Accelerated BSN Programs – Missouri Nursing Schools
As the nation experiences unprecedented changes to the health care system, educated nurses are more important than ever. This is true in Missouri, where many communities lack access to proper medical care. Students who want to become nurses and provide care to people in their community can do so by earning an accelerated BSN in Missouri.
Accelerated BSN programs, also called second degree or fast track BSN programs, are designed for students that already have a degree in another field. Your prior schooling cuts down your in-school time to as little as 12-18 months. This is due to the fact that you have likely already earned several of the general and prerequisite courses needed to earn a Bachelor’s degree in Nursing.
To learn about all of the options you have in Missouri for earning your Accelerated BSN, simply click on the schools below. You can submit as many requests for information as you need, in order to find out more about both online and ground based programs. The more information you have, the better prepared you can be to make the best decision about your education.
Accelerated BSN Curriculum in Missouri
One of the benefits of a BSN degree over an ADN degree is the variety of jobs you can have. Right now, Missouri is struggling with a nursing provider shortage. One of the proposed solutions is giving more responsibility to nurses. However, nurses will have to be educated and prepared to take on the extra responsibility. Earning your Bachelor’s degree in Nursing can help to meet these requirements.
The first part of your Missouri nursing program is geared to educate you on all of the nursing techniques and skills you need to know. Your coursework will include basic classes, like pharmacology and anatomy, in addition to more difficult classes. Your upper level nursing classes are intended to provide you with the skills needed for an extra degree of responsibility and leadership befitting of a Baccalaureate prepared Registered Nurse. Some courses that are common in most Accelerated BSN programs include:
- Nursing Assessment and Care Planning
- Nurse Leadership
- Population Based Nursing
- Evidence Based Practice and Nursing Research
- Advanced Health Assessment
- Family Based Nursing
- End of Life Issues
All of the skills and techniques you learn in the first part of your nursing program prepare you for the very important second part of the curriculum: clinical rotations. In clinical practice, your skills in assessing, treating, and communicating with patients will be tested in a variety of settings. One of the biggest benefits at this level is gaining experience in several different types of nursing jobs. This can help you choose which type of nursing job you want to find after you become licensed as a nurse.
Nursing Career Outlook in Missouri
With large nursing employers like Kindred Healthcare, Delmar Gardens, Allied Medical, and LHC Group in Missouri, there are several nursing jobs in Missouri for new graduates. In fact, the nursing field is growing rapidly in Missouri, with O*Net predicting an 18% increase in available nursing jobs between 2010 and 2020, averaging out to 2,450 new nursing jobs per year.
Missouri nurses can also earn a salary with room for upward growth. The median salary in Missouri is $55,500 (O*Net, 2012). The range of salaries goes from $39,700 per year to $77,300 per year (O*Net, 2012).
Nursing Licensing Considerations in Missouri
After you have graduated from an accredited nursing program in Missouri, you can go to the Missouri Board of Nursing website to apply to take the NCLEX-RN exam. Upon passing the exam, you will then be able to apply for your Missouri nursing license. Missouri is part of the Nursing Licensure Compact, so your Missouri nursing license can be used to practice in other compact states. After you earn your nursing license, it will have to be renewed every two years. In Missouri, veterans can get reimbursed for their licensing and examination fees.
Becoming a licensed registered nurse in Missouri allows you to join the Missouri Nurses Association. This association brings together nurses from all over Missouri to participate in Nurse Advocacy Day, leadership academies, and ongoing education requirements. This association also helps nurses keep up with new nursing legislation.
