Need for Qualified Nurses Still on the Rise
Pursuing a nursing career is an especially wise move right now as nursing jobs continue to be in high demand and our aging population continues to grow.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates a 16 percent jump in nursing jobs over the next eight years, mainly because more insured people are seeking healthcare due to health care reform policies, and an older population will steadily stream into long-term and acute care facilities.
In other words, the healthcare sector is booming because of baby boomers (people born between 1946 and 1964). Boomers make up nearly one-third of the U.S. population, according to the American Hospital Association (AHA). While this generation is living longer, more active lives, the oldest among this generation have already turned 65 with some nearing 70.
To meet the demands of our evolving healthcare system, the need for nurses with higher education is becoming more important. For the past decade, the American Association of the Colleges of Nursing (AACN) has been collecting research that shows nurses with bachelor degrees have lower mortality rates and lower failure to rescue rates and are more proficient in making diagnoses and evaluating nursing interventions.
Nursing credentials - RN to BSN
To better serve patients in the long run, the Institute of Medicine recommends that at least 80 percent of the U.S. nursing workforce hold a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) by the year 2020. Some hospitals won’t even hire nurses with an associates degree anymore.And to move up the career ladder a bachelor’s degree is generally needed.
Credentials are key. According to the AACN, 39 percent of hospitals and other health care organizations that employ nurses require a BSN for new hires and another 77 percent strongly prefer BSN graduates over nurses with other credentials, such as an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN).
Building on experience they have as RNs, nurses are shifting to getting their BSN degrees. It’s common for people who’ve been RNs for 15 years or more to now pursue getting a BSN through online colleges or universities, because it fits their current lifestyle.
With some online schools you can finish in a year if you’re only working part time. For others, it takes 18 months or more to complete, probably because they are already working full time in the medical field.
Some nurses pursuing a BSN also seek certification in other areas of expertise, such as outpatient surgery or infection prevention, because the hospital or organization they work for pays for it. The additional education yields a better return on investment for those hospitals. Most certifications need to be renewed every two years.
What’s the difference?
An RN (Registered Nurse) is a job title while BSN (Bachelor of Science in Nursing) is a degree. To become an RN, you need at minimum an associate degree in nursing (ADN) or diploma from an accredited nursing program.
After getting a degree or completing a program, you must obtain your license by passing the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX).
Some licensed RNs continue pursuing their bachelor of science in nursing - via an RN-to-BSN program - because they can move into higher administrative positions, work alongside physicians conducting research and pursue a variety of advanced nursing positions with more schooling and certification, of course.
Regardless of the route to becoming an RN, the response to a rapidly changing healthcare system will be beneficial to everyone. Current nursing demographics show that nurses under 30 make up only about 15 percent of the RN profession. It will be interesting to watch the nursing trend change over time as baby boomers age.
