Are you an RN weighing your options in regard to a move forward with your career? Are you considering returning to school to advance that path that you are already on? If so, I imagine you are reviewing copious amounts of information and even statistics to determine if achieving a BSN will actually make a difference in your earning potential and your possibilities for advancement. As you probably have learned, there are many types of nursing careers out there. Let’s talk about why you might make the investment to return to school and build on your options.
One reason people choose to achieve a BSN is to go deeper in a particular subject or specialization. With a bachelor’s of science in nursing it is much easier to choose a focus in the medical field. For example, you can get a specialized certificate that will allow you to work within geriatrics or infant intensive care. Another reason RNs choose to return to school to achieve a BSN is to gain leadership and managerial skills that can place them in roles of facilitation, administration, and management. Another notable reason RNs choose to return to school is the fact that it is becoming more apparent that employers are increasingly interested in working with nurses who have their BSN verses their associates degree holding counterparts. In this article we will look a little closer at some of the benefits of taking this next step in your career. You probably know by now that you can become a nurse with a variety of degrees, and you also do have many options if you are holding an associate’s degree. There are so many ways to move up the ladder, however, and we will discuss some of that here. Some of this includes learning about the different types of nurses and their descriptions, and what education you might need to achieve some of those goals.
As I’m sure you can imagine, many of the salaries for these positions have quite a range, but we will give you a sense of what nursing careers a BSN can offer and the salary scope that aligns with the position.
Types of Nurses and Salaries
Nurse Midwife – Their average salary is upwards of $98,000. These nurses have studied how to bring babies into the world following a long lineage of primarily women that utilize a synthesis of science based medical practice and folk wisdom.
Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner – Their average Salary is above $102,000. It probably comes as no surprise, but working in the mental health field can be one of the most challenging professions. The pay reflects the fact that this is not an easy job. Many nurses have a passion for supporting patients to improve their mental health and wellness, and they are the perfect candidates to pursue a BSN with a public health or mental health certificate.
Critical Care Nurse – Generally they make beyond $80,000. Critical Care Nurses primarily work in the Intensive Care Unit. They have a great deal of pressure to contend with and have to often make quick decisions and stay on their toes–pun intended. In some cases, these nurses are the most likely to be saving lives on a daily basis.
Gerontological Nurse – They can make more than $89,000. These are the nurses that take care of our elders. They are the ones you pray are good to your aging parents and grandparents. These nurses generally have a spirit of service and a love for elders that brings them to this specialization.
Nursing Administrator – They can make mid-career beyond $86,000. BSN holding nurses may want to get into positions of administration rather than in operating rooms and in direct relation to patient care. Nurse administrators are a critical part of the executive medical team. They work to handle administrative issues that can be challenging to say the least.
Nursing Career Options
As you probably already know there are many different types of nursing careers out there, and many that can be accomplished with a bachelor’s degree. The list we provided covers just a few options, but know there are many others. As you can see, they primarily make a lot more money than their associate’s degree holding peers.
There are several ways to move forward with this career advancing step and achieve your BSN. You can attend a local college if you are a student who prefers to work with faculty and students face-to-face, though many people prefer to take an online RN to BSN program instead. This choice comes with a lot more flexibility. Many students continue on this path to get advanced degrees beyond a BSN, as a way to have even more leadership possibilities.