Advancing Your Nursing Degree - The Difference Between RN and BSN

Subtle differences between a RN and a BSN can be confusing to people outside the health care industry, but if you are interested in entering a career in nursing, you need to understand the differences between them, and how the terms will affect your education decision in getting your qualifications to start a career in nursing field.



RN stands for Registered Nurse, a nurse who has passed all the required examinations such as NCLEX-RN (National Council Licensing Examination for Registered Nurses) and is qualified to participate with patient content. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Sample Survey, 70% of nurses is holding an associate nursing degrees or diploma level degrees. They then sit for the RN qualification examination to become a Registered Nurse.



With the changing of medical technology and advanced information in addition to a growing leadership role among nurses, more and more nurses are upgrading their education qualification with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) to take commitment and dedication in their career field.



You don't need to have a BSN in order to start a nursing career, but you need to have at least an associate's degree (AD) or a diploma to sit for qualification examinations such as NCLEX-RN in order to become a Registered Nurses (RN). So, an RN is a nursing career entrance point for most nurses. But, if you are looking to advance your career, advancing from RN to BSN is a necessary step. Basically, BSN is a 4 year education program that includes liberal arts, leadership training and research oriented learning. Many RN's who started their nursing career with an associate's degree or diploma make a decision to enroll in the Bachelor Science of Nursing program for career advancement.



In the eye of patients treated with basic care, there is no clear difference between a RN and BSN as they are receiving similar medical care. But, research shows that patients who are cared by nurses with BSN have better outcomes. Moreover, nurses with BSN are qualified to review research papers, advocate for the patient and work with other medical leaders or specialists in the hospital or medical facility. So, advancing your nursing degree with a BSN increases your career opportunities.



Most RNs will take an RN-to-BSN path to move up their career level. As many of management-level nursing positions require candidates with an advanced degree such as a BSN, if you have set your career goal to become one of the management team in medical industry, then you need a BSN to realize your goal. You will have more rewarding career opportunities with a Bachelor degree as you can become anywhere from the assistant head nurse, to assistant director, vice president, etc. Other than management position, BSN's career opportunities include research, consulting and teaching. Besides, working at the hospital or medical care centers, nurses with BSN can also move into business side to become a manager of an insurance company, healthcare manufacturer, etc. There are far more career opportunities for nurses with BSN than RNs.



Summary



RN is an entry point to a nursing career, but you need to have a BSN in order to advance your career to next level. Once you know the difference between RN and BSN and how it makes a brighter career future, you should plan-in a BSN into your nursing career path once you become an RN with an associate's degree or diploma.