BSN-educated RNs have been shown to provide higher levels of patient care because of their enhanced level of training, and are highly compensated for their ability to take on more clinical responsibilities.
Although the Institute of Medicine has called for 80% of the country’s nurses to have a BSN by 2020, only 33.93% of the nurses who responded to a 2014 survey conducted by the Delaware Board of Nursing had a BSN at that time. This is lower than the national level of 44.6% and speaks to the need for considerably more BSN-educated RNs in Delaware. The financial incentives are in place with the Delaware Department of Labor reporting that BSN-educated RNs earn an average of 1.38 times more than those with an ADN.
Educational stakeholders in Delaware have revamped the state’s college system so that practicing RNs can make a seamless transition to RN-BSN bridge programs and enjoy the higher pay a bachelor’s degree brings. In 2013, there were 2,189 students enrolled in Delaware’s BSN pre-licensure programs and RN-BSN bridge programs according to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. That year, 625 Deleware nursing students graduated with a BSN or higher.
Salary Analysis of BSN-Prepared RNs in Delaware
A US Department of Labor analysis of the 2013 salaries of top-earning RNs reveals the earnings of Delaware’s BSN-educated RNs that year:
- 90th Percentile Annual Salary $81,540
- 75th Percentile Annual Salary $91,520
- 90th Percentile Hourly Wage $44.00
- 75th Percentile Hourly Wage $39.20
In contrast, nurses in Delaware who have an ADN earned an average of $56,514 a year according to the state’s Department of Labor.
Further evidence of the financial benefits of having a BSN are found in the results of the 2012 Advance Healthcare Network for Nurses RN salary survey for the Mid-Atlantic and lower great lakes region. It revealed that nurses with a BSN earned 17.2% more than those who had an ADN:
- Diploma – $58,151
- ADN – $59,074
- BSN – $69,253
Salaries for BSN-Educated RNs in Key Regions of Delaware
The US Department of Labor provides a full analysis of BSN salaries for the major workforce investment areas of Delaware (2013):