{"id":16850,"date":"2023-01-12T09:06:04","date_gmt":"2023-01-12T15:06:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.osfhealthcare.org\/blog\/?p=16850"},"modified":"2023-01-12T09:06:04","modified_gmt":"2023-01-12T15:06:04","slug":"flexible-rn-to-bsn-programs-make-career-building-easy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/flexible-rn-to-bsn-programs-make-career-building-easy\/","title":{"rendered":"Flexible RN to BSN programs make career building easy"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Charting a health care career can have challenges, but there are more options than ever. With in-person, hybrid and online offerings that allow you to work at your pace, becoming a nurse and managing your career has never been easier.<\/p>\n<p>After you earn your associate degree, you can test to become a registered nurse (RN) and enter the workforce or stay in school and obtain your Bachelor of Science (BSN). Many nurses work for several years with their associate degree before pursuing their bachelor\u2019s.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt depends on where you are in life. I would highly encourage you to get your bachelor\u2019s and do it all at once,\u201d said Heather Bomstad, vice president and chief nursing officer at OSF HealthCare Saint Elizabeth Medical Center. \u201cBut some people want to get out and work, and it\u2019s more convenient to go to a local associate program and then go back for the bachelor. Either way, there\u2019s nothing wrong with that.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>What are the differences between an RN and BSN?<\/h2>\n<p>A Bachelor of Science in Nursing makes for well-rounded nurses, giving you a greater understanding of diseases, more insight into how to care for your patients and a better grasp on complex public health issues. It also opens the path for greater responsibility, advancement and compensation. As in other areas of education, you must obtain your bachelor\u2019s degree before pursuing other advanced degrees.<\/p>\n<div class=\"alignright cta\">\n<p>Looking to advance your career?<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.osfhealthcare.org\/sfmccon\/academics\/undergraduate\/rn-bsn\/\">&gt;Peoria<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.osfhealthcare.org\/sacn\/academics\/undergraduate\/rn-bsn\/\">&gt;Rockford<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cIt gives you more options and allows you to do more. If you want to steer your career away from direct patient care, you need a higher education,\u201d Heather said. \u201cPlus, if you have your RN and you\u2019re going back for a BSN, you\u2019ll already have the clinical experience that can help you along the journey.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Some health care positions require you to have a BSN or other advanced nursing degrees, including:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Case management<\/li>\n<li>Charge nurse<\/li>\n<li>Clinical education<\/li>\n<li>Leadership<\/li>\n<li>Quality control<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>RN vs BSN salary<\/h2>\n<p>Because a BSN opens the doors to many other non-clinical nursing roles and leadership positions, it isn\u2019t easy to gauge a BSN nurse\u2019s salary or a BSN to RN\u2019s salary. Average salaries also depend on various factors, including experience, job title and geographic location.<\/p>\n<p>According to <a href=\"https:\/\/nurse.org\/education\/how-much-do-nurses-make\/\">Nurse.org<\/a>, the average starting salary for an RN with a bachelor\u2019s degree is usually $3 to $5 an hour higher than an RN with an associate degree.<\/p>\n<p>However, these numbers must be carefully considered because they are averaged out over the country and many types of positions, both clinical and non-clinical. These variables affect starting salaries, annual salaries and access to higher-paying positions. The key point \u2013 a bachelor\u2019s degree increases your opportunities for different positions and advancements, leading to a higher salary.<\/p>\n<h2>How long do BSN nursing programs take?<\/h2>\n<p>According to Heather, you should expect it to take a couple of years, but it depends on how fast you are going and if you still have prerequisite classes to complete.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHow long it takes is hard to say. But you\u2019re still receiving a great education in a way that allows you to meet all of your needs, going fast or slow as needed,\u201d Heather said. \u201cAt OSF, we understand that everybody can\u2019t take multiple classes at a time, so we give you the option to go at your own pace.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>In-class, hybrid or online RN to BSN programs<\/h2>\n<p>There are several ways to achieve your education goals. Many community colleges and universities offer associate and advanced degrees in nursing education with different learning options. Whether you stay in school straight through to your BSN or use your RN license to practice nursing, there are many programs available to choose from.<\/p>\n<p>OSF HealthCare colleges, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.osfhealthcare.org\/sacn\/academics\/undergraduate\/rn-bsn\/\">Saint Anthony College of Nursing<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.osfhealthcare.org\/sfmccon\/academics\/undergraduate\/rn-bsn\/\">Saint Francis Medical Center College of Nursing<\/a>, have adjusted their programs to meet working nurses\u2019 busy lifestyles, offering RN to BSN online and hybrid programs.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat our two colleges are doing is fantastic. They are meeting people where they are in life, knowing that they need that flexibility and how important this is,\u201d Heather said. \u201cOur hybrid program offers a combination of online and in-class instruction. And if you want more time with your peers, we have satellite spots once a month where you can work as a group.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>To be sure you are getting the best possible training, you should attend a school accredited by the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aacnnursing.org\/CCNE-Accreditation\/CCNE-Accredited-Programs\">Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>BSN nursing financial aid<\/h2>\n<p>Most health care organizations offer tuition assistance, and you can look for local scholarships and state and federal assistance programs.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOSF HealthCare offers an education assistance program for its employees. They don\u2019t owe us money back, but there is a work commitment once completed,\u201d Heather said. \u201cYou can also search online for all kinds of scholarships.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Charting a health care career can have challenges, but there are more options than ever. With in-person, hybrid and online offerings that allow you to work at your pace, becoming a nurse and managing your career has never been easier. After you earn your associate degree, you can test to become a registered nurse (RN) [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":16940,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"no","footnotes":""},"categories":[129],"tags":[1111,1110],"coauthors":[687],"class_list":["post-16850","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-miscellaneous","tag-nursing-program","tag-rn-to-bsn"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Flexible RN to BSN programs make career building easy<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Looking to advance your career? 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