Tennessee RN to BSN Bridge Programs
As healthcare continues to evolve, nursing schools in Tennessee are responding by offering new and novel ways for nurses like you to expand your education and professional reach. In the past, hospitals were designed as the focus of bedside care to patients that experienced health disruption. However, new guidelines outlined in the Affordable Care Act require RNs to be community health leaders, provide health prevention to the masses and extend their expertise beyond traditional healthcare facilities.
As discussed in a white paper by the American Association of Colleges of Nurses, RNs require more education to meet the challenges of modern healthcare complexities and are encouraged to aspire to the completion of a BSN. Although these new responsibilities may be challenging, advanced education can also present lucrative opportunities and rewards.
You can use BestNursingDegree.com to help you find the right RN to BSN programs in TN to meet your needs. You can request information from multiple nursing schools in Tennessee that offer RN to BSN tracks including those that offer online nursing programs in TN.
Distance learning programs or eLearning offers you a similar learning experiences as those in a classroom setting, but with the added flexibility of doing classwork on your own time. You may also be able to complete clinical requirements at a location nearby, as a result of partnerships between Tennessee nursing schools and healthcare facilities. Request information from as many Tennessee nursing programs as you need to make a well informed decision.
Curriculum of RN to BSN Programs in Tennessee
An Associate’s Degree in Nursing prepares nurses for acute care in a hospital or facility setting, but does not provide in-depth information into patient-centered care and community-based health. Nursing schools in Tennessee that offer RN to BSN programs can help bridge the gap between entry level and advanced education in nursing. As you assume a higher level of nursing care in Tennessee, advanced education can prepare you for new opportunities that support your endeavors and provide a smooth transition for the diversification of your practice. The RN to BSN programs in TN present a curriculum that is designed to increase your existing knowledge with courses such as:
- Foundations of nursing practice introduces the delivery of healthcare in a community-based perspective and provides cases that increase critical thinking skills and strategies
- Healthcare assessment throughout the lifespan prepares nurses to incorporate primary and secondary health prevention strategies to all ages of patients, families and communities
- Advanced pathophysiology studies the etiology, clinical findings and treatment of selected diseases
- Pharmacology for nurses provides current information on new generation medications and the interventions applied to specific diseases
- Ethics in nursing assist the practitioner in defining complex dilemmas with advocacy strategies and nursing decision making objectives
- Psychiatric nursing is an advanced class that defines mental health in the community and provides education to families and caregivers
- Nursing leadership defines professionalism and prepares nurses for management positions, administrative roles and organizational strategies
Careers for RN to BSN Graduates in Tennessee
If you are advancing your career to increase practice at the bedside, your patients and their families can gain positive results from your advanced nursing knowledge and skill. Opportunities may also be available in specialty and certification areas of care that are designated for the BSN graduate. As an advanced RN, you may take advantage of lucrative areas of nursing such as:
- Nurses who hold a BSN in the armed forces may specialize in numerous areas and receive officer status, excellent benefits and advanced educational opportunities
- Opportunities also exist in physician specialty areas and private practice such as cosmetic surgery, internal medicine and gynecology
- Magnet hospitals prefer BSN nurses to provide a high level of care to patients, increase satisfaction of care and maintain their magnet rating
As a BSN graduate from a Tennessee nursing school, you may be provided with the support for numerous opportunities and challenges of a changing career. Tennessee healthcare facility employers highly desire the RN with an advanced degree and recognize your dedication to your field of expertise.
Career Outlook for BSN Prepared Nurses in TN
According to the Tennessee Board of Nursing, about 79,025 RNs hold Tennessee licenses. And as in so many other states, Tennessee RNs have a lot to think about when it comes to education and career options. The Tennessee Center for Nursing says 800,000 more RNs will be needed in the U.S. by 2020, and that Tennessee is expected to have the most severe shortage of 16 southern states. While the RN shortage in the U.S. overall will be 30 percent by 2020, Tennessee will be short nearly 50 percent of needed RNs. Tennessee nurses earn $56,730 a year as a median salary, reports the BLS (2013), and this figure may be higher if you earn your BSN.
The Tennessee Center for Nursing also cites a critical need for funding and faculty for nursing schools in TN. Take a look at some of the programs available to Tennessee nurses to learn how you can expand your education and promote your profession at the same time.
Tennessee Nursing Programs to Consider:
- Austin Peay State University (Clarksville). Most of the nursing classes in Austin Peay’s RN to BSN program can be completed online. A full-time student may complete them in three semesters; part-time study is also possible. Clinical time for the courses on community and public health nursing, and clinical integration may be individualized and self-paced.
- Baptist Memorial College of Health Sciences (Memphis). Course offerings for the RN to BSN degree are flexible. Classes are provided through a hybrid model that includes online options. A full-time student may complete nursing classes in 12 months, but the curriculum can be stretched to two years according to a student’s needs. One lab and two clinical courses are required.
- Tennessee State University (Nashville). TSU’s career mobility RN to BSN program may be completed in 12 months. Flexible classes are offered in a variety of formats including online, traditional classroom, live video, and web-enhancement. Transfer and experiential credit is awarded, but 30 hours of nursing credits must be taken at TSU.
