As a devoted professional nursing expert, possibly with several years (or maybe decades) of bedside experience under your belt, you are assured about your abilities, you love nursing, and you know you make a positive impact in patients’ lives. You might be aware of a far away rumbling within the market regarding the push for nursing staff to get a BSN degree and perhaps you have even observed it’s getting noisier at, or nearer to, the facility at which you work. It’s true that nursing staff with an associate degree often do the same job as those having a BSN. They successfully pass the same NCLEX examination, hold the same certificate and often start at the same basic wage as a BSN degree nursing expert.
So it’s no wonder why knowledgeable ASN nursing staff can have powerful emotions about the push for more nursing education. Anger is a big one, because the push could be considered as a question of a nurse’s abilities and capability. Worry is another one; concern with going back to school, composing documents and using computer program and often there happens to be concern with the “better-than-thou” conduct that was frequent in older-generation teachers. There are other issues, too, like effective time management, cost and family responsibilities.
But good things can come out of the push, too. Going back to school can provide a nursing expert with great feeling of personal success. It can help set an amazing example for your kids. Earning a RN-to-BSN degree can also open gates to special offers, higher incomes and greater regard from other nursing experts. One thing that is certain is that the changes going on in medical care will gradually impact your practice. What exactly is not as certain is how or when. Therefore, it may be sensible for you to consider going back to school for a BSN degree.