Studying For A BSN Degree
If you鈥re looking for a career with stability, nursing is a great career to go into as it is a rapidly growing field with many opportunities for advancement.
Prior to applying to a nursing school BSN program, you may be required to take prerequisite courses to help prepare you for your core classes such as:
- Anatomy and physiology
- Biology
- Statistics
- English composition
Most colleges and universities are also looking for students who show the potential to succeed in college by having earned their high school diploma or completed their GED. The majority of BSN degree programs require incoming students to have a minimum GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale.
As you go through a BSN program, you may also decide to also take on some part-time work in the nursing field. Although you don鈥檛 have your credentials yet, finding a company to start working for while you earn your BSN degree will make it much easier to find a career once you have passed the NCLEX-RN exam. Although nursing is a large field and continues to grow, having some experience before jumping into a full-time career head on will help you in the long run.
Getting your BSN degree has many advantages for registered nurses. Some advantages to having your BSN are:
- Some positions are only open to RNs with a BSN degree. In fact, some of the highest paying nursing jobs such as nurse practitioner and nurse anesthetist require you to have a BSN
- A BSN program will teach you more than just the basic clinical skills. You will also gain communication, critical thinking, and leadership skills in your studies.
- A nurse with a BSN is eligible for 88% of jobs, while an ASN is only eligible for about 50%.
