The RN to BSN online degree program from The University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) offers registered nurses a convenient, accelerated and affordable path toward earning their Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). The additional education can have a significant positive impact on nurses’ personal and professional lives. Here are six ways this degree can improve your life.
- Expand Your Skills, Knowledge and Responsibilities
The essential purpose of an RN to BSN program is to build on the education and experience you already have as an RN. UTA’s nursing coursework covers many subjects central to both generalized and specialized BSN studies. Courses focus on holistic health, cooperative nursing, leadership and management in nursing, the transition to professional nursing, healthcare informatics and community health.
These and other advanced studies can help nurses improve their practice in any role. Plus, they provide nurses with the competencies needed to take on specialized and supervisory responsibilities.
- Develop Career Mobility
With such expanded skills, knowledge and the ability to take on new responsibilities, BSN graduates have increased professional versatility. They may choose to work in areas like public health, critical care, pediatrics, quality control, health education and informatics.
Of course, nurses with a BSN are exceptionally qualified to work as staff nurses at top hospitals. Or they may choose to work as a travel nurse, experiencing new places while helping to meet the needs of underserved populations and addressing dire, shifting circumstances like those surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Gain a Competitive Edge
Increasingly, having a BSN is a job requirement for certain positions as mandated by employers or states. Many hospitals are now requiring a high percentage of nursing staff to have BSN degrees. Given this shift toward higher education requirements, earning a BSN can give you a distinct competitive edge in the job market.
- Take Advantage of Career and Educational Advancement Opportunities
UTA’s online RN to BSN program equips nurses with the leadership, critical thinking and analytical skills to pursue many career advancement opportunities. They may seek promotion to supervisory positions as nursing managers or directors. Or they may choose to focus on specialized areas such as care coordination, case management or quality coordination.
A BSN degree also prepares nurses for graduate school. This is essential for nurses who want to advance their education to the Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) or Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) level. Such graduate degrees allow nurses to work in high-level administrative positions and educational roles.
An MSN degree is also the minimum educational requirement for becoming a nurse practitioner (NP), opening numerous opportunities such as working in private practice. UTA offers an online RN to MSN program for nurses whose educational goals include a Master of Science in Nursing degree. Upon completion of the appropriate course requirements, students in the online RN to MSN program receive a BSN en route to their master’s degree.
- Increase Your Income Potential
In financial terms, earning a BSN has clear benefits. As of April 2021, RNs had an average annual salary of $65,957. In comparison, the average salary of nurses with a BSN was $86,341. Nursing directors (generally holding a BSN) took home an average of $88,074 annually.
Further, those who continue their nursing education at the graduate level and obtain NP licensure earned an average yearly salary of $98,086.
- Improve Your Job Satisfaction
Studies show correlations between higher levels of nursing education (such as holding a BSN) and improved job satisfaction as well as lower turnover rates. Nurses with BSNs can also expect more longevity in the workforce.
Further research shows that increased job satisfaction correlates with career variety and promotional opportunities. Earning a BSN can positively affect these and other beneficial work variables for nurses.
The versatility and qualification afforded by UTA’s online RN to BSN can help nurses explore and excel in a variety of careers. Finding your ideal work environment can help you avoid the burnout far too common in nursing. It is integral to developing a long, rewarding career in the field as much as factors like increased income.
Learn more about UTA’s online RN to BSN program.
Sources:
All Nursing Schools: How a Bachelor of Science in Nursing Can Expand Your Career Options
PayScale:
Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)
Nursing Director
Nurse Practitioner (NP)Registered Nurse (RN)/Hourly Pay
Registered Nurse (RN)/Hourly Pay
NursingLicensure.org:
From RN to BSN: New Skill Sets and the RN to BSN Program
Nurse Practitioner License Requirements: Change is in the Air
The BSN and Career Mobility
The RN to BSN and Career Advancement
Teach.com: How to Become a Nurse Practitioner
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Registered Nurses
