According to occupational data for registered nurses from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the typical entry-level education in the nursing field is a bachelor’s degree. However, one of the recommendations from The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health from the Institute of Medicine — now called National Academy of Medicine (NAM) — is for nurses to pursue higher levels of education in preparation for greater healthcare needs in the near future. The factors driving the growing need for BSNs are increases in demand for care, growing complexity of care, and expanding healthcare technology.
This watershed study set a goal to increase the number of nurses with a bachelor’s degree from 55 percent in 2010 to 80 percent by 2020. The National Nursing Workforce Study from the National Council of State Boards of Nursing states that as of 2015, 65 percent of RNs have earned a baccalaureate or higher degree.
Peter Buerhaus, a healthcare economist and professor of nursing, has identified “4 Forces that Will Reshape Nursing.” These also affect the need for more RNs to earn a BSN or a Master of Science in Nursing.
Earning at least a four-year degree will help contend with the following four forces that affect nursing:
- One-third of nurses will retire within 10 years.
- Nurses will assume larger roles due to a pending physician shortage.
- There will be a need for more healthcare resources to support the chronic and degenerative medical conditions of the 70 million Baby Boomers entering their senior years.
- The healthcare industry will be responsible for more accountability for costs and quality of care due to healthcare reforms.
The unprecedented number of retiring nurses will leave a knowledge gap. Nurses with BSNs and MSNs can help close that gap. Having a BSN or MSN may also help with employment opportunities. More than 77 percent of employers prefer to hire RNs who have a BSN or higher, according to survey data from the American Association of Colleges of Nursing.
Easing Barriers to BSN and MSN Degrees
Some working nurses also have family commitments. An accredited online RN to BSN or RN to MSN program offers working RNs the flexibility they need to earn these degrees. It allows them to work at their own pace from the comfort of their own homes at a time that best suits their schedules. Students can access most resources from anywhere on most devices.
Students may also receive more individualized instruction online. They can communicate with a professor by email and other digital means. This allows them to ask questions without feeling intimidated or pressed for time.
Further, an accredited online nursing program tends to give students exactly what they need to know.
An accredited online nursing program can give nurses the knowledge, skills and credentials they need to achieve their career goals. It is possible to complete online RN to BSN coursework in as few as 13 months. However, an online RN to MSN program allows a nurse to earn both a BSN and an MSN. With the right program, it is possible to earn both in as few as 36 months.
Learn about the Lamar University online nursing degree programs.
