Are BSNs Required To Work In Hospitals?
BSN Career
Aspiring nurses often ask, “Is a BSN required to work in hospitals?”
There are hospitals and healthcare settings that prefer this licensure because it demonstrates your commitment to the field of healthcare. A BSN tells future employers that you are serious about your career.
The key is to align your education with your career goals. At Sumner College, we’re dedicated to helping you navigate your educational and career path towards nursing.
Curious about how to start your nursing career and the pathways available to you?
Explore the diverse BSN program at Sumner College. Download our BSN Program Brochure
Submit an Application to Sumner College and enroll today in our next BSN class.
Learn more about BSN:
Start in a Nursing Career
Do you like to help others? Inspired by the possibility of saving and improving lives? For many people entering the nursing field, there’s a feeling that they didn’t choose nursing—it chose them. But even if you are sure that you want to become a nurse, you’ll need to plan ahead for your education, training, and on-the-job experience.
Nursing Career
Fortunately, there are several ways to get started as a nurse. By choosing a path that fits your current lifestyle, you can begin working toward your new career, and even start working while you complete your education. Here are three options worth considering.
- Volunteer
- Start working as an orderly attendant or nurse aid
- Pursue a LPN or vocational nurse degree
- Earn your BSN and start working as a registered nurse
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the demand for RNs is projected to grow at least 9 percent over the next decade. The average annual wage for registered nurse (RN) in the United States in 2023 is $ 80,010.
Sounds like a career path that fits you? Check out Sumner College’s BSN or PN programs.
RN Versus BSN: The Differences
RN vs. BSN
Changes in nursing involve a major shift in higher education standards, requiring more nurses to hold a 4-year bachelor of science in nursing (BSN). The new requirements stem from research by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) that showed significantly improved patient outcomes when there was an increase in BSNs.
BSN, ADN, RN: The Difference in The Letters
Of course, all nurses are rigorously trained to provide patient care. Let’s review the different levels of training for each position by taking a closer look at the letters that come after a nurse’s name. BSN means bachelor of science in nursing, ADN means associate degree in nursing, and RN means registered nurse.
- BSN is a diploma from a 4-year program: A person with a BSN has graduated from a four-year nursing program at a college, university, or nursing school.
- ADN is a diploma from a 2-year program: A person with an ADN has graduated from a two-year nursing school.
- RN is a certification: A person with the RN designation has passed a national licensing exam—after graduating from a nursing program with a BSN or an ADN. The licensing exam is called NCLEX (National Council Licensure Examination), and it’s a nationwide test required to license nurses.
So, if you’re an RN with a two-year ADN, are there reasons to go back to school and earn your four-year BSN degree? Well, that depends on you and your goals. But thousands of students and nurses are getting their BSN—and many of them are doing it in direct response to the IOM recommendation for more nurses to be BSN-prepared. If the IOM says that more BSNs are better for patient health, then nurses everywhere are going to respond.
Here are 5 reasons why you might want to pursue a BSN degree:
- Open the doors for a teaching position;
- Upward mobility and career development;
- Salary;
- Stand out in the applicant pool;
- Be the difference and make a difference in patient care.
Sumner College’s new BSN degree program can be completed in less than 3 years. No prerequisites courses are required and we accept transfer credits. Learn more today by visiting www.sumnercollege.com
Becoming A Nurse
Learn more about becoming a nurse, nursing salaries, and the future of nursing.
Your license will enable you to practice nursing. If you want to practice a certain specialty, you may be required to take more courses or earn specific certifications. Finally, it may be necessary to take continuing nursing education courses in order to stay current on best practices.
What Do Nurses Do?
Nurses help patients along their health care journey. Oftentimes, they are the first and last faces a patient sees, whether at their annual exam or during an extended hospital stay.
Nurses have a variety of roles. Some do intake work on patients. Others make acute treatment decisions. Some serve in a school setting or administer inoculations, like many did during the COVID-19 pandemic. Day-to-day responsibilities include performing medical exams, administering medications, checking vital signs, changing bandages and dressings, and ensuring that patients are comfortable.
How Long Does It Take to Become a Nurse?
Depending on what type of nurse you plan to become, programs range in commitment time from four weeks to a maximum of four years. Nursing requires that students spend a certain amount of time in the classroom and then a specified amount of time in the field before receiving their certificate, degree, and/or license.
The amount of time it takes to become a nurse depends on your career goals. If you want to specialize in a specific area, you may need a master’s degree, which will take more time. However, if you are interested in serving as a nursing assistant, you can complete your program and get your license within a year in most states.
3 Steps to Becoming a Nurse
Becoming a nurse requires going to school, but there are a few steps involved to making it your official profession. Using the three steps below, you’ll be able to successfully pursue your goal of becoming a nurse:
Choose a Type of Nursing
First you need to choose which type of nurse you will become. There are a variety of fields and roles in which you can serve, which are highlighted below. Your choice will be determined by which field you wish to pursue, your financial situation (or how much schooling you’re able to pay for), and other factors. Once you’ve made a choice as to which type of nurse you plan to be, it’s time for the next step.
Earn a Degree in Nursing
Degrees in nursing range from certifications to bachelor’s degrees to even doctorates. Certifications can take four – 12 weeks to complete, whereas bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate degrees can take years. In the last few years, coursework for nursing students has moved to a more hybrid approach. While some programs may be full-time, in-person, others offer both online learning and in-person classes. However, all certifications and degrees will require in-person clinical work in order to graduate as well as gain a license.
Get a Nursing License
After graduating, and before starting in a professional role, all nurses must complete some type of license. This involves taking an exam. • Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) and Registered Nurses (RN) – Must take and pass the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN). You cannot become a nurse without passing this exam. • Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) – Must take and pass a CNA certification exam. This license expires after two years.
What are the Different Types of Nurses?
There are a variety of nursing roles available in the health care industry. The one you choose depends on your overall career goals, time you have to dedicate to school, and financial resources to pay for your education.
CNA – Certified Nursing Assistant (CAN) – Offered at Sumner College Arizona
A Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) is the degree option that offers the quickest path to becoming a nurse. The program can take anywhere from four – 12 months to complete. Graduates must pass a certification exam in order to receive a license. CNAs serve in hospitals, nursing homes, and provide in-home care. They help patients with a range of needs like eating, bathing, grooming, mobility, and more.
LPN – Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) – offered at sumner college Oregon
A Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) requires one year of coursework. Graduates also have to pass the NCLEX-RN and earn a state license in order to practice. LPNs cover a range of responsibilities, from hands-on patient tasks to administrative duties. They monitor patient care by taking vitals, inserting catheters, changing bandages, and more.
ADN – Associate Degree in Nursing (AND) – Offered at sumner college oregon
An associate degree in Nursing takes two to three years to complete. You must pass the NCLEX-RN to earn your license. An ADN can discuss symptoms with a patient, provide medication, edit and monitor a patient’s records, and report the medical status of a patient to a doctor.
BSN – Bachelor of Science in Nursing – offered at sumner college oregon (starting april 2023)
A Bachelor of Science in Nursing can take four years to complete. Just like nurses with an associate degree, you must pass the NCLEX-RN to receive your license. Your job responsibilities will be similar to that of an RN with an associate degree. However, a Bachelor degree will put you on track to serve in administrative roles in areas such as research, consulting, and education.
APRN – Master of Nursing in Science (MNS) – not currently offered at sumner college
A Master of Science in Nursing requires two to three years of study and clinical work in addition to a Bachelor degree. You must also pass a certification exam in your area of study. A master’s in Nursing will enable you to specialize in a certain area and provide you with more responsibility and opportunities for advancement. Graduates with a master’s can go on to become Nurse Practitioners, educators, Nurse Anesthetists, midwives, managers, clinical specialists, researchers, and consultants.
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) – not currently offered at sumner college
The highest level of education that a nurse can receive is a Doctor of Nursing Practice. This requires an additional three to four years of study and includes a capstone DNP project. After graduating, you can take on a leadership role in the nursing field or work in a clinical setting. Nurses with a doctorate degree have the knowledge and power to drive policy change and best practices in the health care industry.
Nursing Salaries and Nursing Career Outlook
In 2019, registered nurses made up 30% of total hospital employees, the largest percentage of any role in the health care industry, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In 2020 and 2021, we saw just how vital nurses are to our health collectively, especially during national and worldwide health crises.
Overview of Career Growth Potentials and Salaries
In 2021, the BLS reported that the median hourly pay for nurses was $37.31 per hour and $77,600 annually. In 2020, there were over 3 million nurses working in the country with a projected growth rate of 9% by 2030. BLS.gov states that, “Demand for healthcare services will increase because of the large number of older people, who typically have more medical problems than younger people. Nurses also will be needed to educate and care for patients with chronic conditions, such as diabetes and obesity.”
Jobs for Nursing Majors
There are openings right now in the nursing field. Available nursing jobs range in roles from travel nurses to home health care nurses to specialties, like PACU. Because the health care industry is so large, and continues to grow in order to meet demand, there are always nursing jobs available. Jobs are open in urgent care centers, military bases, schools, and even on cruise ships. See available nursing jobs now on Monster.
Scholarships for Nursing Majors
Fastweb hosts a number of scholarships for nursing students in our database. Scholarships are one of the best ways to pay for your nursing education. They are free money that you earn or are awarded and never have to be paid back. Finding nursing scholarships on Fastweb is simple. All you have to do is fill out a free profile and indicate that you are interested in nursing as a field or study and career. We will find scholarships for nursing that you qualify for from our database.
BSN Job Opportunities
WHAT KIND OF JOBS CAN YOU GET WITH A BSN?
A bachelor of science in nursing will prepare you for a wide variety of job opportunities, including:
- Registered Nurse
- Operating Room/Perioperative Nurse
- Critical Care/ICU Nurse
- Emergency Room Nurse
- Labor and Delivery Nurse
- Medical/Surgical Nurse
- Charge Nurse
- Case Manager
- Home Health Nurse
- Hospice Nurse
- Oncology Nurse
- And many more…
RN to BSN Job Outlook
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the job outlook for registered nurses can expect a 6% increase in employment opportunities by 2031. This is about as fast as the average for all occupations.
In today’s healthcare market, registered nurses with their BSN will have an easier time finding a job than those without a BSN:
- 27.7% of hospitals and other healthcare settings are requiring new hires to have a BSN
- 71.7% of employers are expressing a strong preference for BSN program graduates
- Rate of job offers for new nursing graduates four to six months after program completion:
- 93% for entry-level BSN graduates
- 89% for entry-level MSN graduates
Source: American Association of Colleges of Nursing
Learn more about the RN to BSN program at Sumner College in Portland, Oregon:
New BSN Info Sessions – Register
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RNs ready to pursue more?
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Meet Alexandra – Sumner College RN to BSN Graduate
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Meet Serena – Sumner College Graduate
Serena congratulations on your graduation! As you’ve embarked on your nursing journey, remember: ‘Nursing is not just a profession, it’s a calling to serve, heal,…
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Meet Amanda – Sumner College Graduate
Amanda, congratulations on your graduation! As you’ve embarked on your nursing journey, remember: ‘Nursing is not just a profession, it’s a calling to serve, heal,…
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Meet Natalie – Sumner College Graduate
Natalie, congratulations on your graduation! As you’ve embarked on your nursing journey, remember: ‘Nursing is not just a profession, it’s a calling to serve, heal,…
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Now Hiring
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Meet Erin – Sumner College Graduate
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Commencement Ceremony
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