Finding Your Perfect School Starts Here!
Step 1
Please answer the question below so that we can help you find your ideal school.
More Ohio Nurses Earning Bachelor's Degrees
By Catherine Groux
Posted July 17, 2012 02:54 PM
More RNs are choosing to go back to school and earn a bachelor's degree.As healthcare becomes increasingly complex, the National Advisory Council on Nursing Education and Practice recommends that at least two-thirds of registered nurses (RNs) earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN).
One state that has been encouraging more RNs to earn bachelor's degrees is Ohio. Last year, about 7,780 students earned BSN degrees, up from 1,686 in 2008, The Columbus Dispatch reports. Additionally, schools like Ohio State University and Mount Carmel College of Nursing have more students enrolled in their BSN programs this year than last year.
A big reason for this drastic increase is that more employers are demanding that their RNs either have a BSN upon employment or earn this credential a certain number of years after receiving a job. Additionally, some Ohio hospitals are offering to reimburse tuition for students who go back to school, the Dispatch states.
These two factors are also nudging nurses across the country to earn a bachelor's degree. According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, in 1980, only 22% of nurses held a BSN. By 2008, this figure rose to 36.8%.
