Why degree in nursing

It can help you qualify for higher-paying executive positions in hospitals and other healthcare organizations. A nursing PhD focuses on scientific content and the creation of new research in the field. PhD programs typically include the completion of a dissertation and research papers. This degree can help you qualify for leadership positions in research and academia. Like a PhD, it prepares graduates for roles as nurse educators and researchers.

Salaries can vary by tens of thousands of dollars depending on your position, your employer, your location, and more. Sheila Cain. Skip to content. Most CNA programs can be completed in just four to twelve weeks.

Length of Time ADNs typically require around two years to complete. Average Annual Salary for Nurses. Ways to Earn Your BSN There are a number of different paths for you to follow as you seek your BSN—from traditional programs you can enter into right out of high school, to programs that fast-track your degree using the knowledge you may already have. Traditional BSN Traditional BSN degree programs are intended for recent high school graduates who have little to no professional healthcare experience.

Average Annual Salary for RNs. Clinical Nurse Specialist Working as a clinical nurse specialist CNS involves applying advanced training and education to a specific patient group or type of treatment. Certified Nurse Midwife The role of a certified nurse midwife CNM includes working with mothers during pregnancy, birth, and postpartum phases.

Certified Nurse Anesthetist A certified nurse anesthetist CNA works closely with physicians to safely administer anesthesia prior to procedures, monitor the patient during surgery, oversee the recovery, and develop plans for pain management. Average Annual Salary for Nurse Practitioners. What You Can Do with These Degrees Any joint degree will expand your opportunities for advancement and higher earnings. Length of Time On average, a doctoral degree in nursing takes two years to complete, though your timeline depends on the type of degree you seek.

What You Can Do with This Degree Your career opportunities will vary, but there are three primary options based on your degree. Most health care agencies agree that nurses educated at the baccalaureate level are better positioned to lead the charge on holistic, preventative care. You might have a family or a nursing job already. Going back to school, especially later in life, is a daunting thought. But getting a BSN should be a serious consideration for any career-focused nurse.

Healthcare is evolving; more emphasis is being placed on preventative care , and the disease process continues to grow more complex. Having your BSN makes you more marketable and in a better position to land the job you want. Hospitals and facilities are increasingly looking to nurses for leadership to support the trend toward patient-centered care. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing says:.

BSN nurses are prized for their skills in critical thinking, leadership, case management, and health promotion, and for their ability to practice across a variety of inpatient and outpatient settings. Nurse executives, federal agencies, the military, leading nursing organizations, health care foundations, magnet hospitals, and minority nurse advocacy groups all recognize the unique value that baccalaureate-prepared nurses bring to the practice setting.

Critical thinking is developed through the higher education earned with a BSN, and this skill is crucial to good leadership. However, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree can help you qualify for leadership positions such as charge nurse, registered nurse supervisor and nursing director. You need these graduate or doctoral degrees along with an APRN license to become a nurse practitioner, nurse midwife or nurse anesthetist.

With an MSN or DNP degree, you might also become a nurse educator or obtain a nurse leadership job like clinical research specialist and chief nurse executive. Benefits such as salary bumps and growth in job opportunities are excellent, but they are far from the only reasons nurses pursue a degree. After all, many nurses enter the field not just for the pay, but rather, because they feel a calling to care for patients.

Advancing your education also means an opportunity to improve your nursing skills. AD Degreequery. The push for a greater number of nurses with a BSN in hospital settings supports the growing imperative to meet third-party payer expectations to reduce healthcare costs while improving patient outcomes. In this guide, you can find the top 10 reasons to pursue your BSN degree. Earning your BSN degree sets you up to receive a higher income for the length of your nursing career.

According to the National Nursing Workforce Survey , nurses with a bachelor's degree routinely made more per year than those with an associate degree.

Salaries depend on many factors, including the cost of living in the area. The salaries reflect the demand for professionals who hold a BSN in nursing, as more hospitals seek to meet the National Academy of Medicine's expectations. In addition, With greater emphasis being placed on preventive care and treatment for chronic illness, earning a BSN makes you more marketable as a job candidate and better able to meet the needs of your employer and patients.

Over the past decade, there has been a decline in hospital admissions, and shorter stays have become the norm. This has led to healthcare delivery in more outpatient settings , requiring nurses with skills gained through a BSN program.

BSN nurses can also practice in home health services, community clinics, health maintenance organizations, case management, and leadership roles. Professionals with a BSN in nursing can practice in all healthcare settings, including critical care, public health, and mental health areas. A BSN nurse can provide care outside the structure of a hospital setting where the demand for services is growing. The shifting emphasis on primary and preventative care, along with the fact that RNs outnumber physicians by a 3-to-1 ratio, indicates that nurses will continue to function as primary care providers.

The advantages of becoming an APRN include significant increases in salary and employment opportunities. Most graduate programs require applicants to hold a BSN. Another advantage to earning a BSN is that it can improve your job prospects and open new career opportunities.

Options include working in a leadership role, a medical specialty role like cardiology or pediatric ICU, a case manager , or a quality assurance or improvement coordinator. Many RN certifications also require a bachelor's degree.