A substantial body of research has shown that RNs with BSN degrees demonstrate superior problem-solving abilities and provide a higher-level of patient care resulting in better patient outcomes. These results have been so dramatic that the Institute of Medicine has recommended that 80% of the country’s nurses to hold a BSN by 2020. RNs with BSNs are more highly compensated for their increased level of expertise and earn higher salaries than those with ADNs. An analysis of RN salaries in Arizona showed that nurses with the BSN degrees earned an average of 1.76 times more in 2013 than those who had an ADN.
According to a 2011 study conducted by the Arizona Campaign for Action, only 37% of the nurses in Arizona held a BSN or higher. With a lot of work to do to meet the goal of 80%, increasing the number of Arizona’s BSN educated RNs is the main focus of the Arizona Nurse’s Association’s 2015 action proposals.
Salary Analysis of BSN Prepared RNs in Arizona
The Arizona Office of Employment and Population Statistics reported that nurses with a BSN earned an average of $44.56 an hour, while those with an ADN averaged $34.34.
Additional information on the salaries of the top-earning nurses with BSN degrees is available from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics:
Nursing students in Arizona have shown strong interest in obtaining a BSN, and the number of people who graduated from RN to BSN programs increased by 262% between 2004 and 2008 according to the Arizona State Board of Nursing. In 2013, there were 17,201 students enrolled in BSN programs in Arizona according to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing.
Graduates of nursing programs in Arizona face a strong job market, as the number of jobs for RNs is expected to increase by 25.6% through 2022 according to the state’s Office of Employment and Population Statistics. This level of growth should provide an average of 2,190 jobs each year during this period.
BSN Salaries in Arizona’s Major Regions
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics provides an analysis of the salaries of BSN educated RNs throughout metropolitan and non-metropolitan regions of Arizona (2013):