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6 Reasons to Get a BSN

Featured Author:

Jennifer Fink, RN, BSN

Jennifer L.W. Fink, RN, BSN, is a Registered Nurse who has been writing professionally for over 10 years. As a med-surg and transplant nurse, she worked hard to develop a rapport with her patients, to teach them according to their needs and to provide them with information and options. Today, she uses those same skills in her writing career. She is very interested in professional issues in nursing. Follow Jennifer on Facebook and Twitter.

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Thinking of getting a nursing degree – or advancing your nursing education? Sign up for a BSN program! While the nursing profession has debated the minimum degree for entry into the profession for years (the American Nurses Association first recommended the baccalaureate degree as the “minimum preparation for the beginning professional nursing practice” in 1965), there are still multiple paths to a nursing career, including LPN, ADN, diploma and BSN programs. But the writing is on the wall. As healthcare has become increasingly complex, healthcare and government agencies are stepping up the call for BSN-prepared nurses.

Still not convinced? Take a look at these six reasons to get a BSN.

#1: BSN in 10

In 2008, the American Nurses Association passed a resolution which recommended that all RNs who graduate from an ADN- or diploma-program be required to obtain a BSN within 10 years of licensure. The move respects many nurses’ desire to get into the workforce as quickly as possible, and preserves ADN and diploma-degrees as acceptable avenues into the nursing profession. But the resolution – which was quickly dubbed “BSN in 10” – also acknowledges the need for highly educated professionals who are adept at critical thinking and research.

As of 2010, at least 18 states, including New York, New Jersey, were considering BSN in 10 legislation. And while both the ANA resolution and the state proposals grandfather in current nurses, do you really want to be left behind?