The impact of education on nursing practice cannot be overstated. Having a BSN degree sets you up to take on higher-level roles, earn a more competitive salary, and have greater job stability throughout your career. Employers value nurses with the comprehensive clinical education provided by bachelor’s degree programs.
We’ve all had moments sitting in a classroom wondering, “Am I ever really going to use this information in the real world?” When it comes to the Felician University Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program, the answer is yes. We teach you the skills you need to graduate from the program as a practice-ready nurse in as few as 16 months.
We understand the impact of education on nursing practice and tailor our curriculum to give you a well-rounded education that prepares you for a rewarding career as a capable nurse. In this blog post, we’ll explore how education directly impacts your career as a nurse as well as the skills you’ll learn in the Felician ABSN program that translate to the healthcare field.
Why Is Education in Nursing Practice Important?
Are you wondering why nurses need higher education? Simply put, education is important in nursing because it supports better patient outcomes. Extensive research has looked at the impact of higher education on patients. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) reports that having better educated nurses results in better patient outcomes, lower mortality, lower readmission rates, and shorter lengths of stay.
In other words, nurses who held an education like the one we provide at the Felician ABSN program in New Jersey had better patient outcomes than nurses who held associate degrees.
What the BSN Curriculum Teaches
One of the primary reasons why nurses need higher education is that the content taught in bachelor’s degree programs is particularly relevant to a nursing career. BSN-educated nurses complete nursing coursework as well as classes about health literacy, mental health issues, social sciences, humanities, and healthcare ethics. These classes broaden their understanding of cultural, economic, and sociological issues that may impact their patients and situations encountered in practice.
These courses foster an outlook that helps nursing students understand their patients better, use their unique knowledge to assess situations they may face, and enable them to treat patients with empathy and compassion.
The History Behind the Push for BSN-Educated Nurses
According to the AACN, nursing executives, federal agencies, the military, magnet hospitals, and other nursing groups have appreciated the importance of a BSN education for patient care. It’s become common knowledge that education in nursing practice does indeed make a significant difference in nursing practice and in the delivery of safe patient care.
In fact, the impact of education on nursing practice isn’t something that employers and legislators take lightly.
BSN in 10
For example, in December 2017, New York passed the “BSN in 10” law, which requires future registered nurses graduating from associate degree or diploma nursing programs in the state to obtain a baccalaureate in nursing within 10 years of initial licensure. Additionally, more than 71% of hospitals and other healthcare organizations strongly prefer that new hires hold BSNs.
According to the AACN, legislators in New York stated that with “the increasing complexity of the American healthcare system and rapidly expanding technology, the educational preparation of the registered professional nurse must be expanded.” In other words, nurses who hold a BSN are better equipped to manage all the moving parts that come with working in today’s healthcare landscape.
A National Focus
On a national level, hospitals and healthcare providers have been leading the push for already-hired nurses to earn their BSN degrees, due to data that supports improved patient outcomes. HR departments are increasingly hiring exclusively nurses with a BSN or higher education level. This makes a BSN degree imperative for those aiming to work in the nursing field long-term.
Benefits of Earning a BSN for Nurses
The Felician ABSN program is specifically designed to give you the tools you need to be successful in your nursing career. Your dedication and commitment to your nursing education is bound to pay off. After all, earning your BSN comes with a lot of benefits. As a graduate of the Felician ABSN program, you’ll have the solid educational foundation and the skills that hospitals are looking for in new hires.
1. BSN-Educated Nurses Are in Demand
Nurses who hold a BSN are in demand. Rapidly growing healthcare needs and the nationwide nursing shortage both are contributing to an increase in demand for qualified nurses. As such, healthcare providers have begun to use signing bonuses, tuition reimbursem*nts, and other incentives to attract BSN-educated nurses. Because they’re so needed, a career as a nurse comes with a lot of job security.
2. A BSN Expands Your Nursing Job Opportunities
Another consideration regarding the impact of education on nursing practice is how education opens more doors. Earning a BSN degree affords you many opportunities for jobs that may not be the traditional 9 to 5 hospital job. Alternative nursing careers available to BSN-educated RNs include:
- Academic nurse writers
- Community center nurses
- Corporate staff nurses
- Cruise ship nurses
- Health coaches
- Home health nurses
- Legal nurse consultants
- Nurse navigators
- School nurses
Interested in an alternative nursing career? Learn about eight non-traditional nursing jobs.
3. A BSN is the First Step Toward an Advanced Practice Nursing Career
Holding a BSN makes it easier to advance to the next step in your educational journey and return to school to earn a Master of Science in Nursing. If you’re wanting to pursue an advanced practice nursing license, a BSN is the first step to getting accepted into these competitive programs.
There are many options for nursing higher education, each offering leadership opportunities as well as competitive pay. These include:
- Nurse anesthetist
- Nurse educator
- Nurse midwife
- Nurse practitioner
Want a career as a nurse practitioner? Here’s how to become an NP.
4. Higher Salary
The average salary for all RNs in the U.S. is $77,600, according to the BLS. However, your exact pay depends on many factors, including education. The 2020 National Nursing Workforce Survey found that the median annual salary for nurses with a bachelor’s degree was higher than for nurses with an associate degree. As a nurse, you’ll have the opportunity to make a comfortable wage, and with a BSN, you may be able to earn more as you gain experience.
5. More Healthcare Employers Prefer BSN-Educated Nurses
In addition to higher earning potential, nurses who hold a BSN are in greater demand from employers such as Magnet Hospitals. The American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Magnet Recognition Program is an esteemed honor in the healthcare community as it awards “Magnet status” to only the top healthcare facilities that tout expert nursing staff. Being able to work at a high-standard Magnet hospital carries weight and respect and often comes with other benefits.
Magnet hospitals aim to link nursing goals with improved patient outcomes, provide ongoing educational and professional development for their staff, and support nursing staff in giving the best possible patient care to reach and maintain Magnet status.
Why Choose a Felician ABSN Education?
Of course, if you or a loved one were being treated by a nurse, you’d want to know that they were well-educated and able to react to any issue from a place of knowledge and confidence. The Felician ABSN program prepares nurses to do just that. Our course curriculum is tailored to provide a well-rounded education on a shorter timeline.
Over the course of the Felician Accelerated BSN curriculum, you will complete a comprehensive curriculum of 73 credit hours to prepare you to change lives as a nurse, sooner. Our Hybrid ABSN program takes as few as 16 months, and our On-Ground ABSN curriculum is 18 months.
Spanning four, 16-week semesters, our Hybrid ABSN program consists of coursework, hands-on skills and simulation labs, and clinical rotations. The classes you’ll take during your time in the Felician ABSN program will cover much of what you may encounter in your day-to-day work as a nurse.
Wondering where you should go to nursing school? Here’s our guide for choosing the right nursing program.
Felician ABSN Prepares You for a Rewarding Nursing Career
At Felician University, we want to help you answer the call to nursing. Our Accelerated BSN program will help you gain the skills and knowledge you need to excel in a 21st-century healthcare system, as well as prepare you to sit for the National Council Licensure Exam (NCLEX).
An amazing career in nursing starts with a solid educational foundation. That’s why our ABSN program is for non-nurses with previous college experience who are ready to earn their BSN degree in as few as 16 or 18 months. Because the curriculum is accelerated, it can be challenging. Our students are ready to take that challenge and are committed to working toward becoming a practice-ready nurse.
If you have at least 60 college credits from a regionally accredited university with a GPA of 3.0 or higher, or hold a bachelor’s or master’s degree from a regionally accredited university with a GPA of 3.0 or higher, our ABSN program might be right for you. We make it convenient with multiple program starts each year.
What’s the process for beginning a nursing career? Follow these four steps to become a nurse in NYC.
Are You Ready to Make an Impact with a BSN?
There is no denying the impact of education nursing practice. If you’re ready to start your nursing education and want to accelerate into the nursing profession, our ABSN program in New Jersey can help make it happen. There’s no waitlist here, and our ABSN program is currently enrolling for spring, summer, and fall terms. Contact our admissions team today to begin your path to nursing school.
