What opportunities do you have for a bachelors degree in nursing as a registered nurse?
Asked by Christy
I'm contemplating the associates vs. the bachelors degree for a registered nurse. So I take it the pay is the same and that spending the extra time/money on the bachelors degree isn't necessarily worth it? Well, what exactly does a RN Management position entail and can you work up to that position after being an RN w/ an associates... how long will it take to move up?

Best Answer:
The BSN will open up management / administrative / educational / case management / public health positions and other opportunities. In most places you can not be a Public Health nurse without a BSN. Public Health nurses can operate in a variety of ways, working for your local county or state or agency, assessing at-risk populations and visiting them in their homes, offering assistance and referrals for services in your area. Management could be in a hospital,nursing home, clinic, overseeing all the RNs and support staff (CNAs, unit coordinators, etc.) for a particular unit, doing the hiring, arranging training, discipline, budget, working with the higher administration of the hospital or clinic or nursing home. You will usually need several years of work experience as an RN doing patient care, then a few more years in a supervisory position like "charge RN" before getting into management. It's not entirely impossible to work your way into management with only an ADN degree, but it is definitely harder. Some rural areas or other areas with nursing shortages might be more accepting of ADN RNs with a lot of experience, but in most major metropolitan areas, in order to be competative you must hold a BSN, sometimes even an MSN. You could focus on education, and work as an educator on a hospital unit, training new orientees and managing their annual mandatory education and CEUs. You could be a clinical instructor for nursing students in an ADN program. Case management is working with a population of patients and sort of overseeing and managing their care and coordinating various services they might need, such as social work, physical therapy, out-patient resources, etc. They are also called "care coordinators" in some settings. The BSN might not be very "necessary" in your early career as you start out doing patient care, but if you want to move beyond patient care, the BSN is wise. You can do the ADN first and complete an RN to BSN program later, you might even have an employer pay for it, since many offer tuition assistance as part of their benefits package.
RN, BSN (did the ADN first)
Answered by Jill

If you have a degree - or any alternative qualification - then you'll already be in advace of of the crowd when it comes to looking for professions. My mate has a degree and he wasn't certain what direction to go with it, but he found some excellent instruction on the website in the resource box below which guided him to settle that he wanted to be a lab assistant. There is loads of assistance on the website regarding alternative professions.
Answered by Roger

Jill is correct. I would say go for associate degree first, just to get in the door. Then you can attend class online for the BSN portion, which can take about a year or so since you would be an RN. It depends on the program you go into.
Answered by ms.marie