What is the Value of a BSN?

If you are a registered nurse considering earning your Bachelor of Science in Nursing, you may already be considering a number of different decision factors. Your time, money and skills are valuable, so it is key to determine the true worth of earning a BSN. If you are determining whether or not to earn your BSN, you can start by assessing your earning potential, opportunities to improve patient outcomes and career opportunities. 

Increase Your Earning Potential and Career Opportunities 

You can increase your earning potential by earning a BSN, as well as opportunities for career advancement or movement. Transitioning into administration or teaching positions later in life, for instance, becomes an attainable reality with a BSN degree. In BurningGlass.com’s study of the 187,000 nursing jobs posted during a three-month period, nurses with an RN diploma were only eligible for 51% of positions, while nurses with a BSN were eligible for 88% of the openings.

Healthcare is a rapidly advancing field. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, healthcare industries are expected to account for nearly four million projected new jobs in the next 10 years.¹ The aging Baby Boomer population, longer life expectancies and growing chronic conditions continue to drive demand in this field. In fact, healthcare support occupations, healthcare practitioners and technical occupations are projected to be among the fastest growing occupational groups by 2026.

Improve Patient Outcomes

Did you know that BSN-prepared nurses provide better patient outcomes? BSN holders also have higher proficiency in making accurate diagnoses. Conclusively, more education means better care for patients. In a field where patient care is a top priority, well-educated nurses are extremely valuable to patients and their loved ones, doctors and hospital administrations.

Gain Opportunities to Work in a Magnet Hospital

A BSN-prepared nurse may have more opportunities to serve in a Magnet hospital. In today’s world, Magnet status represents a higher level of care as these organizations have to outperform national benchmarks for nursing on indicators like Falls, HAPU, CLABSI, CAUTI, VAP, Restraints and Pediatric IV Infiltrations.³ The Magnet Recognition Program launched in the 1990’s by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) and is a growing standard in the industry, which presents a great deal of opportunity for nurses as hospitals seek to attain this status of excellence.

For nurses, working in a Magnet hospital means being encouraged to flourish as a professional in areas such as autonomy, leadership, collaboration and learning. Reports show that Magnet hospitals have higher job satisfaction and retention rates compared to other hospitals.⁴ These hospitals create and strive to maintain a culture of continuous improvement, where nurses are recognized and rewarded for competency.

Earn Your Degree Online with Transparency

With all of these factors in mind when considering the value of earning a BSN, Grand Canyon University’s RN to BSN program may be exactly what you are looking for. This program within the College of Nursing and Health Care Professions is intentionally formatted with courses that are tailored to meet RN adult learner needs while maximizing your current strengths.

Why choose GCU for your RN to BSN? GCU accepts up to 90 transfer credits (only 84 can be lower division). This allows you to fast track your education and earn your degree in as few as 16 months, taking one class at a time! If you have less than 90 credits to transfer, other fast-track options are still available to you to save both time and money. Use the Lopes Credit Evaluation tool to see how many credits you will need to complete your degree at GCU or speak to a university counselor for more information.

In addition to providing transparency about time to completion, GCU is also committed to providing an upfront estimate when it comes to your financial investment in your education. Use our cost estimator tools to gain a general estimate of the cost of attendance for you. This includes tuition rates, required fees and books. Plus, GCU’s university counselors are trained to provide you with transparency so that you can accurately evaluate the value of earning your BSN.

Interested in advancing your career and want to learn more about the RN to BSN program in Grand Canyon University’s College of Nursing and Health Care Professions? Visit our website or click the Request More Information button on this page to contact a university counselor.