A BSN has many benefits. When you earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing instead of an associate degree, you'll be a competitive job candidate who can pursue leadership roles in top Magnet hospitals, among other opportunities. Plus, you can pursue career growth through graduate education.
When considering your nursing school options, deciding which degree to get can be challenging. Why go for the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree? We’ll walk through 10 benefits of a BSN so you can see why this degree could be the right choice for you. As someone looking to become a nurse, you’ve got a rewarding career ahead of you, especially if you enter the healthcare profession with a BSN.
At Felician University, we understand the advantages of a BSN in nursing, and we also know the hard work it takes to get there. If you have the drive to earn your BSN and launch your career, then our hybrid and on-ground Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) programs in Parsippany and Rutherford, New Jersey, can get you there in as few as 16 months.
Let’s explore how getting a BSN directly benefits you.
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1. Job Security with High Demand for BSN Nurses
Nurses are in high demand across the U.S. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the job growth rate for all types of registered nurses (RNs) is expected to be 6% from 2022 through 2032, faster than average. This indicates that healthcare employers expect to hire about 177,400 new nurses during this period.
Despite our nation’s need for nurses, healthcare employers are trending toward hiring more nurses with bachelor’s degrees and fewer nurses who hold associate degrees or licensed practical nurses. Why? A significant body of research links nurses with BSN degrees to better patient outcomes.
According to a 2022 survey by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), 71.7% of healthcare employers express a “strong preference” for nurses with a BSN. Job security is one of the top benefits of a BSN for nurses.
2. You Could Earn a Higher Salary With a BSN
Many nurses pursue the profession because they have a passion for helping others, but it’s the pay that often leads to minimal career-switching once they start working. As a nurse, having a BSN degree could enable you to make a higher salary than nurses with an associate degree. According to the BLS, as of May 2022, RNs made a median annual salary of $81,220.
3. Why a BSN in Nursing Is Important for Patient Care
Having a BSN not only allows you to accelerate your career but can also contribute to better patient outcomes.
Much research has gone into the effect of nursing education, and more education has been linked to better patient outcomes. One European study showed a more educated nursing workforce directly decreases patient mortality. Another study found nurses with bachelor’s degrees were better prepared for nursing safety and quality.
Because of the extensive research showing how having a better-educated nursing staff improves patient outcomes, the BSN has become the AACN’s recommended educational path for nurses.
If you want to be a nurse, your intrinsic desire to help people drives this passion. If you invest in your education, you will be positioned to contribute positively to your patients’ lives. Getting a BSN will ensure you can be the best nurse possible for your patients. In Felician University’s ABSN program, we will prepare you to save lives. Of all the advantages of a BSN in nursing, a heightened ability to save lives is among the most compelling.
4. Benefits of a BSN for Career Growth
Having a BSN also allows greater upward career mobility as a nurse. When hiring nurse managers and other nurse leaders, healthcare organizations with Magnet recognition will look to you. If you aspire to become a nurse executive, you’ll need a BSN and perhaps an MSN.
While upward career growth is not required as a nurse, earning a BSN at Felician is the first step if you prefer to grow as a manager and clinical leader in the nursing field.
5. A BSN Delivers Opportunities with the VA and U.S. Military
Flexibility is another reason why a BSN in nursing is important. For example, earning a BSN allows you to work within government nursing roles. If you want to be eligible for a career with the Veteran’s Administration (VA), which employs the most registered nurses in the country, you’ll want to get your BSN. According to the AACN, the VA requires a bachelor’s degree for any nurse to be promoted beyond entry level.
If you have any U.S. military goals, know that a bachelor’s degree is required for active-duty RNs serving in the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force. Serving your country and veterans as a nurse is an enriching way to apply your nursing skills. Having your BSN opens these doors not available otherwise.
Have you completed your military service? Explore how to transition from the military to become a nurse.
6. A BSN Is the Ideal Degree for Travel and International Nursing Jobs
If you want to travel within the U.S. or internationally, earning your BSN is ideal for these registered nursing jobs. Travel nursing agencies often prefer nurses with a BSN, and you will have more opportunities for higher-paying travel jobs.
Furthermore, if you are interested in nursing overseas, many countries worldwide are also pushing for higher-educated nurses, so they require a bachelor’s degree. If you are a traveler at heart and want to spend your nursing career working in other regions or countries, it’s in your best interest to earn your BSN.
7. The Ability to Choose from More Nursing Specialties
The benefits of a BSN can also extend to the nursing specialties that may be available to you. There is a broad range of nursing specialties available to RNs, including:
- Oncology
- Dialysis
- Pediatrics
- Critical care
- Mental health
- Labor and delivery
With a BSN, you can confidently pursue your nursing specialty of choice.
8. The Potential to Work at Magnet Hospitals
Higher-educated nurses have been shown to provide better patient care overall. Healthcare employers also lean toward hiring more nurses with BSN degrees to earn or retain their ANCC Magnet status, a recognition program focusing on higher education and excellence in nursing.
Furthermore, the AACN reports Magnet hospitals have already begun requiring all nurse managers and nurse leaders to hold at least a BSN.
9. You Could Work Toward Becoming an APRN
Another reason why a BSN in nursing is important is that it enables you to work toward becoming an advanced practice registered nurse (APRN). An APRN is a highly educated, certified specialist who can practice with greater autonomy and contribute to more favorable patient outcomes.
There are four main types of APRNs:
- Clinical nurse specialist (CNS)
- Certified nurse midwife (CNM)
- Certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA)
- Nurse practitioner (NP)
Within those four primary categories, there are opportunities to specialize further. For example, an NP might specialize further as a family nurse practitioner (FNP).
APRNs enjoy robust job growth and salary potential. According to the BLS, the job growth rate for APRNs from 2022 through 2032 is 38%, much faster than average, indicating healthcare employers will hire about 123,600 of these specialists during this period. Plus, as of May 2022, their median annual salary was $125,900.
To become an APRN, you’ll first need a BSN, and you’ll need to acquire at least a few years of clinical experience. Then, you can return to school to earn your Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) or Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree. You can pursue board certification as an APRN in your chosen specialty following graduate-level education.
Thinking about becoming an APRN? Here’s what to know about getting an advanced nursing degree.
10. A BSN May Become the Minimum Requirement
As you can see, there are many benefits of a BSN for an aspiring nurse. However, one often overlooked is that a BSN may become the minimum requirement for RNs. As far back as 2010, the Institute of Medicine called for a significant increase in the number of BSN-prepared nurses in the U.S. (from 49% in 2010 to 80% by 2020). As of April 2023, more than 70% of RNs have a BSN.
Ready to Experience the Benefits of a BSN?
If you have a non-nursing college education and a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0, Felician’s hybrid ABSN program in Parsippany, NJ, or our on-ground ABSN program in Rutherford, NJ, can fast-track you to the world of healthcare.
Once you complete the full-time 16-month (hybrid) or 18-month (on-ground) program, you will be prepared to sit for the NCLEX-RN® exam confidently, and you can enter the profession as a practice-ready nurse.
So, what are you waiting for? Contact our admissions team today to see if you qualify for our ABSN program and experience the benefits of a BSN for yourself.