A substantial body of research demonstrates that nurses with BSNs provide a higher level of patient care and that mortality and failure-to-resuscitate rates are lower for RNs who have this type of background.
Nurses with bachelor’s degrees are also more highly compensated for this advanced level of expertise. In fact, nurses in the District of Columbia who had BSNs earned 1.72 times more than those with ADNs according to a 2013 salary survey.
In addition, employers are increasingly looking to hire nurses who have a bachelor’s degree. According to a 2013 survey of nursing schools conducted by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), 78.6% of employers expressed a strong hiring preference for nurses who have BSNs.
In 2013, there were 1,186 nursing students enrolled in BSN programs in DC according to the AACN. In order to make it easier for nurses to enroll in RN-BSN completion programs so as to enjoy higher earnings, stakeholders in the District of Columbia have revamped its educational system so that RNs can make a seamless progression from ADN to BSN.
Part of these efforts include allowing ADN graduates of the public community college system to enroll in BSN completion programs without having to take additional prerequisite courses.
Salary Analysis of RNs with BSNs in DC
An analysis of the salaries among RNs in Washington, DC according to educational level demonstrates how getting a BSN can dramatically increases earnings. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics provides salary data for nurses in DC with ADNs and those with BSNs. The difference between the annual salary of top-earning nurses with BSNs and those with ADNs was $31,690 a year in 2013.
Salaries for nurses in DC who have BSNs are shown below:
This salary differential is further elucidated in the Advance Healthcare Network for Nurses 2012 salary survey for the Mid-Atlantic and lower great lakes region, which includes the District. The results of this survey also shows how BSN-educated RNs in Washington, DC earn considerably more than the average of the Mid-Atlantic region as a whole:
- BSN – $69,253
- ADN – $59,074
- Diploma – $58,151
RN Salaries for BSN-Educated RNs in the DC Metropolitan Area
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics provides the salary for the top-earning BSN-educated nurses in the DC metropolitan area (2013):