There are many benefits of a BSN degree, including access to more nursing specialties, better job security, higher salary potential and opportunities to pursue advancement through graduate education. Plus, BSN-prepared nurses contribute to better patient outcomes.
Nurses come to the field with various backgrounds and from all walks of life. There are many pathways you can take to achieve a career in nursing. For example, becoming a nurse with just an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) is possible. However, the field as a whole is shifting toward a preference for nurses with at least a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree.
Furthermore, earning that BSN degree might take less time than you think. You may be eligible for an accelerated BSN program if you already have a bachelor’s degree in a non-nursing field or a certain number of non-nursing college credits. For example, the University of St. Thomas Houston’s Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program can allow you to graduate in as few as 12 months.
When considering the different routes available for pursuing a new career as a registered nurse (RN), knowing the advantages of a BSN in nursing is essential. Among several other reasons, nurses with a BSN have more job opportunities than nurses without. BSN-prepared nurses may be more respected among employers looking to hire highly qualified candidates. Let’s explore the other reasons why a BSN in nursing is important.
What Is a BSN?
Before exploring why a BSN in nursing is important, let’s take a closer look at what this degree is and what you can do with it. While a few degree options that grant entry into the nursing profession exist, the BSN is the one that opens the most doors. That’s because it goes beyond basic nursing knowledge, taking a deeper dive into health policy, research and evidence-based practice, and leadership development.
Unlike an ADN, according to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), BSN programs include aspects of:
- Community and patient education
- Management and leadership
- Health promotion
- Clinical, scientific and decision-making skills
The 12-month ABSN program offered through the University of St. Thomas was designed to help students graduate as confident, compassionate nurse leaders. The ABSN program at UST provides students with the following interdisciplinary courses geared toward leadership, management, research and holistic nursing practice:
- Health Assessment
- Clinical Inquiry/Evidence-Based Practice
- Foundations of Holistic Nursing Practice
- The Art and Science of Holistic Nursing
- Holistic Nursing: Foundation for Clinical Leadership
- Holistic Nursing: Caring for the Community
1. Benefits of a BSN Degree for Patient Outcomes
So, why get a BSN? Unsurprisingly, registered nurses with BSN degrees produce better patient outcomes for those under their care. Studies completed over the past decade have reached findings including:
“A 10% increase in the proportion of BSN-prepared nurses on hospital units was associated with lowering the odds of patient mortality by 10.9%.”
“A 10-point increase in the percentage of nurses holding a BSN within a hospital was associated with an average reduction of 2.12 deaths for every 1,000 patients.”
“Hospitals with a higher percentage of RNs with baccalaureate or higher degrees had lower congestive heart failure mortality, decubitus ulcers, failure to rescue, and postoperative deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism and shorter length of stay.”
As these findings and emerging industry standards indicate, the advantages of a BSN in nursing extend to your future patients. Having a BSN sets you up with the skills to take better care of your patients, making the investment in your nursing education worthwhile.
What can you do with a BSN? Read about 15 career paths available to those with a nursing degree.
2. Job Security
Because BSN-educated nurses can better help their patients, it makes sense that more and more hospitals require a bachelor’s in nursing as a minimum requirement for applying for open nursing positions. For years, professional organizations have been calling for a higher standard of education among nurses.
Thanks at least in part, to the industry-wide push toward raising the standards of nursing education, most new nurses entering the field today have a BSN at a minimum. More than 71% of all RNs active as of 2022 held a BSN.
Even if you’re considering a healthcare career in which a BSN isn’t required, having a BSN degree can give you a leg up over other candidates with only an ADN.
3. Diverse Range of Career Specialties
Why get a BSN aside from industry expectations? With a BSN, many more career paths become available to you that aren’t possible or as easy to pursue if you have only an ADN. For example, inside the hospital, you can work in specialty areas, including:
- Obstetric
- Pediatric
- Medical-surgical
- Intensive care
- Emergency room
What’s more, through the ABSN program, you’ll have the opportunity to sample these and other specialty areas through hands-on clinical rotations at top-area healthcare facilities. For that reason, we consider clinicals as a “12-month job interview” because this aspect of our program can lead to job prospects after graduation, thanks to valuable networking opportunities with professionals at top area healthcare facilities.
In addition to the more specialized nursing positions within a hospital that you become eligible for with a baccalaureate degree, a BSN offers plenty of career opportunities beyond the bedside. A few of the many career options that require at least a BSN are:
- Legal nurse consultant
- Public health nurse
- Home health nurse
- Travel nurse
- Nurse manager
As you can see, the benefits of a BSN degree can shape your career.
4. Career Advancement Opportunities
Besides the career opportunities open to you, a BSN is the first step toward pursuing an advanced nursing degree if you choose to do so. With a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) or a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), for example, you may pursue high-paying, specialized nursing careers, such as a nurse practitioner (NP) — one of the most in-demand careers currently available — certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA) and certified nurse midwife (CNM). To qualify to enroll in MSN or DNP programs, however, you must first earn your BSN.
Thinking about becoming a nurse later in life? Find out what it takes and the benefits you may receive.
5. Higher Earning Potential
An RN with a BSN can expect much higher earning potential than nurses with only an ADN. As of May 2023, RNs in the U.S. earned a median annual wage of $86,070, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). While there are differences from one hospital to the next, nurses who are more highly educated can generally expect to command a salary on the higher end of the average range. This is largely because baccalaureate-educated nurses receive more extensive education, which means they can take on more complex tasks and are afforded more autonomy on the job than their associate degree-holding counterparts.
Furthermore, with a BSN, you could pursue career advancement by earning a graduate degree in nursing. According to the BLS, advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) with a graduate degree had a median annual salary of $129,480 as of May 2023.
You Can Earn a Degree in as Few as 12 Months
An ABSN program like UST’s not only helps you receive a quality degree that sets you above the competition but also helps you start your new nursing career sooner. If you have a non-nursing bachelor’s degree or 60 college credits and meet our other academic requirements, you may qualify to apply to the ABSN program at UST.
Find out if you’re a good fit for our program by contacting one of our dedicated admissions advisors, who will help you take the next steps toward earning a BSN through the program.