Bachelor of Science in Nursing - What You Must Know

The Bachelor of Science in Nursing program is a highly prestigious course, which is opted for by about 75% of nurses who complete their Associates' Degree or Diploma in Nursing. The entry to this program is tough, as nurses would need to complete at least 1000 hours of practice in a healthcare setting or have graduated in an Associate's Degree or Diploma in Nursing.



A summer 2007 data set released by Samuel Merritt University for their 2007 intake of nurses reveal that the average GPA scores of nurses had to be 3.4 for acceptance to the course. The net composite score for acceptance was at 85.1. These statistics indicate that entry to BSN programs very tough, and nurses should do enough studies in their pre-requisites to enroll in a BSN program in the university, of their choice. Post admission to the course, the nurses would need to focus long and hard on the course curriculum itself.



Typically, the Bachelors of Science in Nursing program lasts for 4 years. Nurses who desire to complete this program in 4 years may not have the same set of conditions as applied to nurses who have completed their Associate' Degrees. This course also gives an option of completing the studies in an accelerated manner. The Accelerated program in BSN takes 13 months for completion, as opposed to 18 months for a regular BSN course.



The course curriculum has academics, lab work and clinical practice integrated into one unit. In the third and the fourth year of the regular BSN course, nurses spend more time with clinical practice. Normally, these clinical practices are done in small groups and under the supervision of a senior faculty member, who guides the groups with the practice. Some universities offering this course also allow students to get exposure to hi-fidelity human clinical simulators.



Some state jurisdictions allow nurses who graduate from the BSN course to start practicing in a health care setting, while some may require the nurse to get a licensure from the State's medical department.



This prestigious course in nursing allows nurses to launch their career into an overdrive. The course not only presents nurses with a holistic approach to nursing, but also teaches them concepts allied with nursing. Successful graduation from this course propels nurses into a high-growth career in nursing.