Having a BSN in nursing is important because it can empower you to earn a better salary, be a more competitive hire and increase better patient outcomes. A BSN makes you more marketable and increases your eligibility to be hired at Magnet status hospitals.
Nurses with a greater breadth and depth of education and clinical training are better equipped to provide excellent patient care. This is a primary reason why having a BSN is important, but the BSN benefits don’t stop there. A BSN can also improve your nursing career trajectory. Is a BSN worth it for your career? Ultimately, it’s your decision, but plenty of compelling reasons exist to enroll in a BSN program.
Furthermore, earning a BSN doesn’t require four years if you choose Madonna University. Madonna’s Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program can allow you to graduate with a quality BSN in as few as 16 months. Despite the accelerated pace, the curriculum is comprehensive and rigorous, and you’ll be able to learn everything you need to provide excellent nursing care to your patients.
Before applying to our nursing program, you should understand why having a BSN is important. Consider the advantages of a BSN for your career and your patients.
What Is a BSN and Why Does It Matter?
If you’re unfamiliar with nursing programs, you may wonder, “What is a BSN?” A BSN is a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. It’s a degree level that qualifies graduates to take the NCLEX, the national licensure exam that all aspiring RNs must pass. The BSN, however, is not the only nursing program that can qualify a future nurse to sit for the NCLEX.
Becoming an RN with an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) or a nursing diploma program is also possible. These programs do not offer the comprehensive, rigorous curriculum of a BSN degree, however. In other words, nurses with a BSN are better prepared to care for their patients. This is just one of many BSN benefits to consider.
Use this guide to help choose the right nursing program for you.
Top Benefits for Today’s Nurses
With a BSN, you’ll enjoy more robust career opportunities while contributing to better patient outcomes. Consider the following advantages of a BSN:
A BSN Creates Career Opportunities
Today, most registered nurses hold a BSN degree or higher, reflecting a growing trend toward higher education. This isn’t to say that every RN starts with a BSN degree, but it’s worth noting that the percentage of RNs entering the workforce with an associate degree is declining.
Why? Industry pressure is one major factor in the shift toward BSN degrees. In 2010, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) issued its landmark report, The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health, which set off a tidal wave of change. In its report, the IOM stressed that a more educated nursing workforce is required to best serve the needs of patients in a rapidly evolving healthcare environment.
Thus, the 80% by 2020 initiative was born. The goal of this initiative was for at least 80% of registered nurses to hold a bachelor’s degree in nursing by the year 2020.
The impact of this initiative was quickly felt throughout the industry, with many healthcare providers requiring their RNs without BSN degrees to earn them within a certain amount of time. For a hospital to receive a Magnet® designation, all its nurse managers and nurse leaders must have at least a bachelor’s degree in nursing.
A BSN Can Help You Earn a Better Salary
All RNs have high salary potential. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the median annual salary for RNs was $93,600 as of May 2024. Although the BLS doesn’t track salary data for BSN-prepared RNs vs. ADN-prepared RNs, nurses with a BSN generally have stronger earning potential. They can also pursue career advancement opportunities that are associated with higher pay.
A BSN Can Result in Better Patient Outcomes
One of the most compelling BSN benefits is that this designation improves patient care quality. The IOM report’s key findings behind the 80% by 2020 initiative were that more nurses with BSN degrees mean better patient outcomes.
The American Association of Colleges of Nursing agrees with these findings, citing several studies showing that having more nurses with BSN degrees reduces patient mortality and failure-to-rescue rates.
Pursue Graduate Education and Career Advancement
Is a BSN worth it for your career trajectory? It can certainly provide a foundation for pursuing professional growth. With a BSN, you can apply to a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) or Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree program. A nurse prepared with a graduate degree in nursing could pursue opportunities in nursing management, administration, education, or research.
Alternatively, you could earn a graduate degree and board certification in your specialty area to become an advanced practice registered nurse (APRN), such as a nurse practitioner (NP) or certified nurse midwife (CNM). There are plenty of possibilities to consider with a BSN.
The Advantages of a BSN Over an ADN
A BSN offers distinct advantages compared to an ADN or diploma program. Consider the following:
- BSN-prepared nurses contribute to better patient outcomes.
- BSN-prepared nurses can command higher salaries.
- Healthcare employers prefer to hire nurses with a bachelor’s degree.
- A BSN provides the foundation for graduate-level nursing education and career advancement.
Additionally, many organizations, including the Veterans Administration (VA) and the United States Armed Forces, require a BSN degree to be eligible for promotion beyond an entry-level RN position.
Learn more about the differences between a BSN vs. ADN.
Some aspiring nurses might still be tempted to earn an ADN instead of a BSN simply because they want to start their nursing careers sooner. Yet, a BSN doesn’t always require a four-year commitment.
How an ABSN Program Can Help You Reap the Benefits Sooner
Madonna’s ABSN program compresses a BSN program into just 16 months. It accomplishes this by leveraging your past college credits to bypass general education requirements and offering consecutive semesters without breaks. The result: you can earn a high-quality nursing degree in far less time than a traditional BSN and start your nursing career sooner. You’ll still learn everything you need to know to provide excellent patient care while preparing for future career advancement.
Earn Your BSN From Madonna University in as Few as 16 Months
Whether it’s higher pay, greater job opportunities, better patient outcomes, or all the above that matter to you most, it’s important because the benefits of a BSN outweigh any initial convenience of earning an associate degree in nursing.
If you have at least 60 credits from an accredited college or university and meet the additional program requirements, you may be eligible to enroll in Madonna University’s ABSN program. Blending the convenience of online learning, hands-on skills and simulation labs, and clinical rotations at some of the area’s top healthcare facilities, we designed our ABSN program to prepare you for a future in nursing.
Offering three start dates each year and no waitlist to get in, you can earn your BSN degree and be ready to sit for the NCLEX in as few as 16 months with our ABSN program in Metro Detroit. Contact our admissions representatives today to learn more.