5 Advantages of Earning Your RN to BSN Degree Online

When you need to choose between a traditional RN to BSN program and an online program, you should always consider the advantages of earning your RN to BSN degree online. RN to BSN degree programs make it easier for professional nurses to finish their degrees without taking time away from their current jobs.

1. Core Curriculum Helps You Advance

One of the advantages of earning your RN to BSN degree online is that you’ll take classes within the college’s core curriculum that help you advance further in your career. Your college might offer classes in critical care, oncology or another field of nursing. Taking those classes will help you sit for the qualification exam that lets you work in a specialized nursing field. BSN programs often include courses on management and leadership, which are important for those interested in executive nursing jobs.

2. Gain Nursing Experience Before You Graduate

A traditional RN program will give you plenty of experience working with patients during your clinical rotations. When you pass the national license exam and work as a registered nurse though, you may not want to take time off from work just to finish your BSN. Online programs let you keep working your current schedule. Instead of taking time off to do a clinical rotation or attend class, you can meet all your course requirements when you get home from the hospital or on a day off from work.

3. Experience More Flexibility

Another of the advantages of earning your RN to BSN degree online is flexibility. With a traditional RN to BSN program, you must take at least one class every semester. That means spending at least three hours every week in a lecture hall or a classroom. Skipping class because of an emergency at work may cause the professor to lower your grade. Online RN to BSN programs give you the flexibility to complete work around your own nursing schedule. If the program requires any type of fieldwork, the college will usually help you find an experience you can do in your own city.

4. Finish Your Degree Faster

As a full-time nursing student, it will usually take four years to complete a BSN program. If you already have your RN license or an RN degree, you can reduce that time to around two years. Many of the credits that you earned at the associate’s level will transfer over and cover some of your electives and required nursing classes. The college will then give you a list of the classes you still need to take. You may find that you can finish an online program in just 12 to 18 months instead of a full two years.

5. Interact More With Professors and Peers

As you look over the advantages of earning your RN to BSN degree online, keep in mind that these programs allow for more interaction between you and the professors leading your classes and the peers in those classes. Peterson’s points out that online classes let you communicate via the message board in your class and through emails or private messages. If you are shy or soft spoken, you may find that online classes let you voice your opinion and interact with more people than you would in a traditional nursing class.

As the future of nursing changes, more hospitals and facilities may require that nurses have a BSN degree before working full time. As you compare traditional programs to online programs, look at some of the biggest advantages of earning your RN to BSN degree online.