BSN Benefits
If you want to become a nurse, you can do so with an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) or a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). However, while both degree options get you started, they produce different career outcomes. The ABSN benefits include opening the door to several more opportunities and paving the way for earning an advanced practice degree.
Value of a BSN
Because of the comprehensive nature of a BSN education, nurses with a BSN can work in a variety of specialties throughout a hospital setting, including but not limited to:
• Operating rooms
• Intensive care units
• Emergency rooms
• Neonatal intensive care units
BSN benefits also include the ability to work outside of hospitals in a variety of community roles, where nurses can have a more widespread impact. These community roles include:
• Public health nursing
• Legal nurse consulting
• School nursing
• Home health nursing
A BSN is also the minimum degree requirement for nurses who want to earn an advanced degree. With a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) or a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), nurses can seek high-paying positions such as:
• Nurse practitioners
• Nurse anesthetists
• Nurse educators
• Clinical nurse specialists
Importance of a BSN
A BSN dives deeper into the profession than an ADN, covering nursing research, informatics, patient advocacy and more. A nurse with a BSN has a better understanding of how social, economic and cultural issues affect patients and our healthcare system.
Furthermore, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) recognizes a BSN as the minimum education requirement for professional practice. As a result, many healthcare employers now require their ADN-prepared nurses to return to school and earn their BSN within a specified time frame.
BSN-educated nurses are in high demand. According to the AACN, the 2022 National Nursing Workforce Survey revealed that 71.7% of nurses in the US workforce have a BSN. It is also important to note that healthcare facilities with a higher percentage of BSN-educated nurses on staff lead to more positive patient outcomes.
So if you have been asking yourself, “Is a BSN worth it?” the answer is a firm “yes.”
By earning a nursing BSN degree, you will:
- Stand out with employers. A growing number of healthcare employers understand the value of having more educated nurses on staff and prefer nursing graduates with a BSN or higher.
- Provide safe, effective care. A growing body of evidence shows that the more BSN-prepared nurses a healthcare facility employs, the better the patient outcomes.
- Earn a higher salary. Nurses with a BSN have better earning power than ADN nurses.
- Have more job opportunities. A BSN enables you to practice in a myriad healthcare settings and pursue certification in a variety of specialty areas.
Want More Information?
Contact if you want to learn more about the BSN benefits from Pacific Lutheran University.