Becoming a registered nurse (RN) is a significant career achievement. RNs work closely with patients and physicians to administer medication, offer emotional support, take vital signs, and perform basic diagnostic procedures and tests. For nurses in the 21^st century, however, this attainment is unlikely to be enough to ensure future employability. For additional job security and access to better advancement opportunities, registered nurses are choosing to further their education with a bachelor of science in nursing (BSN). Accelerated BSN programs are increasingly being seen as the future standard for RNs and RN to BSN online programs are leading the way. A nurse with a BSN degree may have better job security, more job satisfaction, and get access to better pay.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, RNs hold over 2.6 million jobs. Although this number indicates the high employability of these healthcare workers, it also means there is much greater competition for better paying and less stressful workplaces. The typical RN also only holds an associate’s degree, which keeps them from earning the better paying BSN salary. When compared to those who do not have a BSN. RN to BSN nurses could find that after graduating they can find employment in a physician’s office. These jobs usually feature shorter workdays than the 12-hour nursing shifts typically found in hospitals and feature a less stressful environment.

The healthcare industry has become an increasingly complicated field. As healthcare has become more refined and focused on prevention and wellness the duties of nurses have also become more multidimensional and to keep up nurses need a mix of clinical, academic, and leadership skills. Thorough an accelerated BSN program, nurses learn to thrive in all types of situations from making critical decisions when dealing with chaotic scenes in an emergency room, to supervising support professionals, and getting patients access to the appropriate medical treatment. These skills increase job satisfaction and keep nurses motivated and challenged in their careers.

Ultimately, online RN to BSN programs give nurses the development and resources for thinking critically, completing research, tackling problems analytically, being leaders, and improving all aspects of patient care. All skills that various health care organizations are increasingly demanding to cut back on patient costs and improve the quality of care. In fact, the value of traditional and online RN to BSN programs has become so valuable that many employers are now looking for a BSN degree even in entry-level nurses. As a result, they are offering a more competitive BSN salary for nurses with this degree. Some of these employers will only hire nurses who already have their BSN or require applicants earn their BSN within a certain length of time after being employed. Therefore, nurses who have taken the initiative to sign up for RN to BSN online programs can take their pick of inpatient and outpatient opportunities working in hospitals, for the federal government, and in various other settings. For highly motivated nurses, an online RN to BSN degree could mean switching gears and working in administration or as a nurse educator.

Registered Nurse Education Requirements 

Nurses wondering about the usefulness of a BSN degree should think about their future 5, 10, and even 20 years down the line. As just an RN, will they be able to maintain employment even as new workers with more advanced and coveted skills and training enter the healthcare field? Although returning to school may seem like a hassle that requires a lot of sacrifice, online RN to BSN programs offer nurses flexibility and convenience. These programs are suited to the lifestyles of working nurses and can be enrolled in part-time, allowing nurses to get their degree at their own pace. Often, an accelerated BSN program can be completed in less than 2 years. Many nurses also state that they choose to go back to school because of employee incentives. Some hospitals offer tuition reimbursement and scholarships to lower any financial burden. Hospitals may even give nursing students a more flexible schedule to accommodate their RN to BSN online classes.

What’s All The Fuss? Working Towards A Baccalaureate Or Graduate Degree In Nursing

Having a four-year degree also gives nurses the option to further advance their education and career by entering graduate nursing programs in advanced practice nursing specialties such as a Certified Nurse Midwife or Certified Nurse Anesthetist. Of course, increases in education mean better pay. At the lower end of the scale, less than $50,000 may be earned by an RN. BSN graduates, however, with greater experience could be making over $70,000 a year. The BSN salary can be even higher for nurses in some geographic areas and specialties.

Why Go Back For A Baccalaureate Degree?

For quality care to be provided, the health care industry relies on highly educated nurses. Nursing has become one of the largest careers within the health care industry in the United States. Nurses work with doctors to educate and treat patents, provide emotional support to families and patients, and over half of them work in hospitals. This does not mean a nurse is limited to only work in one area as there are many opportunities for them in other areas such as schools, public health services, and nursing homes. Educated nurses have made less medication errors, helped lower mortality rates, and created more positive outcomes in the overall quality of care. This is why a nurse that holds a degree is held at such high value.

RN to BSN programs provide nurses with the education in which they will be under the supervision of a physician and have direct responsibility for patients. Online RN to BSN’s educate nurses on how to develop and implement nursing plans, access patient needs and health problems, and maintain medical records. Typically it takes about three to four years of college and then they must take board exams in order to be licensed as a registered nurse. Once they obtain their license they can work in labor and delivery, city, state, or government offices, schools, hospitals, home health, as well as many other areas. They need to have the ability to work as a part of a team as well as independently and have physical stamina as they will need the ability to handle emergency situations. Registered nurses can expect to earn at least $40,000 annually and with experience the salary increases.

BSN programs provide registered nurses with higher education. The job competencies are basically the same but a nurse with a BSN has more opportunities for nursing advancement. They will also have the opportunity to work in more technical or specialized areas. An RN to BSN online program provides a bridge for those nurses with a diploma who would like to develop even stronger analytical and clinical reasoning skills in order to advance in their careers. RN to BSN helps to build upon initial preparation and course work will prepare them with a scope of practice at a broader level, provide them with better understanding of political, social, economic and cultural issues that influence the delivery of care and affect patients. Many professional practice settings now prefer or are requiring those that have completed an RN to BSN degree. Only a registered nurse can participate in RN to BSN online programs.

RN to BSN careers will give registered nurses more clinical experience in other settings other than hospitals as well as training in communication, critical thinking, and leadership. In order to be employed in areas such as research, consulting, administrative, and teaching, a bachelorette degree is required. Choosing an RN to BSN online program will also help increase the salary range for a nurse. It may not start out as a huge increase but nurses in the top ten percent are earning on average about $90,000 annually. The job outlook for nurses is also expected to increase at a high rate due to the aging population. There is more likely to be a shortage of nurses before there is a shortage of nursing career opportunities.

There are many RN to BSN resources available to learn more about each program and before deciding to choose an RN to BSN program one should thoroughly research the educational requirements, length of time it will take to complete the degree, and other aspects of the career in order to determine whether this is a career they can be passionate about. The table above will help showcase the differences between the two which will help nurses or those thinking of becoming nurses make an informed decision about which avenue to take. Nurses can expect their compensation to be competitive. They can expect to have a very promising future as well as an extremely rewarding career by providing quality care to people who need it the most.

Resources

• Nursing FAQ
• Registered Nurses Significant Points
• RN Specific FAQ
• Related Career Titles
• Why Choose a Two-Year Nursing Program?
• Nursing Career Description
• How a BSN Differs from an ADN
• RN to BSN FAQ
• Frequently Asked Questions
• The Impact of Education on Nursing Practice
• More Frequently Asked Questions

The nursing field is an ever changing world that demands nurses to stay current with trends in the health care field.  As the medical field expands so must the knowledge that nurses posses. They have to find ways to expand their knowledge base and ways of caring for people.  A RN is a student of life and what better way to achieve success than with a RN to BSN. Everyone in the work force likes to advance in their career path. Nurses are no exceptions. Some nurses look forward to being the head nurse at major hospitals or medical clinics. Others, have the desire to teach the next generation of nurses. One foundational concept is nursing ethics.

Just about every Registered Nurse has been faced with an ethical dilemma at some point in their career. Nurses are often faced with hard decisions about how to treat and care for patients.  The best way to handle these ethical issues is to be prepared, understand the codes, the law, and review case studies.  Nurses have a current code of ethics that they abide by. Here are some important links to help find the current code of ethics.

What are the Current Nursing Codes of Ethics

Nursing Ethics - Find information about the ethic code that all nurses follow. Find resources to better understand the ethics themselves and how they apply to the nursing field.

Nursing World – Here one can read about how programs and getting involved can help increase the awareness of nursing ethics for everyone.

Code of Ethics for Nurses – Get a copy of the current code of ethics for yourself. Either view them over the internet or you can buy a copy.

Linfield – Read the current copy of nursing ethics for yourself using a PDF download.

ICN – Learn the ICN code of ethics here using a PDF file.

Background & History of the Nursing Code of Ethics

The Nursing Code of Ethics – What Should you Expect? – Read the rich history of how the code came about and how it is amended from time to time to keep pace with the ever changing medical field.

Code of Ethics for Nurses - Explore some of the history and define what a code of ethics is for and how it relates to al the ins and outs of the nursing field. History helps people understand the big picture when it comes to work and life.

Nurses face different issues on a daily basis. For some nurses they may face the same issues day after day because they specialize in one aspect of the medical field. For most they treat patients with a wide array of problems which keeps the door open to different ethical issues. Knowing what to expect will help keep you on top of the day. You can find current ethical issues that nurses face at the following sites.

Current Ethical Issues that Nurses Face

Ethics: Ethical Issues in Complementary/Alternative Therapies – A complex yet easy to understand study of the ethical issues facing alternative therapies. Nurses involved with these types of treatment will find this article a must read.

Genetic and Genomic Healthcare: Ethical Issues of Importance to Nurses – Read how the gene has opened doors into the field of nursing regarding ethical issues. The constant manipulation of genes is leading many people into thinking about the dilemmas they will face with gene therapy and treatment.

Ethical Issues in Nursing Practice - Find out the vast array of ethics nurses faces on a daily basis and which ones they face more than others. Nurses are faced with countless ethical situations on a daily basis. If you are new to nursing this will help in knowing what to expect the most at work.

Colleges often use case studies as a means to teach students what they are likely to face in their career paths. In some fields of study cases change on a daily basis so they have to keep up on new and expanding issues. Studying case studies is an easy way of knowing what to expect and helps you know how to think through the best way of dealing with the problem. Below you will find several places to brush up on case studies.

Case Studies of Ethical Dilemmas in Nursing

Teaching Nursing Ethics by Cases: a personal perspective - Find a inside perspective on the use of case studies to train nurses. Also, read the case studies and the ethical dilemma that they portray. This helps nurses to think through many of the situations they may face on a daily basis.

Nurse Friendly – Here you will find a number of case studies related to different aspects of nursing. Some dive into legal matters and others are informative.

Key Individuals in Nursing Ethics

Have you ever wondered where the current code of ethics for nurses came from? Or, who was the key player when the first pledge was spoken? Read the first pledge that was spoken and some biographical information about the person who started it all at the following links.

Florence Nightingale Pledge – Read the pledge that started it all. A must read for those entering the nursing field.

Mrs. Lystra E. Gretter – Here is some biographical information about the key person who helped write the pledge that graduating nurses often have to say.

Have you ever wondered why people become nurses rather than doctors? Or, what is it that makes a nurse the special person that is able to calm even the most devastated patient? The decision of people to become a rn to bsn is rather complex in some cases, and for others it is the right choice. Nurses are special people that make life better in the most uncomfortable circumstances. Not everyone is able to be a nurse. It takes a special personality found within the being of a person to be an effective nurse. It is a career choice that chooses the person rather than the person choosing the career. There are special traits that are found in a person that makes them the most effective nurse they can be.

Characteristics of Those Who Become Nurses

• Caring: In order to be an effective nurse the person must have a caring personality. Some people have to work at caring for people in need while others it seems to come naturally. They are people focused rather than self focused. People sense that they really care and are not just interested in completing a shift at work.
• Detailed Oriented: Nurses are people who by nature are organized and can multi-task. They pay attention to detail so that mistakes are hard to come by. They realize that if they make one mistake then people can be harmed and that is something that they do not want to happen.
• Sympathetic but Stable: A nurse is a person who is sympathetic with their patients and yet can remain detached so their life remains stable. Nurses see life and death on a daily basis. They see little babies come into the world and young children who are afflicted with all sorts of maladies. If they fail to remove themselves from the patient after work then their personal life will suffer. But, they still are sympathetic and share feelings while they are with the people because they care.
• Strong: The shifts that nurses are called to work are very demanding because of the uniqueness of the hours. Many times the hours are long and often into the night. They must be able to endure the physical output that the job demands. They are often walking for 12 hours at a time from patient to patient. Should a shift be short on personal they might have to cover the lacking person and work harder than normal.
• Focused: Nurses are people who can think quickly on their feet. Sometimes they assist in cases that require the people to move fast in order to save a life. They must communicate well and be able to think on their feet. When it comes to communication they must know the right words to say and when to say them. A word spoken wrong can have bad consequences.
• Dedicated: Nurses have to be people who are dedicated to the well being of others. They put others before themselves and often at times that hard for them to do so. They work with difficult patients on a daily basis but they still give the same care and compassion to every single person.

Reasons others Became Nurses and Their Stories

Nurses are people who love to share their stories with people. Each one is different and each one is inspiring.

Why I Became A Nurse – Read about a man who overcame the stereotypes of nursing to follow his passion of helping people who need it the most. His inspiring story will cause you think about becoming a nurse even if circumstances are stacked against you.

National Nurses week: Why I became a nurse – An informative article on the nursing field. Read several personal accounts of why they became a nurse. Find ways to make a nurse feel special for caring for people they do not know.

The Night the Professor Became a Nurse – An inspiring story of an English teacher who gave it all up to care for people. Her compassion is seen through the care that she gives special patients who need it most.

Night Time Nursing: Why I became a nurse – A lady who finds out through a moment of caring that she can bring compassion effectively to people without nurse training and thinks how much better she can be compassionate with nurse training. A moving account of a personality born to be a nurse.

Why I became a Nurse – Rhiannon Wilson - A teen who’s life circumstances has motivated her to care for people and help them with life choices. Read about the goals she has set for her life for the benefit of others.

The other side of nursing – A moving account of someone who has seen beyond their self and had compassion on those in other countries who have been in life changing moments of life and death. Dealing with circumstances that are beyond the control of mankind and working with what they have to work with.

Why I became a CRNA – Read several accounts of people who made the choice to be nurse in a specialized field. These are people who have come to the decision that it is what they are to do in life.

Grateful patient became a nurse educator – Read the account of a patient who was moved by the care that he and his family received while he was in need. It was the compassion that he received while in the care of nurses that led him to become one himself.

Why I became a nurse: Anna’s story - Read an inspiring story of a person who cannot pin point the exact moment that compelled her to be a nurse. She just knows that it is her calling in life to help others in their time of need.

Why I became a nurse: Steve’s story - A decision to become a nurse because of family tradition. Nursing is often found to run in the family. For many it is a life choice that seems right in every way.

Nurses have one of the best jobs in the medical field. From a RN to BSN Online, they are the driving force behind every medical field that is practiced today. Nurses have to balance personal life and work life on an everyday basis. They are the ones who help people start down the road to recovery. When a patient is in need, it is the nurse who takes care of them and all their issues. It stands only to reason that nurses have access to the best sources of information that is made available to them. Nurses really are people who perform an impossible task. In addition to helping people they have personal education that they have to monitor on a yearly basis so their license can stay active and current. Most of the time they have to search endless lists to find the right continuing education class for them. Some nurses who want to further they studies often find it difficult to navigate all the requirements for education. Below are 20 different resources that will help all nurses stay on top of their continuing education and have the best information about the ever changing medical field.

Nursing Center: Here you will find information about latest journal publications and different ways to continue your nursing education. You will also find news related to the nursing field and how it relates to you.

All Nurses: This site gives nurses the chance to communicate with each other about various avenues of discussion. Some discussion points relate to patient care and others about nurse patient ethics.

National Network of Libraries of Medicine: Information overload at this site. Nurses can come and browse through various topics and basic information. There is news about children’s health and adult health.

Nurse: Continuing education ideas can be found on this site. Keeping up with job related training can be challenging especially when there are no seminars near your home. Nurse.com gives regional information about CE requirements and specific news for different regions of the nation.

Learning Nurse: If you are looking to expand your knowledge base about nursing then check out this site. They offer a wide range of information directed towards nurses. Take a quiz to test what you know and what you have learned.

Modern Medicine: Here they give up-to-date information about medical procedures that nurses need to know. Use the site to gain information about patient care and how to treat various health problems effectively as a nurse.

Medscape: Find daily news stories about how everyday issues are helped along by nurses. Also, get perspective related readings from experts about different medical issues.

MDLinx: You can find related articles about all different kinds of nursing issues. Follow them on the major social networks to keep up on the latest news.

Medical Glossary: Search for different medical terms for free. There are over 26,000 terms for you to discover on this site.

PubMed Central: Good communication is key to patient care. Discover ways to speak to patients about what kind of medical issues they may be facing. Browse a vast store house of knowledge about medical terms and news while you are visiting the site.

Nursing World: Look into information on a host of topics from flu shots to national information about the nursing field.

PSNet: Dive into medical journals and search the meaning of terms that you may not know. PSNet offers a vast glossary of major medical terminology.

CE Broker: Set up you professional portfolio and begin to track your professional transcript. Be sure to look into CE courses while visiting CE Broker. This site keeps all the information in one easy to follow site that can be tailored to fit your needs.

CE Profiles: Find information about what is required by states when it comes to being a nurse. Manage your CE credits here to make the process simple.

Board of Registered Nursing: Walk into licensing information and ways to further your career as a nurse. Find out what is required and the steps needed to achieve your career goals.

NURSYS: Get your license verified by other states when you are looking for licensing in a different state. Look up licensing information on another nurse.

National Council of State Boards of Nursing: Find education, services, and information and nursing. The NCSBN offers state specific details on news and cooperation between states when it comes to nursing.

Nursing License Map: If your seeking to become a nurse find out how to train and obtain a license by selecting the state in which you live or want to practice.

American Association of Critical-Care Nurses: Find information about the model of patient care and the standard that is recommended to follow.

Nursing Resources for Evidence Based Practice: If you are looking to be a better nurse them find information about best practices in the nursing field.