Nursing (B.S.) (R.N. to B.S. degree)
Southwestern's nursing program will prepare you to become a leader in health care. Small class sizes with dedicated professors mean personalized mentoring as you develop wholistic thinking, comprehensive patient assessment skills, and clinical judgment. Our nursing students have a NCLEX pass rate above the national average. You will enter the profession prepared to engage with co-workers and embrace change, optimizing patient outcomes by addressing not just the physical but all aspects of health.
Nurses participate in assisting with health promotion, disease prevention, care provision to those who are coping with illness. Nurses also provide management and leadership in a wide range of settings. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, registered nursing (RN) is one of the top occupations with increasing growth and demand.
Job Outlook
Between 2010 and 2020, the need for registered nurses is expected to increase 26 percent (Bureau of Labor Statistics). Research supports the increase in quality outcomes when nurses have a bachelor’s degree (BSN) and magnet hospitals are hiring with a goal of all BSN nurses. Opportunities for advanced practice nurses with master’s and doctoral preparation are also increasing. Advanced practice nurses will be in high demand in underserved areas such as inner cities and rural areas.
Earnings
The median salary for a BSN prepared nurse is $78,970. For a nurse with no experience, the median pay is $61,448. The median salary for a family nurse practitioner is $90,266.
Educational Qualifications
Certifications in many specialty areas are available to BSNs (such as critical care, diabetes, emergency nursing, etc.). A master’s degree is required (and a doctoral degree is preferred) to teach nursing. Advanced practice nurses are required to have a master’s or doctoral degree.
Curriculum Guide. To view general education requirements for this major, please visit the catalog.
Careers
A degree in nursing opens the door to one of the fastest growing and most-in-demand career fields. Research shows the value of nurses with bachelor’s degrees (BSN), and many hospitals are hiring with a goal of having all BSN nurses. Many of Southwestern’s graduates are in leadership and management positions, nursing education, or specialty areas. Many others enter graduate programs and become nurse practitioners, midwives, or nurse anesthetists. BSN graduates have greater opportunities for career advancement and expanded access to over 100 specialty nursing roles.
Sample Job Titles
- Nurse
- Midwife
- Nurse Anesthetist
- Nurse Practitioner
- Researcher
- Administrator
- Educator
- Therapist
- Consultant
>1 million
nursing job openings expected
between 2012 and 2022