Are you interested in becoming a nurse? Are you already an LPN or RN and want to advance in your nursing career? Florida National University offers different degrees in nursing. You can choose between an ASN, BSN, or MSN degree program depending on your previous education and career goals.
What are the Different Levels of Nursing Degrees?
Florida National University offers three levels of nursing degrees. They include the Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN), Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), and Master of Science in Nursing (MSN).
Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN)
This program prepares graduates for an entry-level registered nursing position. Many nursing students start with an ASN degree because it is, shorter and the credits frequently transfer into a BSN degree program. There are many benefits to completing an ASN program. They include:
A Quick Start
The ASN degree prepares you to become an RN in two years. It allows you to learn about nursing while laying a solid foundation for a life-long career.
Demand for RNs
There is a demand for RNs in the healthcare industry. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the projected growth of RNs is 6 percent through 2032. With baby boomers living longer and needing late-stage healthcare, The United States needs more RNs to support the growing population and their healthcare needs.
Transfer Credits
Some courses you complete in an ASN degree program are prerequisites for the BSN degree. By completing an ASN, you can start working as a nurse and have credits to transfer if you decide to further your education through a BSN program.
Nursing Skills Learned
The ASN degree program offers basic to intermediate-level coursework to become an entry-level RN. These courses include:
Fundamentals of Nursing – introduces the history and practice of nursing, focusing on assessing basic human needs, critical thinking, management care, and being a member of the nursing profession.
Adult Health Assessment introduces evidence-based practice and the health wellness continuum; this course includes laboratory sessions to advance classroom theory, with supervised practice of physical assessment techniques.
Psychiatric Nursing focuses on primary mental health concepts, client advocacy, continuity of care, and therapeutic communication skills.
Pediatric Nursing is a course that focuses on children and their families with topics like physiology, psychology, development, and socio-cultural needs.
Community Health Nursing provides a review of the role of the community in healthcare, health resources, environmental and occupational health, management of communication, and crisis prevention.
Preparation for the NCLEX-RN Exam
To become a licensed RN, you must pass the NCLEX-RN exam. The ASN degree program at Florida National University prepares you with the information you will need to take the NCLEX-RN exam.
Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)
The next level of nursing degree offered at Florida National University is the BSN degree. There are many benefits to you, as a nurse, to obtain your BSN degree. These benefits include:
A Hiring Advantage
In a competitive workplace, nurses with BSN degrees are more likely to catch a recruiter’s attention during hiring due to their advanced training. With LPNs and RNs applying for the same roles, an RN with a Bachelor’s degree has an advantage in hiring.
Career Advancement Opportunities
A BSN degree improves nurses’ job prospects and opens new career advancement opportunities. Those with BSN degrees are prepared for leadership roles and medical specialties. Moreover, some RN certifications require a BSN degree.
Increased Autonomy
Nurses with BSN degrees may gain greater autonomy over crucial decisions in patient care. The BSN degree prepares you to accept a broader range of responsibilities, allowing you to make swift decisions that can help improve patient satisfaction and reduce mortality rates.
Attaining Magnet Status
Some hospitals prefer to hire nurses with a BSN degree to achieve Magnet status. The American Nurses Credentialing Center gives this status to hospitals for nursing excellence, innovation, and quality patient outcomes.
Advanced Skills
Graduating from a BSN degree program allows you to take courses that offer advanced skills to achieve greater responsibility and improve patient care. These advanced courses include:
Pathophysiology focuses on the adaptive responses of cells, tissues, organs, and systems in pathogenesis, clinical manifestations, and nursing management of common diseases.
Pharmacology covers the basic principles of therapeutic pharmacology. It focuses on pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, pharmacotherapeutics, and the nurse’s role in drug therapy.
Maternity and Newborn Nursing covers the nurse’s role as a care provider to the childbearing family during the antenatal, intra-partal, post-partal, and neonatal periods.
Crisis Intervention covers how the nurse can aid the individual and family in crisis. The course focuses on theory, techniques, recognition, and crisis intervention.
Community Nursing – nursing skills for managing care of diverse communities and populations in a multicultural environment.
Nursing Leadership and Management focuses on healthcare leadership principles, including patient care, delivery systems, personnel management and finance, and ethical, legal, and regulatory requirements.
Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)
The Master of Science in Nursing degree builds upon the Baccalaureate Nursing Degree. With an MSN degree, you can take advantage of certain benefits in your career. These benefits include:
Taking on Additional Responsibility
With more knowledge comes additional responsibility. With an MSN degree, you may train nursing staff, collaborate with physicians, and ensure a high standard of care for positive patient health outcomes. Some graduates may take on roles as charge nurses or nurse managers.
Charge Nurse – oversees the operations of a nursing unit. They guide and support nursing staff and ensure they adhere to workplace protocols and procedures. Charge nurses act as liaisons between nurses and doctors. They may oversee shift changes, unit schedules, and staffing plans.
Nurse Manager – a licensed nurse in an upper management position. They handle staffing issues like hiring and amending schedules, supervise nursing personnel, train and discipline staff, oversee the effectiveness of the operations, and ensure that the unit aligns with the strategic roles of the medical facility.
More Job Opportunities
Advanced practice nurses are in demand. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics projects the growth of advanced practice nurses at 38 percent through 2032. With an MSN Nurse Practitioner degree, nurses can apply for roles like nurse anesthetists, nurse midwives, and nurse practitioners to support a role between nurses and physicians.
Nurse Anesthetists – administers anesthesia and provides care throughout the surgical process. They provide pain management and some emergency services. They monitor the patient’s vital signs during a surgical procedure and adjust anesthesia as needed.
Nurse Midwives – provide care to women, including gynecological exams, family planning, and prenatal care. They deliver babies and assist physicians during cesarean births.
Nurse Practitioner – deliver advanced nursing services to patients and their families. They will assess patients, determine the best action, and educate patients on proper preventative health and health promotion strategies.
Potential for Leadership Roles
Many employers hire nurses with MSN degrees to lead nursing teams and work as administrators and managers.
Become a Nursing Instructor
Graduates of the MSN degree can give back to nursing students by becoming a nurse educator at local colleges and universities.
Gain More Knowledge
During the MSN program at Florida National University, you will gain advanced knowledge and skills in nursing in many essential courses. Some of these courses include:
Advanced Pathophysiology – This course focuses on the head and neck, muscular-skeletal, pulmonary, cardiovascular, hematologic, and dermatologic systems and their interaction with other body systems. Students analyze data, clinical disease states, and nursing processes.
Nursing Research – Students learn various approaches to research and data analysis for decision-making.
Health Care Policy – This course provides nursing leaders with knowledge of health policy, finance, and legislation in healthcare.
Health Care Informatics – This course focuses on technological advancement in healthcare.
Learning about healthcare informatics helps nursing leaders enhance care for patients and better coordinate effective care.
Eager to Learn More?
The Associate of Science in Nursing program at Florida National University aims to provide quality nursing education to a culturally, socially, and ethnically diverse community. The program achieves this mission by preparing the graduates for employment at entry-level registered nursing positions.
This Bachelor of Science (BSN) program aims to enhance the education of RN graduates and provide professional growth. The students will be prepared in health assessment, nursing theories and concepts, research, leadership, informatics, and health promotion across various healthcare settings.
The MSN graduate degree program is designed to build upon the student’s baccalaureate nursing education and professional experience. This program prepares professional nurses with a wide range of educational experiences to acquire essential evidence-based knowledge and the necessary skills to provide patient services at an advanced level.
Let Florida National University answer any questions if you are interested in nursing programs. Contact us today to learn more about our Nursing programs.
