One of the beauties of nursing is that within one profession, a nurse can have many careers. However, as with most careers, to advance professionally, higher education is necessary.
When most people think of nursing, they usually think of nurses working at the bedside in hospitals. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 61 percent of registered nurses work in hospitals. However, there are many hospital jobs for nurses that are not at the bedside. The hospital is full of positions that baccalaureate-prepared nurses can fill due to their unique knowledge and experience base.
The American Association of College of Nursing in 2000 recommended the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) as the minimal preparation for the professional nurse. As part of this initiative, healthcare systems have continued to move toward seeking BSN-prepared nurses to meet the many roles within their hospital
Various roles available for BSN-prepared nurses within hospitals
BSN-prepared nurses can be found in many areas of the hospital, serving in varied roles. One hospital job for BSN-prepared nurses is in a management role. BSN-prepared nurses have foundational knowledge in leadership and professionalism that makes them ideal candidates for management positions. They not only function as managers of nursing units, but also other patient-centered departments. BSN-prepared nurses have the knowledge and understanding of the complex healthcare system, making them uniquely fit to meet the needs of hospitals.
All hospitals have departments dedicated to the development and evaluation of policy and procedures. BSN-prepared nurses have unique perspectives as patient advocates, making these departmental jobs ideal.
Another rapidly developing hospital job for nurses is within quality departments. As the government continues to mandate new quality requirements and continues to tie them to reimbursement, quality departments have become increasingly important to the hospital’s bottom line. BSN-prepared nurses are perfect candidates to identify areas of improvement.
Nursing education is another hospital job for nurses that requires at minimum a bachelor’s degree. To serve the educational needs of the staff, BSN-prepared nurses have to have a well-grounded knowledge of not only nursing practice, but also how professional nurses fit into the healthcare system.
Although this list is not extensive, BSN-prepared nurses serve in many area of the hospital. There are many hospital jobs for nurses and many are not yet conceptualized as hospitals continue to adjust to the ever-changing healthcare environment. However, with these changes, the BSN-prepared nurse will be equipped to navigate and lead through the changes.
Learn more about Lamar University’s online RN to BSN program.
Sources:
http://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/registered-nurses.htm#tab-3
http://www.aacn.nche.edu/publications/position/bacc-degree-prep
