BSN Overview
(9-Week Accelerated Nursing Program)
A Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) is a status for Registered Nurses (RN) indicating that a Degree has been earned in the field. The BSN Degree enables the RN to earn higher wages and partake of greater career opportunities for professional nursing, because it denotes that a prestigious baccalaurean education has been received by the nurse, as opposed to simple on-the-job training or training certificate.
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BSN Work Environment & Conditions
The BSN Degree is highly recommended by the Future of Nursing: Campaign for Action and the Academic Progression in Nursing, as many employers are now showing preference to nursing professionals holding the BSN credential in addition to the RN licensure. While the BSN and RN share in certain employment settings, the latter is more likely to provide direct patient care and the former specializes in supervision of the provision of care. The BSN may fill administrative positions involving documentation of quality control procedures, triaging, and of general oversight in hospitals, clinics, and most of the spectrum of the Healthcare Delivery System.
BSN Job Functions & Responsibilities
A BSN-RN oftentimes is placed over a Nursing Department, or even higher up within the realm of facility quality control. Oversight of patient care providers–whether they be Clinical Medical Assistants, Sterile Technicians, LPNs, etc.– is a dominating function of the BSN. A report by the Institute of Medicine titled The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health, suggests that at least 80 percent of professional nurses should hold a bachelor’s degree or higher by 2020 in order to ensure the nation has access to adequate patient care.
RN Career Advancement & Job Security
The top ten percent of RN-BSNs are reported to earn upward of $94K*, with countless advanced practice and specialty designations that garner more wages and more opportunities.
*According to statistic taken from U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics, and top job board sites (Indeed, CareerBuilder, SimplyHired, Monster); however, aforementioned wages not typical for undergraduate level nurses, but are more common for post-BSN (graduate level) nurses.
