The nursing shortage is both an opportunity and a challenge simultaneously. It is a prospect for new nurses to enter this field as it requires skilled individuals in all patient care areas. But it is a big challenge for the healthcare industry to provide timely, efficient, and high-quality patient care. This shortage also has a detrimental impact on those currently working in healthcare. To make up for the shortage, one nurse has to perform the duty of many nurses, leading to overwork, stress, and other burnout issues. 

The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects job employment of registered nurses to increase by 7% from 2019 to 2029. These growth numbers are not enough to meet the need for healthcare which is increasing at a much higher number. 

Need For A Skilled Workforce

Adding to the current problems is the increasing number of baby boomers requiring more healthcare services in the upcoming years. Healthcare needs skilled nurses to make up for the shortage and to have a surplus supply for emergencies such as the recent pandemic. It needs nurses who can apply their clinical knowledge and personal skills such as problem-solving to promptly solve issues, make decisions under stressful situations, have emotional intelligence, and increasingly employ evidence-based practices. 

So, today nurses with a mere basic knowledge about healthcare and patient care might not be the right candidate when viruses are becoming stronger and more resilient. That’s is probably why many RNs are going for a BSN degree to refresh their memory. 

There are many tracks for a BSN degree; ADN nurses can also go for it. Although, if you’re asking, how long it takes to go from an ADN to BSN depends on the program and your commitment to finish the coursework. Overall, it takes 120 credit hours as it’s a bachelor-level program. You can opt for an online or offline program depending on your circumstance. 

If you are already a nurse, it is better to choose an online program as it allows you to continue working in the field. But a nurse candidate who wants to complete their education before stepping foot into the hospital can go for an on-campus program as well. A BSN degree can be a turning point in your career; some perks of the BSN degree are listed below. 

Improve Your Skillset

The first thing you get out of a BSN degree is improving your skills set. Returning to school means getting new education and unlearning the old and obsolete practices. You will learn about the use of technology, breakthroughs in medical science, new medications that are more efficient and effective ways of taking care of your patients. 

During your BSN degree, you are prepared for responsible roles that need analytical skills to analyze changes in the patient’s conditions and take remedial actions. This course results in better patient care which ultimately keeps the overall population healthier. The new curricula in your BSN degree include the most up-to-date research that aims to impart nurses with the recent knowledge of healthcare, the ability to work with complex and mutated viruses, keeping oneself and their patients safe, and the like.

Improve Patient Satisfaction

Higher education such as a BSN degree makes you more confident about your work and skills. Your body language also exhumes this confidence that patients can promptly fugue out. Patients feel more confident about their health and well-being when qualified medical professionals take care of them. 

They follow their directions more willingly and trust their judgment. This course also improves patient satisfaction, making the patients’ hospital ambassadors. Their positive word of mouth about the hospital and its services attract more patients. Hence, the BSN qualification of a nurse appeals to the hospital’s business side as well. 

Positive Patient Outcomes

The desire to garner positive patient outcomes is also one of the reasons that more nurses are required to have a BSN degree. Many studies have demonstrated that nurses with a BSN degree have better decision-making and problem-solving skills. Owing to their greater knowledge, they also display an improved ability to diagnose and prescribe treatment plans for the patients. 

The use of better clinical and evidence-based practices reduces the occurrence of costly clinical mistakes and lowers patient mortality rates in hospitals. Their superior communication skills allow them to make error-free patient charts, discuss and elaborate the changes in patient conditions to the on-duty doctors, and, if required, mutually change treatment plans if a medication is not working.

Nurses with a BSN degree also have more knowledge about medications, their efficacy, and their side effects. They also know about the interaction between various antagonistic drugs. Drug antagonism is when an interaction between drugs harms the patient’s health. They use this superior knowledge to avoid errors that can often result in the patient’s death. 

More Job Prospects 

More hospitals and employers prefer nurses with a BSN degree due to their superior clinical knowledge and skills. It implies that nurses with a BSN degree have more job opportunities than someone with a diploma. So, even if you have a diploma in nursing, you might need to return to school a few later to advance your career. Employers also want BSN nurses to achieve magnet status for their hospitals to display excellence in patient care and nursing. 

For achieving this status, hospitals need to show proof that they plan to increase their share of BSN nurses to 80%. As a result, many hospitals have devised a policy to mandate BSN attainment for nurses to be considered for promotion. So, in this way, higher education has a clear impact on career advancement among nurses. 

More Earning Potential

Nursing is a lucrative career; it is one career that gives job security even during the recession and national emergencies. When nurses grow in responsibilities, it is understandable that their earning potential also increases. Nurses with a BSN degree make approximately 10% more than the RNs who have a license to practice nursing but have an associate degree only. The salary of a BSN nurse is $83,034 per year, whereas according to 2022 estimates, the average salary of an ADN nurse is $70,820 a year. 

Conclusion

Obtaining a BSN improves patient care and raises the overall standards of health in the industry. Better skilled nurses can keep the population healthier; their evidence-based practices and the use of the latest knowledge allow them to offer better care and reduce patients’ visits to the hospitals. It also makes nurses more confident about their abilities and increases their salary and career prospects. Since more hospitals are motivated to earn a magnet status, it is the right time to earn a BSN degree and advance your career.