Why It’s The Right Time to Earn Your BSN
The timing has never been better to explore a career in nursing.
Particularly in the state of Florida, there is a growing and consistent need for healthcare professionals, as the market for medical need expands in correlation with the rise in patients of retirement age. If you鈥檝e been considering a career change or are about to enter a higher education program for the first time, a bachelor of science in nursing degree (BSN) may be the answer, and now is certainly the time.
What Can You Do With a BSN?
With a bachelor鈥檚 degree, you open yourself up to more opportunities and greater career growth as a nurse. Perhaps you鈥檝e already obtained an education to become a nursing assistant, LPN or RN. While these career paths are admirable, they are limited in some ways. Luckily, that education folds seamlessly into the bachelor鈥檚 program, where you鈥檒l expand on concepts learned in shorter programs and put your practical experience to greater use.
Your BSN entitles you to advance your career to Nurse Practitioner (NP) status. Nurse Practitioners perform many of the same tasks as RNs but have the ability to treat patients more independently without the supervision of a doctor. And according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, NPs earn a median annual salary of $98,190, while RNs鈥 median pay is reported at $67,490.
Why Should You Earn Your BSN Now?
Now, more than ever, nurses are in demand. The state of Florida houses the largest population of Baby Boomers in the U.S., meaning a greater number of retired individuals. As people age, their health needs and the attention they pay to their medical care grows, as the body starts to respond to a lifetime of stress and habits that affect overall health. This population requires and requests greater care, including long-term treatments and live-in or home aids. Secondly, the individuals retiring are vacating their professional roles, which of course include nursing positions.
At the same time, as more nurses become needed, more positions are becoming vacant. It is truly a nursing job-seekers market, and the best way to capitalize on such a boom in the healthcare career sector is to begin your nursing education now.
