Benefits of Having a Nursing BSN Degree
As health care continues to advance and patients’ needs become increasingly complex, a growing number of hospitals are establishing new standards for their nursing staff — for example, only hiring nurses who hold a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree.
It’s easy to see why this is. While nurses still carry out many of the skills-based roles many of us typically associate with nursing — such as giving injections, inserting IVs and intubating patients — they’re also playing an ever-greater role in decision making, advocating for patients’ care, delivering evidence-based care, collaborating within multidisciplinary care teams and more.
All of these additional responsibilities illustrate the need for the kind of thorough nursing education that BSN programs provide. However, there are more reasons health care providers are increasingly seeking out BSN-educated registered nurses.
BSN-Educated Nurses are Advancing the Profession
When the Institute of Medicine (IOM) released its landmark report, The Future of Nursing, a little over a decade ago, they laid out a number of recommendations aimed at better preparing the nursing profession overall for the 21st century. Among the goals they presented, none garnered so much attention as the suggestion that 80% of registered nurses hold a BSN by the year 2020 — and while this ambitious goal has yet to be met due to a variety of factors including a nationwide shortage, the industry continues to move in that direction.
Magnet-designated hospitals, which the American Nurses Credentialing Center recognizes for excellence in patient care delivery, are great examples. These hospitals require every nurse with management or leadership status to have at least a BSN degree. Additionally, health care facilities applying for Magnet status must have a plan in place for employing an 80% baccalaureate-prepared RN workforce. Not to mention that some states, such as New York, have passed their own legislation regarding RNs obtaining BSN degrees.
The reasons are clear. Countless studies have shown that hospitals and providers with a greater percentage of nurses holding BSN degrees yield better patient outcomes, including lower rates of 30-day readmissions and failures to rescue.
By earning a nursing BSN degree, you can start your career with an in-demand nursing credential. While an associate degree nursing education can teach you the basics of nursing, it can fall short in developing your critical-thinking and decision-making skills. A bachelor’s degree in nursing cultivates these advanced skills and expands your education to include leadership, research and public health, positioning you well for a career with abundant opportunities for personal and professional growth.
Ready to use your non-nursing college experience to become a nurse in 16 months? Give us a call today, or fill out the form to have a Concordia University ABSN admissions counselor contact you.