April 19, 2024
8 mins read
Amid the nursing shortage crisis, there are plenty of jobs to go around for skilled nurses. However, job opportunities with a BSN degree offer more specialization and may even allow you to increase your earning potential over the course of your career.
Learn more about the jobs you can get with a BSN and discover how it can assist in advancing your nursing career.
Importance of Career Advancement in Healthcare
The healthcare field is subject to constant changes, many of which are the result of rapidly advancing technology. To continuously improve patient outcomes and to offer the comprehensive healthcare that people have come to expect, nurses and other medical professionals must be committed to professional development and career advancement.
Career Prospect and Professional Growth
While an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) can provide you with the foundational knowledge and basic skills required to begin your nursing career, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing is the best way to access the most lucrative and rewarding nursing career pathways. By investing in an RN to BSN degree program, you will be able to develop the skills needed for specialized BSN nursing career paths.
Career Paths for RN to BSN Graduates
You might be wondering what jobs you can get with a BSN. RN to BSN graduates complete their degree program with a newfound set of advanced nursing skills as well as in-depth knowledge about the nursing profession. As a result, they are qualified to consider a wide range of BSN career options.
Clinical Nursing Roles
Many nurses who graduate with an RN to BSN degree find that they are interested in pursuing the clinical nursing roles that require a bachelor's degree. According to Indeed, these are some of the common job responsibilities of clinical nurses:
- Evaluating patients and developing a treatment plan.
- Providing patients, caregivers, and family members with additional information about their treatment plan and helping them access needed resources to continue home care.
- Supervising other nurses or staff members who are a part of their patient care team.
- Collecting data and recording patient information to maintain patient files.
Leadership Roles in Healthcare
In addition to pursuing a clinical nursing position, nurses who graduate from this degree program may be qualified to pursue BSN careers that offer leadership roles. Some of the top leadership roles in healthcare include:
Nurse Manager
Nurse managers are nursing professionals who oversee nursing departments at a hospital or clinic. Typically, a nurse manager needs to have a significant amount of professional nursing experience as well as a bachelor's degree in nursing. While nurse managers do not typically provide day-to-day care for patients, they play a critical role in improving overall patient outcomes.
Clinical Coordinator
A clinical coordinator is a nursing professional responsible for overseeing the daily activities at a particular healthcare facility, such as a medical practice or a nursing home. Clinical coordinators often split their job responsibilities between administrative tasks and patient care, making this an excellent option for nurses who still want to work directly with patients. Some common job duties include:
- Creating and maintaining the department budget.
- Providing patients with results from tests or procedures.
- Developing a recruitment and hiring strategy for the facility.
- Updating patient case files and documenting visits.
Specialized Nursing Fields
An RN to BSN program can also provide nurses with an opportunity to explore various specialized nursing fields. Specialized nursing fields allow nurses to apply their skill set within an area that particularly interests them. In addition, these specialized nursing fields also may offer higher earning potential than standard clinical nursing positions.
Gerontology
Gerontology is a nursing specialty that focuses on the care and treatment of elderly patients. As one of the broader specialties, there are a wide range of opportunities within the field of gerontological nursing. Geriatric nurses often work with patients battling age-related conditions, and they have the unique opportunity to provide them with personalized care and additional compassion as they navigate this stage of their life. Geriatric nurses often work in hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, or long-term care facilities.
Psychiatric Nursing
Psychiatric nursing is a growing specialty within the nursing profession, and the demand for qualified and skilled psychiatric nursing professionals is on the rise. Psychiatric nurses receive specialized training to care for patients managing mental health conditions and mental health disorders. Psychiatric nurses have a wide range of responsibilities, and they often work as part of an interdisciplinary care team. Some common job responsibilities of psychiatric nurses include:
- Crisis intervention
- Community education
- Caregiver and family education
- Administering treatment
- Helping patients discover self-care techniques
Nursing Informatics and Billing
As one of the newer nursing specialties, nursing informatics and billing focuses on improving electronic health records and other digital functions to provide patients with better access to their records and to improve their overall care experience. By leveraging the power of technology, nursing informatics and billing specialists can improve the efficiency of the overall healthcare system. It's expected that there will be more than 70,000 positions in nursing informatics available over the course of the next several years.
Advanced Practice Nursing Roles
Once you have earned your BSN degree, you may find that you can continue to pursue other advanced practice nursing positions, such as:
Nurse Practitioner
A nurse practitioner is a specialized clinician who can provide patients with comprehensive medical care. In addition to being able to develop a treatment plan and provide patients with the care they need; nurse practitioners are also able to prescribe medication to patients who require it. The American Association of Nurse Practitioners states that these care providers are quickly becoming the preferred choice among patients, largely because they focus their efforts on preventative care and overall health management.
Nurse Anesthetist
A nurse anesthetist is a nursing professional who provides pain medication and anesthesia to patients undergoing surgical operations. Nurse anesthetists may work at hospitals or surgical centers, and they play a critical role on the anesthesia team. Nurse anesthetists prepare patients for anesthesia, administer medication, maintain the appropriate levels of anesthesia medication throughout the operation, and help patients as they come out of anesthesia during the recovery process.
Nursing Education
Some nurses who complete their RN to BSN degree program go on to explore NSB nursing career paths in education. Some opportunities within nursing education include:
Nurse Educator
A nurse educator is an experienced nurse who relies on their own professional foundation and specialized training to offer advanced instruction to nurses working in clinical positions. A nurse educator may be responsible for:
- Overseeing a nurse internship program and helping nursing students completing their clinical requirements.
- Providing training related to new technology or a particular nursing skill.
- Offering insight into the latest research and helping nurses incorporate that research into their patient care plans.
Nurse educators may work at hospitals or in other clinical settings, or they may be employed by a third party that contracts with hospitals or clinical facilities.
Faculty Member in Nursing
A faculty member in nursing is a nursing professional who chooses to leave their clinical position to provide prospective nurses with the comprehensive and informative education that they need. Nursing faculty members work at colleges or universities that offer nursing degree programs, and they can provide nursing students with an insightful and personalized educational experience. Many faculty members in nursing prefer to teach courses related to areas of interests or specializations, as this allows them to combine their passion for nursing with their new professional endeavor.
Navigating Career Transitions
One of the most appealing aspects of the RN to BSN degree program is that nurses can balance their existing professional responsibilities with their education, allowing them to begin preparing for a career transition. After graduation, nurses may face some challenges as they begin to navigate this transition and explore the different BSN nursing career paths.
Networking Strategies for Nursing
Networking can play a powerful role in your transition to a new BSN career. While you may be aware of opportunities available at your current place of employment, networking can open entirely new possibilities that you never dreamed possible. Some of the best networking opportunities for nursing includes the following strategies:
- Join a professional nursing association. The American Nurses Association is one of the most well-known professional associations in nursing, but there are also many professional organizations related to individual specialties as well.
- Connect with classmates and faculty members throughout your RN to BSN degree program. Not only will your instructors have professional contacts within the nursing field, but most of your classmates are working nursing professionals who may be aware of exciting opportunities within their own hospitals or medical practices.
- Enroll in professional development courses and training programs. These experiences will not only allow you to expand your skill set, but they also will give you a chance to continue to build and develop your professional network.
Continuing Education for Nurses
After completing an RN to BSN degree program, you may want to continue to explore other specializations within nursing. Whether you choose to earn your MSN degree, or you are considering an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse degree, you will find that continuing education for nurses is one of the best ways to advance your career and expand your professional network.
Mentorship Programs and Resources
Mentorship programs are becoming increasingly common within the field of nursing. By participating in a mentorship program, you will relate to a nurse in your chosen specialty area who has significant professional experience. They can offer you personalized insight and advice as you navigate challenging situations within your career and work to grow as a nursing professional. Mentorship in nursing has been proven to be very successful, and many nurses find that they benefit significantly from the relationship that they develop with their nursing mentor.
Prepare for the Leading BSN Nursing Jobs at Lindenwood University
At Lindenwood University, we provide nurses with the opportunity to build upon their existing knowledge and skill set while expediting their path toward earning a BSN degree. Our RN to BSN nursing degree program allows you to earn your BSN degree within 12 to 24 months, depending on your previous collegiate and professional experience.
Request more information about our nursing degree programs today.
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