RN to BSN Online Degrees Becoming Mainstay at Top Universities

Thanks to the shortage of qualified nurses, it is no wonder that the position of Registered Nurse is the hottest job anticipated for the next several years. In fact, because of this shortage, many people who are earning nursing degrees can really write their own ticket to a great job. The scary part of it all is that many nursing schools are not equipped to handle the flood of new students eager to pursue a nursing degree. The reason? There is a lack of space and lack of teachers.

I, for one, am still trying to understand how this shortage came to be. Starting salaries for many RNs is pretty reasonable. The problem lies in the fact that many nursing educators are retiring and there is not enough nurses with a Bachelor of Science degree to fill the nursing educator positions. In addition, because the pay for a nursing teacher is less than what an RN could make at a hospital or doctor's office, there are steps being taken to increase the attractiveness of becoming a nursing educator. However, there is also the fact that these educators need at least a Bachelor's degree, something that many nurses do not have.

I want to give kudos to the new Chamberlain College of Nursing (formerly Deaconess College of Nursing) for stepping up to the plate and expanding their accelerated nursing programs to accommodate the many registered nurses who want to earn their Bachelor degree but simply do not have the time to travel to a brick and mortar location. Earning an online Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing offers many registered nurses a flexible, fast-track way to complete their course work. The degree program also offers a way to complete the clinical and lab portions in a local healthcare facility.

Because of their proactive approach, I envision a sharp increase of graduates in the next few years. Chamberlain College of Nursing is also looking to expand nation-wide which will really go a long way towards alleviating the shortage of nursing candidates. In fact, I think that more and more universities will follow suit in response to this growing need. Nurses provide a strong foundation which is critical to the care of many patients. I shudder to think of what will happen if this shortage is not addressed as soon as possible. With these innovative solutions for achieving a Bachelor of Science Nursing degree online, perhaps that gap in qualified nurses will close.