Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) Overview

For the first time ever, more than 70% of U.S. nurses have a bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) degree or higher, according to the 2022 National Nursing Workforce Survey. And more than half of nurses enter the workforce with a BSN degree.

Many healthcare employers prefer or even require registered nurses (RNs) to have a BSN to practice in an ever-more complex healthcare system.

Discover the different types of BSN programs, including RN-to-BSN bridge programs, nursing license requirements, and careers after graduation.

Source: NCES and Payscale

A BSN program covers the foundations of nursing. Some common courses include (but are not limited to):

Your nursing classes will be paired with labs and clinical rotations, which add hands-on practice through lab simulation and similar activities.

You have different pathways for obtaining your BSN. For example, if you’re in an RN-to-BSN bridge program, your classes will focus on advanced health assessment, leadership, and evidence-based practice. Students in this program are RNs and have already earned their associate degrees in nursing (ADNs) or a similar credential, meaning classes in this bridge program will build on previous course credits.

Accelerated BSN programs are intensive but can be completed in as little as one year. (Check to ensure every program you take is properly accredited, so that credits can easily transfer between institutions.) Finally, graduate-level programs like the master of science in nursing (MSN) degree also typically require a BSN as a condition of enrollment.

Program length, format, and admission requirements will also vary by nursing program type.

Your personal financial situation, time constraints, and family obligations may impact your decision to pursue a four-year degree. Consider the pros and cons of pursuing a bachelor’s degree in nursing:

A BSN program features a mix of lectures, coursework, lab simulations, and clinical rotations.

Examples of the core BSN courses include:

Pharmacology has a reputation for being one of the hardest nursing courses since you have to learn drug calculation, brand and generic drug names, their contraindications and side effects, and their uses and how they work within a patient. While your BSN courses will require a significant amount of reading and studying, you’ll likely spend a lot of time in clinical rotations outside of the classroom.

Clinical hours are completed as clinical rotations, or “clinicals,” where nursing students work shifts in a hospital or clinic under an RN’s supervision. During these experiences, students administer medications, assess patients, plan nursing interventions, and monitor outcomes. Clinicals offer the opportunity to:

Classes focused on a specific population, such as behavioral health, will be paired with a clinical rotation. Nursing classes that teach technical skills, such as health assessment, will be paired with a laboratory simulation. Some classes, like maternal child health, require both a clinical rotation and laboratory simulation.

In a BSN program, you’ll complete 400-1,000 clinical hours, depending on your state and program. Clinicals typically last 8-12 hours and occur one day per week. If you’re in the RN-to-BSN program, your required clinical hours will be less as you’ve already completed a significant amount of clinical hours in your previous training. For in-person BSN programs, the faculty usually secures your clinical site, while online students are responsible for finding a local setting to complete their clinical hours.

Beyond working in hospitals as RNs, individuals with a BSN degree can find careers as public health nurses, nurse managers, and nursing informatics. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects that registered nursing jobs will grow 6% from 2023-2033, faster than the average 4% for all occupations.