An Affordable RN to BSN From a Private College

Published On: August 3, 2017

Over the past 20 years, the cost of education has gone up by over 170 percent, making it harder for students to justify spending money on it. However, data continues to support the value of a bachelor’s degree. In fact, not going to college can cost you about $500,000 over the duration of your career. Fortunately, college is not as expensive or time consuming as it may seem. If you are already an RN, then you can enroll in an affordable Registered Nurse to Bachelor of Science in Nursing (RN to BSN) program at a private college for less than $300 per credit hour.

The Benefits of a Private College Without the Cost of One

How do you get the quality of a private college education without the cost of one? By taking the courses online. Schools like Mississippi College offer a competitive, affordable program for nurses interested in earning their BSN online. The accelerated coursework builds upon your existing knowledge in intensive seven-week sessions. Students can take up to three classes per session. This method allows you to adjust the course load to match your schedule.

Financial Aid to Bridge the Gap

The ability to tailor your workload also helps you financially, as you only pay for the courses you take. Mississippi College, like many others, has a financial aid office to help you find grants and scholarships to narrow the gap.

Ultimately, it’s in everyone’s best interest for you to earn a bachelor’s — both hospitals and patients benefit from having BSN-trained nurses. And you benefit from the career-enhancing benefits of holding a BSN, including the ability to aim for better jobs and higher pay. For this reason, many hospital systems and states provide grants and scholarships specifically for RNs looking to go back to school for their BSN.

Enrolled for the Secondary Benefits: Flexibility

The affordability of online coursework isn’t the only benefit of enrolling in a distance program. In fact, many nurses prefer to enroll in an online RN to BSN program because it allows them to continue working as they pursue their bachelor’s degree. For nurses who want to balance their budget, working full time while attending school part time is a solid strategy.

For others, there simply isn’t a better way. In some states, for example, finding a school with available faculty can prove challenging due to the nationwide shortage of nursing school faculty. The flexibility of online RN to BSN program enables more nurses to enroll.

Interested in an affordable RN to BSN online program from a private college? Consider enrolling at Mississippi College, a private Christian institution and one of the nation’s most affordable online RN to BSN programs.

Learn more about the MC online RN to BSN program.

Sources:

U.S. News & World Report: Chart: See 20 Years of Tuition Growth at National Universities

The New York Times: Is College Worth It? Clearly, New Data Say

American Association of Colleges of Nursing: Nursing Faculty Shortage Fact Sheet

OnlineU: 2017 Most Affordable Online Colleges for Nursing Degrees

Role of Nurses in Improving Public Health

Nurses are known for the patient-centered care they provide. In the case of the COVID-19 pandemic, nurses put their own safety at risk, providing critical care under extraordinary stress. Public health nurses were also on the frontlines, working to prevent and control the disease, train workers for testing sites, conduct contact tracing, help marginalized communities access vaccines and more.

Evaluating Social Determinants of Health

In recent years, the importance of understanding social determinants of health (SDoH) and how they impact an individual’s care has grown. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), social determinants of health are “the non-medical factors that influence health outcomes. They are the conditions in which people are born, grow, work, live, and age, and the wider set of forces and systems shaping the conditions of daily life. These forces and systems include economic policies and systems, development agendas, social norms, social policies and political systems.”

Role of Evidence-Based Practice in Nursing

Throughout the years, nursing has evolved — both in the way nurses provide patient care and the way they are educated. Over the past few decades though, evidence-based practice has emerged as the gold standard of care and greatly influenced Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) coursework.