The field of nursing is vastly expanding. No longer is a nurse just a nurse. There is the Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA), the Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN), Registered Nurse (RN) and now the RN with a BSN. All are specific degrees of nursing with the BSN becoming quickly more popular than ever before. Each defines a specific area based on the length of time and the number of credits acquired in the field of nursing.

To earn the BSN, Bachelor of Science in Nursing, the student must obtain 4 years of education. However, a student who has already earned their Bachelor of Science degree in another field may take an accelerated training program. The accelerated program usually requires an additional eighteen to twenty one months with focus on specialized medical training.

The RN to BSN degree requires a core group of classes:

Adult health

Maternal and newborn nursing

Pediatrics

Psychiatric nursing

Community health nursing

Gerontological nursing

Additional courses in nursing theory

Nursing research

Nursing informatics

The normal process when moving from one field of study into another will cost more. The RN generally is time-honored based on a specific field of study. Classes are designed around the medical field exclusively. When obtaining the BSN degree, the student receives skills directed towards the medical field in addition to business skills with an emphasis in management.

An RN will be trained in the art of people skills. Generally an RN is capable of supervising all other nursing personnel. The RN with a BSN in addition is skilled in the field of medicine with a major more direct focus on the art of management. The BSN has the ability to, in certain hospitals, manage entire departments.

To acquire the skills necessary when seeking a BSN degree, a qualified student will pay only about $2000 to $3000 more. In most states, the cost to acquire an RN is approximately $8000 ($2000 per year). The cost to acquire the RN to BSN degree equates out to approximately $200 to $300 more per year.

The finding in most areas of the country is that an RN makes about $1 less per hour than the RN with a BSN. The RN’s salary per year is around $70,000 where the RN with a BSN averages at about $75,000. However, it depends on the position acquired after graduation. Depending on the amount of responsibility, some RN’s with a BSN can expect to make salaries ranging in the hundreds of thousands yearly.

Prerequisites

To gain entrance into the BSN program a candidate must

Have already or will soon earn the Certified RN degree

Have been or earned at least a GPA of 2.75 in the RN program

Recommendation from a Supervisor or from the department of nursing administrator for your college or university

Each state has certain requirements with regards to classes and additional license before earning a BSN degree. Check with you local university or institution to determine what you need to enter the BSNH program.

Additional Skills and Abilities Gained

After completion of the BSN degree, an RN has gained additional skills and abilities. These additional qualifications can be instrumental in escalating your value to any physician or hospital.

A few of the skills and or abilities obtained are:

• Sharpened critical thinking skills

• The ability to integrate research methodology directly when prioritizing a diagnosis, planning and implementing the necessary components provided in the care of patients.

• Acquired direct interpretation of a prognosis in the care of communities and groups of patients with similar symptoms.

• Incorporation of traditional and emerging discoveries in the treatment of patients.

• Ability to analyze situations with family, guide and direct their healing through issues with regard to patients medical needs or diagnosis.

• Knowledge incorporated with skills and ability to understand principle methods of health promotion when nursing or assisting physicians in the care of patients

• Ability to speak clearly, communicate professionally and work efficiently in all situations.

Opportunities after Acquiring A BSN

Any career in the medical field affords an individual with stability in addition to numerous career possibilities. The medical field is an open road. Security is guaranteed. Graduates with a BSN have the flexibility to choose specialty career fields based on their interest and abilities. However, they are not bound by those interests. The opportunities have no boundaries. Some of those options can be specialization in your medical area such as pediatrics, geriatrics, oncology, emergency care, surgical nursing and much more. There are even nurses who work outside of the traditional hospital or doctor’s office. Such as in fields of forensic science, as a legal nurse consultant, as clinical researchers or even school nurses.

If your goal is to direct your career more in line with management with a focus on nursing, By passing the norm and reaching for new dimensions available in medicine, the BSN can be your avenue to a definite guarantee in obtaining your career goal.