In order to practice as a nurse in the United States of America, a person needs to hold a Registered Nursing certificate. In order to become a Registered Nurse, the minimum requirements for medical practice within a state must be met. This kind of qualification is usually the first step that a prospective nurse takes toward working in the field.

Nursing is not, however, a dead-end job. It has an immensely diverse set of career progression paths. For the beginning, they may need to take Licensed practical Nurse Programs in Florida, for instance, if that is where they are placed. Nurses can then specialize in managerial, technical, or medical roles and reach the very highest levels of seniority at a hospital. These progressions in a career often require that a nurse has taken a specialist postgraduate degree. Before specializing, nurses need to convert their Registered Nursing certificate into a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree at a university-level educational organization. This article is a brief guide to the differences between the RN and BSN qualifications and why they are so important.

Fundamental Differences

There are some fundamental differences between the levels of training RN and BSN accreditation provide. Firstly, it is worth mentioning that while the Registered Nurse title is a licensure, the Bachelor of Science in Nursing is a degree. This means that completing an RN to BSN online does not necessarily ensure that you will get a more senior role. Instead, it provides nurses with the opportunity to demonstrate and learn far more advanced skills than if they simply passed the accreditation standards of their state.

Secondly, Bachelor of Science in Nursing degrees are far more mailable to specialization choices. Nurses that want to go into neonatal care, for instance, can tailor their studies in order to better channel themselves into that specific field.

Increasing Standards

Nurses that only hold RN qualifications are increasingly being outmoded. This is because of a steady ‘skill migration’ from doctors to specialized nursing staff within many medical organizations. Nurses are now expected to perform much more complex tasks and take on a far greater amount of responsibility in comparison to their forbears.

Furthermore, since nurses often have the most direct contact with patients, it is crucial for them to conduct themselves in a manner that aligns with the hospital’s values and standards. This is probably why, several hospitals require their staff to strictly adhere to a dress code. This includes wearing the Best Nursing Scrubs and gloves while assisting patients. This practice can be particularly important to create a positive impression on patients and offer them reassurance that they are in capable and safe hands.

That said, even the Institute of Medicine, a nationwide group responsible for reporting on medical forecasts and trends, has recognized this skill migration of nurses taking on more complex roles. In a report entitled ‘The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health’, the Institute of Medicine recommended that the Batchelor of Science in Nursing degree should be adopted as the standard qualification for all practicing nurses.

Judging by the content of this report, the BSN may soon be seen as a barrier to nursing employment by some Registered Nurses that have not taken on further education. The main difference between Registered Nurse and Bachelor of Science in Nursing qualifications is simply the breadth and depth of the skills learned. It may also soon be the case that Registered Nurses find employment hard to come by as the skill migration in hospitals continues, and nurses are expected to have more expertise in order to contribute sufficiently. If you are a nurse without a Bachelor’s degree, now might be the time to consider upgrading your education.