Why get a BSN? Learn about 6 BSN benefits and why you should pursue an ABSN program. From achieving advanced nursing degrees and having more career opportunities in, and outside the hospital setting, to job security and better benefits. The benefits of a BSN make nursing school worth it.
Becoming a nurse involves plenty of research, especially for those making a career change. Right now, you are probably weighing your options about what nursing program to apply to and what degree path to follow. You might be wondering if getting a BSN is worth it. There are many BSN benefits, including better patient outcomes, diverse career opportunities, and higher pay.
Misericordia University’s Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) provides students who have at least 30 non-nursing credits from an accredited institution or a non-nursing bachelor’s degree a path that provides them with multiple advantages — from career opportunities to better benefits to job security. Not only will it leverage your existing education so you can earn a degree in as few as 16 months, but you will earn a degree that employers are desperately seeking.
Why Earn a BSN?
As patient needs continue to grow in complexity, the need for knowledgeable nurses grows each year. Health care employers are beginning to require registered nurses to have a BSN degree, so starting your nursing career with a BSN degree is one step ahead of the game when applying for jobs.
2021 research in Nursing Outlook highlighted that higher proportions of BSN nurses reduced the odds of patient mortality. This study showed evidence for the need to increase the BSN workforce. The health care industry is finally realizing the critical role that nurses play in having a quality and highly efficient patient care delivery system.
1. Opportunities Inside a Hospital Setting
The demand for nurses who have BSN degrees is at an all-time high across the country. Misericordia’s ABSN program is an effort to help fill that demand by leveraging your education so you can earn a quality BSN degree.
The BSN degree you earn may provide you with many opportunities within a hospital setting including:
- Pediatric Nurse
- Surgical Nurse
- ICU Nurse
- Obstetric and Gynecological Nurse
- Public Health Nurse
- Critical Care Nurse
Becoming a registered nurse with a BSN opens the door to pursuing new certifications and continuing to advance your career through a master’s and even a doctoral degree later.
2. Opportunities Beyond the Bedside
If you prefer to work outside a traditional hospital setting, there are plenty of opportunities beyond the bedside. But many of those opportunities require a BSN degree. Some of the top nursing careers outside of a hospital setting include:
- Legal Nurse Consultant
- Forensic Nurse Consultant
- Case Manager Nurse
- Hospice Nurse
- Public Health Nurse
- School Nurse
3. Educational Opportunities
Earning your BSN is a step toward an advanced degree. For example, if you want to become a nurse educator or nurse practitioner, you must first have a bachelor’s degree. Why would you want to earn an advanced degree like an MSN? Because nearly all of the top-paying specialties require an MSN. But, again, it all starts with a BSN, which is required to apply.
4. Better Outcomes for Patients
What may be one of the most important BSN benefits has nothing to do with you, but rather with your future patients. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) collected research that shows nurses who earned a BSN degree have better patient outcomes, including lower mortality and higher rescue rates.
5. Better Benefits
Having a BSN increases your chances of working at a Magnet hospital (the gold standard among medical facilities). These facilities offer better working environments, multiple opportunities for professional development, better salaries and benefits, higher rates of nursing satisfaction, and less burnout among RNs.
6. Job Security
As stated earlier, the demand for BSN-educated nurses is increasing, and now more hospitals require a bachelor’s in nursing as a minimum requirement. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment for registered nurses is projected to grow 6% from 2021 to 2031.
Even for healthcare jobs that do not require it, one of the benefits of a BSN is having a degree that may give you the edge over a candidate with an Associate Degree in Nursing and diploma nurses.
Why an Accelerated Nursing Program is Worth It
Begin Your Path to a BSN
Now that you have a better understanding of the advantages of a BSN in the nursing profession, it is time to get started on earning your degree. If you have a non-nursing bachelor’s degree or a minimum of 30 credits from a regionally accredited institution, you may qualify to apply to the Misericordia University Accelerated BSN program near Pittsburgh.
Other requirements for Misericordia’s ABSN program include:
- A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.75 (based on all transferable credits).
- Successful completion of all prerequisites.
If you have these requirements, then it is time to contact a Misericordia ABSN admissions counselor who will help you with your next steps to reap those BSN benefits through our program. You will be assigned a dedicated counselor who will work with you throughout the application process.