Mississippi RN to BSN Bridge Programs
If you are ready to join the ranks of many RNs that are returning to school to earn a Bachelor’s degree, you have found the right resource to begin! At BestNursingDegree.com, we believe that a well-educated nursing workforce leads to improved health outcomes, greater respect for the profession of nursing, and is aligned with national and statewide Nursing Action Coalition goals.
We would like to see you meet your educational and career goals, so we have taken the time to help you begin. Our website provides a complete listing of all the nursing schools in Mississippi, including all of the RN to BSN programs in Mississippi. Some of the best nursing schools in MS are expanding their program offerings to include these valuable bridge programs, and we want to help you connect with the one that is right for you!
Simply browse our featured schools, requesting information from all of those that interest you, so you can have the information you need to make the best decision about furthering your nursing education.
RN to BSN Degree Nursing Programs in Mississippi
Transitioning from an (ADN) Associate Degree in Nursing or an RN diploma to a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) can be accomplished at various nursing schools in Mississippi. This can be accomplished through online courses, established brick and mortar colleges, or a combination of both.
RN to BSN nursing programs in Mississippi build upon your basic nursing knowledge by adding higher level theory, assessment, practice and leadership concepts to you curriculum. Much of the focus of an RN to BSN program is also on the role of the professional nurse in the community. Caring for all age ranges and providing nursing services in several different settings is part of the essential skill set for Bachelor’s prepared nurses.
Mississippi RN to BSN programs may include the following courses:
- Legal and medical ethic courses
- Advanced pathophysiology concepts as related to complex health issues
- Statistics as related to health problems
- Management courses for potential upward mobility
- Psychology as related to developmental matters
- Sociology as related to cultural issues
An article in the New York Times on June 23, 2012 addresses the national issue regarding the future of ADN nurses. Hospitals throughout the country are beginning to require nurses to have a BSN, or they are setting a deadline for nurses who are already employed to obtain one.
This has created an influx of RNs looking into earning a BSN, but for many nurses it also raises important questions about funding including scholarship and financial aid opportunities, as well as tuition reimbursement options. A good resource for investigating these aspects of your education can be found at the Mississippi Nursing Association website. We also offer our own Nursing Scholarship.
When a nurse with an Associate’s degree in nursing enters one of the RN to BSN programs in Mississippi, pre-requisites and experience are often figured in toward the credits required to graduate. Depending on the program selected and whether the courses are based on a quarterly or semester basis, the amount of credits needed to graduate will vary.
Choosing the right program is important. That is why we recommend requesting information from multiple schools. The more you understand the RN to BSN program specifics, the better prepared you will be to choose the best nursing schools in Mississippi to meet your needs. And remember, an educated nurse is a powerful part of the healthcare team, and we are here to help you choose the right program to reach your professional nursing goals.
Careers for the RN to BSN in Mississippi
Some companies, whether they are hospitals, doctor’s offices, clinics, home health agencies, or other types of medical facilities, prefer nurses with BSN degrees to fill nursing administrative and patient care positions. Since nurses with a BSN have two more years of higher level education than an Associate’s or diploma nurse, it is thought they are more prepared to deal with:
- The care and management of patients of different ethnic groups in a hospital or clinical situation to better deal with their cultural needs
- The care of home health and public health patients due to more courses taken in this field of nursing
- Research that leads to improvement in the field of nursing by designing and analyzing data and reporting their results to the appropriate organizations
- Intensive care patients by taking certification courses and becoming advanced clinical care nurses or other specialty nurses
- Accident and health problems encountered in companies or corporations, working as occupational health nurses
The future employment outlook for nurses throughout the United States is set forth by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), whose website provides important salary and workforce statistics for Mississippi nurses. According to the BLS, employment of registered nurses is expected to grow 26 percent from 2010 to 2020, faster than the average for all occupations (2012).
Gaining more education by transitioning from an ADN to a BSN can open up more opportunities for advancement in the nursing profession, and will likely affect your patients and peers in a positive way. Nursing schools in Mississippi are prepared to help you get the education you need that can lead to upward career mobility.
According to the Mississippi Board of Nursing (MBN), about 60 percent of Mississippi RNs work in hospitals. Other sites with a large number of RNs working include nursing homes, community and public health centers, home health agencies, and physician offices. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics finds that physician offices and home health are the fastest growing segments for RN employment (2012). Earning your Bachelor’s degree in Nursing can ensure that you are qualified and worth considering for positions within all of these healthcare settings.
Nursing Schools to Consider in Mississippi
University of Southern Mississippi (Hattiesburg) This is an online program with admissions accepted three times a year. Some clinical hours and laboratory time are required. Classes include health policy and economics; leadership and management; public health; and ethics and critical thinking.
Mississippi University for Women (Columbus): Students in the online program also have the option of attending campus classes occasionally during the semester if desired. It takes three semesters to complete the upper division nursing classes once all prerequisites have been met. Clinical components focus on community, leadership, and research, rather than direct patient care.
Delta State University (Cleveland): This online RN to BSN program accepts admissions in the summer term. Students may complete the program in one year of full-time attendance; part-time schedules are also available. Two to three days of on-campus sessions are required.
