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Your Nursing Journey: Finding the Path That Fits

Explore the two main paths to becoming a registered nurse, ADN or BSN, and discover which nursing degree best fits your career goals and future plans.

Choosing a career in healthcare is an honourable career, and you do not need to be a surgeon or cardiologist to make a difference. Registered nurses form the backbone of the healthcare industry.

By 2023, there will be a predicted shortage of 63,000 nurses, making a career in nursing not just a moral one, but a necessary one. But how does one become a registered nurse?

There are two main ways of getting an RN qualification: the two-year Associate Degree program and the four-year Bachelor of Science program. Which one would be right for you?

Health is shaped by the choices we make. Great choices lead to great health. What we eat, how much we eat, and how much we exercise impact our health. But we can’t do it alone.

Healthcare professionals form a vital backbone in our health choices, and this is where a career in nursing forms a supportive base in how we look not just after our own health, but in the health of others.

Choosing nursing as a career is a great and noble path, but there’s more than one way. Both paths lead up the mountain and the destination of the qualification of registered nurse, but the journeys and opportunities can look quite different.

Different Paths, One Goal: Becoming an RN

In order to become a registered nurse, there are two paths one can follow: an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). The differences between ADN and BSN qualifications are quite broad, and everyone considering this career path needs to figure out which one fits their goals, personality, and circumstances.

The end result of each program is to sit for the NCLEX-RN exam and become a registered nurse, so your business card will look the same. However, there will be a difference on your CV.

ADN (Associate Degree in Nursing)

The Associate Degree in Nursing is the shorter path. This is a two-year qualification and is typically offered at community colleges. These programs focus on core skills and entry-level clinical practice.

These programs are much more accessible to the community and are arguably an ‘easier’ way to get the nursing qualifications. While still academically rigorous, it does not have the workload of the BSN.

This is the ideal option if you do not have the luxury of time or if you want to explore more options before making a massive financial and time commitment.

The ADN programme can also be seen as a stepping stone to fast-track your career. It is common to work a few years after your ADN to get experience, and to then enrol in an RN-to-BSN program.

These can often be done online. This way, students get the best of both worlds: stepping into the job market quicker while keeping the door for advanced options open.

BSN (Bachelor of Science in Nursing)

This qualification is a four-year degree offered at universities. It covers the same content as the associate degree but goes into much deeper training in fields like leadership, research, public health, and advanced clinical practice.

The BSN offers graduates a career path to get out of the clinic and into management. This opens doors to higher-paid jobs down the line, as well as graduate-level study opportunities like nurse practitioner programs.

This option is perfect if you know nursing is your calling and you have the time to commit to four years at a university.

BSN graduates have a competitive edge in today’s job market. Hospitals seeking Magnet status, for instance, often require a large proportion of their nursing staff to hold bachelor’s degrees.

A BSN also gives you flexibility to specialise in areas such as paediatrics, oncology, or public health nursing; roles that are less accessible with only an ADN.

Is a Nursing Career Future-Proof?

This is arguably the topical question of our time. AI is taking over the world, and prompt engineers can make tech do amazing things. But ChatGPT cannot insert an IV line or dress a wound.

Healthcare is getting a massive boost from AI, but at the end of the day, hands-on careers are some of the most future-proof options one can follow. Nursing is no different.

In fact, a shortage of nearly 64,000 nurses is expected by 2030.  All indications are that a career as a registered nurse is one that can be long and fulfilling, and will stand you in good stead for decades to come.

Choosing the Right Path Towards Your Future

At the end of the day, both ADN and BSN graduates become registered nurses ready to make a difference.

The choice comes down to time, resources, and career goals. Whether you want to start working sooner or aim for leadership later, nursing remains a rewarding, resilient profession.

The bottom line is that the AND path is shorter, quicker, and cheaper, but limits career options, while the BSN is more of a time and financial commitment, but broadens career options.

Photo credit

Photo by Antoni Shkraba Studio.

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