A Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing: Caring for the Sick and Those In Need

In United States alone, there are about 3 million nurses working in hospitals, private and public clinics, health care centers, industries, the Air Force and Army, and in educational centers.

Around the globe, more and more nurses fill up applications to the growing number of jobs being offered in public and private health institutions, offices and hospitals.

The population grows older while the health threshold decreases, many people need medical attention. The increase of patients suffering from lifestyle diseases also increases, thus, the need for more nurses attending to these patients all over the globe.

Nurses may be most visible at the hospital bedside or in the doctor’s office, but this fast-growing community of more than 2.7 million workers is rapidly expanding into a host of specialized jobs ranging from elder care to oncology. While many RNs work in hospitals or physicians’ offices treating and educating patients, explaining prescriptions and procedures, administering medication, or managing medical records, more are finding jobs in public health, home care, or alternate care settings such as rehabilitation centers, schools or businesses.

The average salary of nurses ranges from US $15,000 to US $150,000 per year depending on the education, certification, location, and type of employer. Full-time registered and staff nurses receive about US $60,000 per year.

The Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) get the highest earnings among all employed nurses with an annual salary of US$154,221.

Also, those who work in oil extraction and high risk environments usually get higher salaries than those working in regular clinics and hospitals.

How to Become A Nurse?

A Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree (BSN) is being offered in United States and Canada and several countries in Asia and Europe. It is a four-degree course with license eligibility.

Bachelor of Science in Nursing programs prepare students in nursing science, physical therapy, pharmacy, research, leadership and medical technology. Courses in humanities, mathematics, management and social sciences are also required in the program.

The University of Pennsylvania is one of the best nursing schools in United States. Others include University of Washington, Harvard University, Johns Hopkins University, Yale, Stanford, University of Oxford and Cambridge in United Kingdom, the Imperial College of London, also in United Kingdom, University of Toronto in Canada, Mount Royal University in Alberta, Canada, University of British-Columbia (Canada), University of Tokyo in Asia, Seoul University and ST. Luke’s College of Nursing at the Trinity University of Asia in the Philippines.

Here is the sample curriculum for Nursing programs students at the Pennsylvania State University:

1. First Year – biological based chemistry, cellular biology, microbiology, and the nature of nursing practice.
2. Second Year – integrated anatomy, physiology and physical assessment, psychological and social diversity in health and wellness.
3. Third Year – pediatric and mental health, health care ethics, inquiry and measurement in Nursing
4. Fourth Year – community Nursing, Nursing case study, sector requirement, leadership in complex systems, researched-based service residency and free elective

There are also available scholarship programs from various organizations, hospital and school intended for those who want to pursue their careers as full-pledged nurses. For example, Yale New Haven Hospital usually gives US $1,500 per year to minority students pursuing a bachelor’s degree in nursing or allied health professions.