Benefits of Having a BSN Degree

Like many industries, the nursing profession is undergoing great change — the result of advances in medical treatments and technologies, growing healthcare needs and expectations, and a nationwide shortage of nurses.

Today, nurses provide much more than just physical care. As our healthcare system becomes more complex and physicians are able to spend less time with their patients, nurses are playing a growing role in educating patients on their care, attending to patients’ emotional and spiritual needs, and acting as a liaison between the patient and physician.

The Importance of a BSN in Today’s Health Care Environment

Hiring practices are changing, too, and providers increasingly require nurses to have a nursing BSN degree or higher — spurned by a landmark report by the Institute of Medicine linking improved patient outcomes to BSN-educated nurses and recommending that 80% of U.S. nurses have a BSN by the year 2020.

BSN-educated nurses also have plenty of opportunities to further their educations and careers down the road, with many RNs returning to school to pursue advanced practice nursing (APN) roles such as:

• Nurse practitioner
• Nurse educator
• Nurse anesthetist
• Nurse midwife

While many of these positions require a Master’s of Science in Nursing and, in many cases, post-MSN certification, a bachelor’s degree is an essential first step, giving you a solid academic groundwork for future career advancement.

At Mercer University, we’re committed to developing practice-ready nurses who are eager to take on the challenges facing the healthcare environment today and in the future. Give us a call, or fill out the form, to have an enrollment counselor contact you about our second-degree BSN program.