Earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing in only 15 months at Gwynedd Mercy
As a working nurse, you can improve your career prospects and expected compensation by attending the RN to BSN program at Gwynedd Mercy to obtain a Bachelor's of Science in Nursing Degree. The American Nurses Association has set an ambitious goal of increasing the number of nurses with a BSN from 50 percent in the mid 2010s to 80 percent by 2020. Accordingly, many nurses are now going back to school to meet their employers' requirements and also to invest in their own professional development.
What advantages does the RN to BSN track provide? Let's look at a few of the benefits you may want to consider:
1. Greater compensation
BSN holders earn more than most regular RNs. Data from PayScale indicates that the median salary for someone with only a diploma of nursing is $39,900 as a licensed practicing nurse, the occupation with the most surveyed responses. Meanwhile, an individual with a BSN could make more than $61,000 as an RN, more than $79,000 as a clinical nurse manager and over $90,000 as a family nurse practitioner with an additional Master of Science in Nursing, among other advanced positions.
2. More career options
The wide salary range available to BSN holders is important, since it is also indicative of the many unique career options that are open only to them. High-paying jobs such as nurse midwife and nurse anesthetist are only available to applicants with bachelor's degrees. A BSN serves as a baseline qualification for additional education, while also qualifying you for more than 80 percent of all nursing jobs.
"BSN holders earn more than most regular RNs."
3. Expanded skills
Through its comprehensive and diverse curriculum, a BSN program helps you broaden your skill set so that you can deliver safer and more precise care. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing has pointed out that BSN holders are fully equipped to work in any health care setting, including outpatient, public, mental and critical care environments. This versatility is more important than ever, since many hospitals are shifting their focus to acute care while health care providers as a group are increasingly emphasizing preventive services.
4. Professional development
Plus, the broad course of study in a BSN program gives nursing students the background for understanding each patient's condition, supervising other medical and administrative staff and making critical life-or-death decisions. Many hospitals now empower nurses with BSNs to design patient care programs from pre-admission all the way through post-discharge. BSN holders have many such opportunities for professional development and operational freedom, including the option to obtain a Master of Science in Nursing at Gwynedd down the line.
The RN to BSN track is a good fit for anyone looking to explore advanced, high-paying positions in nursing. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has projected 31 percent growth in positions for nurse midwives, anesthetists and practitioners from 2014-2024, which is a much stronger trend than the average for all professions. Be sure to find a flexible program that accommodates your schedule and budget so that you can build your nursing career.
Gwynedd Mercy offers an Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program that students can complete in just four consecutive semesters. With a broad curriculum in sciences and humanities as well as hands-on clinical training and the ability to complete prerequisites online, the ABSN track is ideal for any nurse seeking additional knowledge and career advancement.
