The impact of education on nursing practice cannot be overstated. A Bachelor of Science in Nursing prepares you to provide complex patient care that contributes to favorable patient outcomes. Employers value nurses with the comprehensive clinical education provided by bachelor’s degree programs.
When considering the impact of education on nursing practice, it’s important to acknowledge the primary goal of the nursing profession: to help patients heal. To deliver quality patient care, competency-based education is essential. Nursing education must prepare future clinicians to competently analyze each patient care situation and apply nursing theory to develop an evidence-based response.
At Felician University, we maintain a strong focus on competency-based nursing education. Our practice-ready focus prepares nursing graduates to tackle complex challenges in modern healthcare.
If you have a non-nursing bachelor’s degree or at least 60 non-nursing college credits, you may be eligible to apply to our Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program, which offers two learning modalities in New Jersey: a hybrid program and an on-ground program.
Before starting your ABSN application, you may wish to take a closer look at the connection between nursing and education, including the benefits of education on career growth and leadership opportunities.
Why Nursing and Education Are Closely Connected
Competency-based nursing education that emphasizes critical thinking, collaboration, and clinical judgment is essential because it supports better patient outcomes. Through nursing education, clinicians learn to assess patients more thoroughly, make more accurate nursing diagnoses, and develop appropriate nursing responses that promote favorable patient outcomes. In short, nurse education in practice helps patients recover while reducing their risk of complications.
How Different Nursing Education Levels Influence Patient Care
All nurses need a degree or a nursing diploma before they are eligible to take the NCLEX-RN licensure exam. There are differences in those levels of education, however, and those differences can impact patient care.
A nurse with an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) is likely to be better prepared than a nurse with a nursing diploma. Similarly, a nurse with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) is better trained than a nurse with an ADN and may consequently provide better patient care.
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ADN vs. BSN: How Education Shapes Daily Nursing Practice
One of the primary reasons why nurses need higher education is that the content taught in bachelor’s degree programs is particularly relevant to a nursing career. BSN-educated nurses complete nursing coursework as well as classes in health literacy, mental health issues, social sciences, humanities, and healthcare ethics. These classes broaden their understanding of cultural, economic, and sociological issues that may affect their patients and the situations they encounter in practice.
These courses foster an outlook that helps nursing students better understand their patients, use their unique knowledge to assess situations they may encounter, and treat patients with empathy and compassion.
ADN programs offer similar coursework but tend to focus more on the fundamental technical skills of nursing, such as IV placement. While this curriculum is indeed essential, it doesn’t necessarily prepare nurse candidates to make appropriate clinical decisions in complex situations. In other words, the curriculum for an ADN program isn’t as comprehensive and in-depth as the curriculum for a BSN program.
The History Behind the Push for BSN-Educated Nurses
The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) is one of the professional organizations that has been calling for higher standards in nursing education, such as encouraging all or most RNs to obtain a BSN. According to the AACN, nursing executives, federal agencies, the military, magnet hospitals, and other nursing groups have appreciated the importance of a BSN education for patient care.
It’s common knowledge that education in nursing practice makes a significant difference in nursing practice and in the delivery of safe patient care. In turn, the impact of education on nursing practice has prompted calls to make the BSN the standard of education.
BSN in 10
Despite a preference for a BSN education, only New York state requires nurses to earn one. New York passed the BSN in 10 law in 2017, which requires RNs with an ADN or nursing diploma to obtain a baccalaureate in nursing within 10 years of initial licensure. This law acknowledges that nurses with a BSN are better equipped to contribute to better patient outcomes.
A National Focus
At the national level, hospitals and healthcare providers have been leading the push for already-hired nurses to earn their BSN degrees, driven by data showing improved patient outcomes. HR departments are increasingly hiring nurses with a BSN or higher education level. This makes a BSN degree imperative for those aiming to work in the nursing field long-term.
The nursing workforce is shifting to reflect this trend. According to the 2024 National Nursing Workforce Study by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN), 73% of nurses have a baccalaureate degree or higher, which the NCSBN points out is the highest level ever documented by this annual survey.
Career Growth, Leadership Opportunities, and Long-Term Outcomes
Nursing education is your path toward a successful career in nursing. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the job growth rate for RNs is expected to be 5% from 2024 through 2034.
You can take advantage of this strong job growth rate when you earn a BSN. According to a study published in Research in Nursing Health, over 80% of healthcare employers “show (a) strong preference for hiring BSN nurses” and about 43% of healthcare employers require a BSN for their new nurse hires.
Holding a BSN could even expand your nursing job opportunities. For example, a BSN may be expected of academic nurse writers, legal nurse consultants, and other job roles away from the bedside.
A BSN lays a foundation for pursuing career growth and leadership opportunities. This academic credential is a requirement for pursuing graduate-level nursing degrees, which, in turn, can open the door to becoming a nurse manager, nurse administrator, nurse researcher, or nurse educator.
Along with board certification and additional licensure, a graduate nursing degree is also a requirement for becoming an advanced practice registered nurse (APRN). APRN careers include nurse practitioner (NP), clinical nurse specialist (CNS), certified nurse midwife (CNM), and certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA).
Is Advancing Your Nursing Education the Right Next Step?
If you aren’t currently a nurse but would like to be, then your first step toward switching careers is pursuing a BSN. The Felician University ABSN program confers a quality BSN with a competency-based curriculum and a practice-ready focus.
The classes you’ll take during your time in our ABSN program will cover much of what you may encounter in your day-to-day work as a nurse. At Felician, ABSN students can choose between online coursework through the Hybrid ABSN program in Parsippany, New Jersey, or in-classroom coursework through the On-Ground ABSN program in Rutherford, New Jersey.
Regardless of the coursework delivery option, all students participate in in-person learning experiences to receive a well-rounded education.
You’ll participate in nursing skills labs and nursing simulation labs, where you’ll not only learn essential nursing skills like wound care, but also develop critical thinking skills and clinical judgment. You’ll also complete clinical rotations at local healthcare facilities, providing further hands-on experience and preparing you for professional practice.
Even after you’re working as a licensed RN, you’ll benefit from continued education and professional development. Consider earning one or more professional certifications in your nursing specialty. Head back to school to complete a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) or a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP). In doing so, you open the door to career advancement while also preparing to provide better care to your patients.
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Are You Ready to Make an Impact With a BSN?
There is no denying the impact of education on nursing practice. If you’re ready to start your nursing education, our ABSN program in New Jersey can help make it happen. There’s no waitlist, and you can choose from online coursework with our Hybrid ABSN or in-person coursework with our On-Ground ABSN.
No matter which learning modality you choose, you’ll take part in a values-based curriculum with a practice-ready focus and extensive NCLEX-RN prep. Contact our admission team today to explore nurse education in practice.