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Many people are not conversant with diverse types of nursing qualifications. Nurses may be having one of the several types of academic credentials that include Registered Nurse (RN), Licensed Practical Nurse, Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), Master of Nursing, and Doctor of Nursing Practice, among others. RN and BSN are the most common types of nurses with whom people interact on a daily basis. Since learning is a continued exercise, an RN can pursue education to become a BSN, a master prepared nurse, and even a doctorally prepared nurse. The current paper examines the differences between RN and BSN prepared nurses and provides my expectations concerning becoming a BSN.
Differences between an RN and BSN
First, the main difference between an RN and BSN relates to the education requirements. For a nurse to become an RN, there are two direct fundamental levels of academic preparation, namely a BSN and an Associate of Science in Nursing. As such, an RN is required to pursue at least a 21-month course in the Associate of Science degree in nursing. After the completion of the fundamental educational preparation, nurses are required to undertake a test called the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) for them to become RNs. On the other hand, a BSN prepared nurse is a nurse who has undertaken a four-year degree in the Bachelor of Nursing (Mellor & Greenhill, 2013). Therefore, in terms of education preparedness, a BSN prepared nurse is better equipped to treat patients as compared to an RN. As such, the main difference between the two degrees concerns the time spent on education preparedness for a nurse to become either an RN or a nurse with a BSN.
Another difference concerns job types and registration. A nurse can go straight to the labor market as an RN after passing an accredited training program for nurses and the examination. On the other hand, a BSN prepared nurse can be a nurse who has pursued a degree in nursing but has not registered. Therefore, an RN tends to be more equipped in terms of technical skills to handle patients as compared to nurses having a Bachelor of Nursing degree. Furthermore, RNs can join the labor market at an entry level and rise to management positions after gaining experience while a nurse with a Bachelor of Science degree nurse can join the labor market at a management level.
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Anticipation of Being a BSN
Currently, I am an RN with an associated degree in nursing and having successfully passed the National Council Licensing Examination for Registered Nurses. However, I wish to study further by enrolling in a BSN program, which will advance and strengthen my skills to prepare me for more challenging tasks in the nursing practice. I understand that the transitioning will not be easy, taking into consideration that I will be working and, at the same time, obtaining the bachelor’s degree in nursing, which may last for several years. I strongly believe that the program will equip me with the necessary knowledge that will allow me to be a better nurse capable of handling more challenging tasks (Shea, 2015). In particular, pursuing a degree of BSN will equip me with leadership skills that will complement the hands-on skills acquired from the Associate degree in nursing.
My expectations are that by moving from being an RN to becoming a BSN, I will have an in-depth insight as a practicing nurse. The curriculum will help me to comprehend the “Why” in nursing as opposed the current knowledge and skills I have relating to how to practice nursing. I also expect the program to cover the components of the public health, leadership skills, health assessment, and pathophysiology. Moreover, I will take optional courses such as quality and safety, alternative therapies, as well as informatics and transcultural nursing, which will help me to become more competent and efficient. Since going back to college to pursue a bachelor’s degree in nursing and working at the same time can be a daunting task to me, I am expected to be more serious with my time management skills. In addition, perusing a degree will provide me with new opportunities, such as a chance to choose between different jobs, such as a nurse educator, or an opportunity to specialize in one particular field. Thus, I strongly believe that for me to grow in the nursing profession, I need to obtain a bachelor’s degree in nursing.
I am feeling that, since it has been a while now since I left college, it might be a bit difficult for me to adjust my mindset to ensure that I get the best I can from pursuing a degree in nursing and taking into consideration that I have numerous professional and personal obligations. In addition, I feel a little bit intimidated because I will be required to take some courses online. However, some of my colleagues who are enrolled in a bachelor’s degree program have assured me that online classes are flexible and serve as a fun way of interaction between classmates and instructors (Mellor & Greenhill, 2013).
Conclusion
For nurses to become RNs, they must pursue a bachelor’s degree in nursing or at least an associate’s degree in nursing. Taking into consideration the academic credentials required for one to become an RN, it is evident that RNs with a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing are better equipped to deal with patients when compared with nurses with an associate’s degree in nursing. Following a comprehensive logic, becoming an RN is the destination and pursuing a degree in BSN is one of the routes to reach it.
