Pursue Nursing Excellence
Explore advanced nursing competencies at GCU and pursue educational growth opportunities in nursing. Apply online today!
Written By
GCE Editorial Team
Explore advanced nursing competencies at GCU and pursue educational growth opportunities in nursing. Apply online today!
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Approved and verified accurate by the Associate Dean of the College of Nursing and Health Care Professions on Dec. 29, 2025.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Grand Canyon University. Any sources cited were accurate as of the publish date.
Continuing education is vital for nurses because it can improve patient care, support better nursing decisions, advance the nursing profession and lead to potential career growth opportunities for RNs.
One of the many exciting aspects of becoming a registered nurse (RN) is the fact that every shift brings new opportunities to improve your clinical skills and expand your nursing knowledge. Learning never stops for nurses, no matter the specialty or level of nursing.
In fact, continuing education is typically a requirement to maintain nursing licensure. Continuing education requirements may be met through many learning options, including workshops, online programs, peer-reviewed content or professional conferences.(See disclaimer 1 )Perhaps the most ideal way to meet these requirements is through formal courses.
Before exploring growth opportunities for nurses, let’s take a closer look at the importance of continuing your nursing education, including the many benefits it offers for you, your organization and your patients. Then, consider which specific nursing degree options might best align with your career growth goals, such as a BSN or MSN.
If you currently work as an RN with a nursing diploma or an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN), you may want to consider the benefits of enrolling in a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree program. An RN to BSN degree is designed specifically for working, licensed nurses who would like to become baccalaureate-prepared RNs.
With a BSN, you can later apply to graduate-level nursing education programs if you wish. You may also qualify to apply to a broader variety of nursing jobs, as many healthcare employers prefer to hire BSN-prepared nurses over nurses who hold an associate degree or a diploma.(See disclaimer 2)
Some of the top benefits of earning a BSN can include:
Earning a BSN can help nurses provide safer, higher-quality care by strengthening critical thinking, evidence-based practice, and communication skills. Hospitals with more highly educated nurses and manageable nurse workloads often achieve improved patient outcomes.(See disclaimer 2)
When you earn a BSN, you'll have opportunities to expand your nursing knowledge in areas as diverse as head-to-toe patient assessments and the management of complex diseases and comorbidities. You'll explore nursing research and evidence-based practice, the pathophysiological processes of disease and much more.
Since earning a BSN provides opportunities to improve patient care and nursing knowledge, you may become a more valuable member of your healthcare organization.(See disclaimer 3) No matter your nursing specialty or work setting, you’ll be able to apply your skills to help improve your entire organization.
Some nurses decide to work in community health or public health. If that appeals to you, then you can be well-equipped to help empower communities once you earn a BSN. You may put your new degree to work helping to reduce healthcare disparities in diverse communities.(See disclaimer 4)
When you’re ready to advance your nursing education, Grand Canyon University is here for you. The College of Nursing and Healthcare Professions offers nursing degree options at every level, including our RN to BSN, MSN with various specializations, MSN: Family Nurse Practitioner, Post-Master’s Nursing Education Certificate and DNP: Educational Leadership emphasis. At GCU, you’ll find a supportive, Christian learning community that encourages your progress.
Continuing your education in nursing is critical for RNs at all levels, and there are many options to consider. If, for example, you’re a licensed RN with a bachelor’s degree in a field other than nursing, you could complete an MSN bridge pathway in order to qualify to enroll in a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program. For instance, if you would like to earn an MSN: Health Care Quality and Patient Safety degree, you could enroll in the corresponding MSN bridge pathway.
A Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) can also help you position yourself for potential professional growth opportunities for nurses. With this degree, you might consider becoming an advanced practice registered nurse (APRN). To become an APRN, you would need a graduate degree in nursing, such as a DNP or MSN, followed by a board certification as an APRN.
One of the nursing career options you might consider pursuing after earning a graduate degree is that of a nurse practitioner. An NP can practice with far greater autonomy than an RN. In fact, NPs can perform many of the same healthcare tasks as physicians, and they can practice independently and serve as a primary care provider.(See disclaimer 4,5)
NPs can do all of the things that an RN can do and more. Some of their responsibilities can include:
In many states, nurse practitioners hold full practice authority, which means they can prescribe medications and practice without the supervision of a physician.(See disclaimer 5) NPs can provide care across the lifespan.
Within the category of nurse practitioner, there are opportunities to choose a subspecialty. Some examples include:
If you decide that you’d like to move away from providing direct patient care at the bedside, you might want to pursue a position as a postsecondary nursing educator. When you serve as an instructor at a nursing school, you’ll be working to train the next generation of RNs. A job as a nursing instructor may appeal to those who are passionate about lifelong learning in particular.
Nursing instructors typically have the following job responsibilities:
Some nursing instructors might engage in nursing research. They might present their findings at professional conferences or publish their work in academic journals.
After working in clinical settings for a while, some RNs decide they’d like to pursue a role working on the business side of healthcare. Medical and health services managers may manage an individual department or clinical area, or they may manage an entire healthcare facility. Their job is to establish long-term objectives, policies and procedures, and implement them.
Some of their job duties may include:
