When thinking about becoming a nurse, one of the critical questions to ask yourself is which path you want to take to get there? A BSN is a bachelor’s degree in nursing, and can provide many additional benefits than an ADN, which is an associate’s degree in nursing. Both can allow you the opportunity to become a registered nurse. So, you might ask yourself, “Why is a BSN necessary for nurses?” especially when an ADN can get you to the same position?
Here we discuss the benefits of obtaining a BSN by explaining information about the education, curriculum, career, salary outlook, and titles and employers.
What is a BSN?
A BSN is a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing. BSN programs typically are completed in about four years. Different from an ADN, a BSN provides aspiring nurses more opportunities when it comes to applying for jobs in their field. A nurse with a BSN can look forward to greater knowledge, a higher salary, better employment opportunities and titles, and a career that you can develop to management and leadership roles.
Benefits of obtaining a BSN
Here are the major benefits of receiving a BSN:
- Education: A BSN takes four years of education on average to achieve. Those who want more training and an easier time getting a job will go for the BSN because of how much more they learn throughout their education.
- Curriculum: While an ADN will receive all the same core classes and hands-on experience that a BSN receives, spending two more years for a BSN commonly provides nurses with additional classes and programs that include public health, leadership, management, science, and nursing research. A BSN will have more knowledge and a greater understanding of the nursing field.
- Career: While a BSN will start at the same level as an ADN in their career, a nurse who has a BSN will have the ability to progress their career without any additional education. They can pursue leadership positions and meet the requirements for positions that require a BSN like education and research nursing positions.
- Salary outlook: A nurse with a BSN can expect pay increases and promotions with hard work and consistent effort. Nurses with BSNs get paid the same as ADNs as an entry-level nurse but can expect a better progression of raises and promotions throughout their career because of their additional knowledge as well as the requirements of employers.
- Titles and employers: While a BSN nurse is mostly employed in a hospital or healthcare center, a nurse with a BSN has many more opportunities for specialized or leadership positions. A BSN nurse will have an advantage when applying for a job as a school nurse, a nurse educator, or a case manager. A nurse with a BSN has more opportunities for pay raises and promotions and possesses the requirements that allow for twice as many employment opportunities as a nurse with an ADN.
Do you need a BSN?
When thinking about becoming a nurse, you should think about what it is you expect or want to achieve throughout your career. Though you don’t need a BSN to become a nurse, obtaining a BSN could give you twice as many opportunities to develop your career into specialized and leadership positions that provide you with higher pay, raises, and promotions.
If you want more knowledge, greater opportunities, and the ability to achieve a leadership position that makes more money throughout your career, a BSN can be very worthwhile.
Conclusion
While a BSN is not necessary, it can provide you with more opportunities. Spending extra money, time, and effort to achieve a BSN is very worthwhile because of the increased opportunity you have for the rest of your nursing career.