care setting.

If you love independence then the autonomy that home health care nursing could be a great fit for you. Home health care nursing is all about being proactive, building relationships with your patient, and providing care one on one with patients instead of caring for a large number of patients.

The hours vary within home health care nursing because some patients may need your services during the day and some patients may require your services throughout the night.

Will I need more certification or continuing education units to continue to practice?

Yes. All nurses are required to pass a state licensing before they can legally practice as registered nurse. So after you have completed your BSN nursing program you will need to sit for what is called the NCLEX-RN national examination. If you have previously already passed the in clinics are in and are enrolled in the RN to BSN nursing program you will not need to retake the NCLEX-RN.

The whole purpose of obtaining your professional license as a registered nurse is to help protect the public from harm. The NCLEX-RN sets the minimum qualification and competencies for you to enter safely into the nursing workforce. The nursing field is regulated because it is one of the many medical health professions that could pose a risk and harm to the public if the individual has not been sufficiently prepared or is incompetent.

After you have that, it was best to pass the National council licensure examination and received your nursing license depending upon what you live in you may be required to fulfill a certain amount of continuing education units. There you will have a time frame from the date that you receive your nursing license of just how many continue to educate casing credits you will need. Plus how often you will need it is best to check with your state board of nursing to find out your exact requirements to keep your nursing license in good standing.

How do I advance in my career what are my next steps

Make no mistake as a registered nurse with a BSN you can have an abundant and long career. But as with any career sometimes you would like to know that you have options for advancing your position, job title, and salary.

Once you have earned your BSN, the next level for career advancement would be to earn your Master’s. If you decide that you are interested in earning your MSN and propelling your career to new heights, then career opportunities such as Nurse Midwife, Clinical Nurse Specialist, and Nurse Anesthetist will be open to you.

If you decide to earn your MSN you could become what is known as an Advanced Practice Nurse and be able to treat patients just as physicians do while enjoying a high level of autonomy and career independence.

Not to mention the pay between a BSN nurse and an advanced practice nurse can jump to nearly double what you earn as an RN with a BSN. And guess what this can be accomplished in as short as two years at a traditional school.

Or you can earn your MSN degree online in as short as 18 to 24 months. So what is 18 to 24 months of schooling to make nearly double of what you could be making now not to mention the level of professional respect you will gain among your colleagues and peers.

Another positive benefit of earning your MSN. Is that nobody can take it away from you, once you have completed your MSN nursing program it is done, and now you can look forward to a life of higher pay, more career independence as well as an increase in medical knowledge that will serve you for the rest of your life.

You can advance your career as a year and nurse by gaining more experience underneath your belt typically the longer you stay at the hospital, the higher pay they will pay you however there is always a Sometimes the best way that you can advance your career issues heading back to school.

Nowadays position can be extremely competitive to get into and sometimes hope in a dream is not enough to get into the desired position you are seeking. Remember education coupled with experience could be the keys to unlocking career opportunities that can change your life for the better and improve your bottom line.

 

Let’s Explore how online and on-campus learning differs And which one could be a better direction for you:

Who are online programs tailored for?

Online nursing programs have become more popular than ever. Online nursing schools have emerged as the answer to helping individuals complete degrees online within the comfort of their homes. With no mandatory login times or mandatory classroom hours, online nursing schools have become an ideal fit for working and busy professionals.

Online nursing programs provide flexibility for several people such as:

Single Parents: Being a single parent often means there are just not enough hours in the day. Deciding to go back to school can be nearly impossible if you are a single parent. Often as a single parent, your time is limited. And not to mention a juggling act between taking care of your child or children, working to bring in income to keep the lights on.

After taking your kids to school, running any errands within the daytime moves quickly with the time you have left is often precious. The RN to BSN Online nursing program can be completed while your children are at school, early in the morning, or 10 at night.

Busy professionals: if you are currently working and you are unhappy with where you’re working online nursing programs could work for you also. After you complete your work shift, you could come home and decide when you should get started and complete your nursing assignment.

The worst part about working in the workforce is the feeling of filling STAT and having to choose between staying at work to pay your bills and sustain your living or not working and attending a traditional campus.

Which could be very much impossible or a hard choice to make online nursing program could be a great fit for you as you can work and still go to school at the same time without sacrificing wine or the other while additionally doing what it takes to improve your future in the long run by gaining your degree.

Second-degree holders: Earning your BSN online could be a great fit for you if you already have a bachelor’s degree ready in another field. Unfortunately, sometimes you may have gone to school and earned a degree to only find out that degree is not a great fit for you simply because they’re not enough career opportunities within that other unrelated career field. Having to start over at a traditional campus can sometimes be not an ideal option for you.

Simply because you would like to earn your degree in the comfort of your home without having to go to a traditional campus setting. The perks of earning your online nursing degree from home are You don’t have to change your life to earn your degree.

Your online degree can fit into your current schedule. You will have more independence and won’t have to deal with any other added stress that a traditional on-campus could bring.

However, the people listed above don’t necessarily have to be you. Many individuals decide to pursue continue and enroll in an online nursing program for many reasons. And some people prefer to go traditional on This route.

Deciding to pursue an online nursing degree program will allow you to make your schedule. And you will have more control over when it’s convenient for you to complete your assignment.

Online nursing degree programs are an ideal fit for those who enjoy independence, can commit and are self-driven.

Are online programs available for the BSN degree?

Unfortunately, not all degrees are available in all learning formats. If you are in school or looking to earn your BSN without having any prior education, then you will need to enroll in a BSN hybrid format.

The BSN hybrid format is not cannot be taken 100% online. BSN hybrid nursing programs mean you will take some of your courses on-campus and you can take some of your courses in an online format. You will be required to come to campus a certain amount a certain number of days within a semester.

This means that you will have several days a week that you will physically be working in a hospital to promote performing clinical skills and interacting with patients, their families as well as other health care medical professionals.

As part of your clinical rotations that will be required of your BSN nursing programs, you will have to perform hands-on nursing skills that are in observation within a hospital or another patient care facility.

However, there are RN to BSN hybrid programs that could allow a certain number of courses that can be taken online when it comes to completing your nursing theory portion, however, your clinical rotations remember must be taken at a clinical hospital. This will allow you to have a more flexible schedule while you earn your degree online, and you can continue your education while you’re still employed.

The BSN hybrid program they’re designed for working people and they include they frequently include small class sizes. Additionally, you can take your courses part-time or full-time, and your clinical rotation will be in various health care settings most likely close that are close to where you live in close to the school.

Now if you are already a registered nurse, and you are looking to earn your BSN then great there are several RN to BSN 100% online educational programs. You can complete your RN to BSN hundred percent online. The RN to BSN program will allow you the opportunity to earn your BSN degree in as early as 14 months.

The RN to BSN online option will allow you to earn your BSN in as few as three semesters. The wonderful benefit about it is that you won’t have to travel to class. And you can learn in a flexible and supportive learning environment that will be top experience nurse educators that commit to helping you grow and succeed.

Many RN to BSN online programs have no mandatory login times, you’ll have twenty-four-seven access to courses as well as support services. And because you’ve already completed your Associate’s degree and have obtained your registered nursing license you may receive up to eighty-two credits for your experience.

The overall goal of the RN to BSN program is to build off of what you already know without repeating what you’ve already learned. The RN to BSN program acknowledges the knowledge and skills and abilities that you have as a registered nurse.

RN to the RN to BSN curriculum will integrate a solid basis within liberal arts as well as nursing courses that will help expand your knowledge of basic nursing practices that go beyond your nursing pre-licensure program. The RN to BSN program can be taken part-time or full-time.

How do online programs differ from campus programs? Will the quality of education be the same?

We understand how you can have some fears when it comes to deciding if an online nursing program is a good fit for you. So we shall attempt to explain some key factors that may help answer a few questions that you may have when it comes to online nursing programs.

Myth #1: Employers do not respect online nursing programs

When it comes time to apply for a new nursing position or opportunity you may find that some employers may have a higher standard when it comes to viewing individuals that have earned a degree from a traditional campus-based university or school. However, that could be far from the truth. Research in many statistics shows that employers understand the value of online learning. They understand how hectic individuals are.

Truth be told employers when they view that you have received your degree from an online university or college many times tend to prefer an individual that has earned an online nursing degree with an online college that they are more familiar with. Additionally, universities and online colleges that are accredited tend to place a higher value upon.

Many employers uphold in view traditional online nursing programs as holding the same value as a traditional campus-based degree. The reason why this is is that online learning universities are held are upheld by the same accrediting bodies and are have to follow the same regulatory standards as an on-campus school. At the end of the day, employers view your many employers view your degree just as equal to a grade than opposed to someone who earned a degree on campus.

The only difference between the two is that the learning format is different. Many employers with a have become aware that you have earned a degree it shows them that your ambitions and that you want to remain informed interest prepared for any new challenges within the workplace.

Myth #2: There are no real instructors are no real teachers within a nursing online program

if you decide to pursue your RN to BSN online, and you enroll in an accredited college or university the great news about learning is that you will be learning from industry expert instructors that most likely teach on-campus classes. Many of your instructors will be nurse educators, Practicing nurses, nurse practitioners, or even Retired nurses. The great thing about learning from these industry experts is the amount of experience that they bring to the table when they are teaching you.

Because they have years of previous experience and knowledge, it will enhance your education immensely, and you can contact them any time if you don’t understand something many of them are available to help you succeed.

Also, one of the significant benefits of earning your post-secondary degree is the convenience of taking classes online. The great thing about it is that you don’t have to get dressed you could be chatting with your instructor in your pajamas. However, the choice is yours. Online nursing programs offer more flexibility but without the added pressure of having to show up every day.

You do not need to attend class physically every day however all RN to BSN classes have assignment due dates. For example, you may have a paper due or PowerPoint project or diagram due once every Thursday. Besides, if you do not understand something your instructors only a phone call, email, or even text away.

Fear: I’m afraid I may have no interaction with other students if I decide to take my classes online

Many online nursing programs encourage and promote events to work together and interact with one another. Being a part of an online nursing program will still allow you to communicate with other students. This is because some nursing online programs have what is called a learning team. This is where you may have to work with others who didn’t online to complete a project. Many RN to BSN online programs have discussion boards, online chat, and more.

This creates a place to share your perspectives and allows you to engage in healthy debate within an online environment. In some classes, you may be in a class with the student that all the way and New York or you may meet another student that’s located in California it all depends on. The choice is yours.

Associates Degree – How to Become Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN/LVN) Guide

Check out our other Nursing School Guides.

 

References

https://www.census.gov/