Yes!

You may think the cheapest or fastest RN to BSN program will be the best fit. Yes, time and money matters—but there’s nothing more important than your career success.

Herzing University exists to empower your professional success and guide you as a lifelong learning partner. Earning a BSN degree with Herzing means developing career-focused skills to not only blossom as an RN with a BSN, but continue following your passion to carve a personalized, fulfilling career path.

Regulation has been deliberated for many years. There is currently only one state which has taken concrete action to make BSNs effectively mandatory for nurses – New York. Their “BSN in 10” bill, passed in January 2017, requires registered nurses holding an associate degree to earn their BSN qualification within 10 years of their initial RN licensure.

Two primary competing factors cloud the issue:

1. Hospitals are incentivized to hire more BSN-prepared nurses. Organizations seeking Magnet Recognition must require all nurse managers to hold a BSN.
2. Nurses are in very high demand. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) calls it a shortage in nursing. Raising minimum education requirements may decrease the pool of eligible employable RNs.

Because of the high demand for nurses, sweeping legislation making bachelor’s degrees mandatory across the board seems unlikely. However, make sure to keep an eye on what’s happening in your state!

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average salary for registered nurses is $94,480 per year ($45.42 per hour)*. Nurses with a bachelor’s degree tend to fall on the upper side of that average due to their advanced education and their qualification to help hospitals earn Magnet Recognition.

The BLS projects a 6% increase in need for registered nurses from 2022-2032.* RNs are in demand, and earning a BSN can help your resume stand out and give you a better chance of getting the job you really want.

The advantages of a BSN can include:

• Increased autonomy in decision making while on the job
• Open doors to more specialties in the nursing field
• Become a more attractive candidate for hospitals seeking Magnet Recognition
• Build a foundation to grow into education or leadership pathways
• Positions you better for nursing jobs with higher pay
• Qualify to enroll in an MSN program
• Become more familiar and educated with evidence-based practice opportunities
• Increase knowledge and understanding of RN specialties and skills
• Transition from “technical” to “professional” RN
• Gain a deeper knowledge of nursing theory and leadership theory

A 2022 study from the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) indicates employers have the level of education at top of mind in the hiring process. Based on responses from nursing schools, the survey revealed 69.8% of employers show a strong preference for BSN graduates.

The ultimate benefit is bettering yourself, becoming the best nurse you can be and following the career path of your choosing.

The Herzing RN to BSN program takes as few as 12 months, or 1 year, to complete. The time you spend in the program depends on your amount of transferrable credit hours.

• Graduation requirement: 120 semester credit hours
• 8 required core courses, aligned with AACN Essentials for Baccalaureate Education

BSN stands for Bachelor of Science in Nursing, a baccalaureate undergraduate nursing degree you can earn as a key step to becoming a Registered Nurse (RN), or the next educational pathway for current ADN nurses seeking career advancement.

A BSN is a step up from an associate in nursing (ADN/ASN) and can offer further job opportunities for nurses seeking a particular specialty or are looking ahead to earning a master’s degree in nursing (MSN).