10 Best RN to BSN Programs in Florida

Best RN to BSN Programs in Florida: People with a passion for health who are empathic, responsive, and communicative have the personality to succeed as nurses. In addition to being stable and rewarding, this career path also has a promising growth outlook; the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) forecasts a 15% increase in nursing jobs in the United States between 2016 and 2026. Another contributing to Florida’s excellent career prospects for nurses is the state’s sizable baby boomer demographic.

The Florida Center for Nursing reports that in 2016 alone, close to 10,000 additional nursing posts were generated. Qualified nurses are in a great position to find gainful employment as a result of this as well as the more than 12,000 nursing job openings that were reported that year.

A bachelor’s degree is all that is required for many well-paying professions in Florida’s nursing industry for recent graduates. Applicants who have earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing (BSN) can find employment in a variety of settings, including hospitals, ERs, long-term care facilities, and home health agencies. Also, Florida has a large number of registered nurse (RN) job openings that call for advanced training, opening up attractive employment chances for those with specialized master’s degrees.

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Nursing Career Prospects in Florida

Florida’s nursing industry does well in terms of employment and wage prospects. Florida is home to 6.5% of the nation’s population but just 6.03% of its nurses, indicating a significant opportunity. Florida’s cost of living is higher than the national average, while annual median earnings for the profession are lower. As a result, Florida nurses receive competitive pay and have access to a variety of employment options.

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Florida Nurses’ Salaries

Only California, Texas, and New York have more nurse positions than Florida, which is currently fourth in the nation. Its median yearly salary for nurses places it in the 32nd percentile nationally, but Florida’s large regional and urban-rural income disparities account for a large portion of this tendency. Nurses in Florida are paid salaries that are competitive with those of nurses in states with comparable costs of living. The Sunshine State also boasts fantastic outdoor lifestyle possibilities and pleasant weather throughout the year, which attract to a lot of people.

Nursing Specialization in Florida

In Florida, the most prevalent occupations for working professionals are registered nurses (RNs) and licensed practical nurses (LPNs). But these titles just scratch the surface of the alternatives available to degree holders.

While pursuing their nursing degrees, students should keep their intended career trajectories in mind, especially while thinking about master’s programs. Many advanced nursing degrees result in highly specialized certificates that show a candidate has received specialized training in a particular area of healthcare. For instance, nursing specialists are employed in the fields of dermatology, developmental disabilities, cardiac care, and burn treatment. In other instances, employees go through extensive social nursing training that qualifies them to work in prisons, with victims of domestic abuse, and in Florida’s educational and child welfare systems.

Given the state’s yearly inflow of winter inhabitants, Florida also offers a wide variety of seasonal and part-time job options. Some nurses take use of these opportunities to augment their main sources of income or to build up the necessary work experience to qualify for more specialized or advanced certification.

Outside the typical RN and LPN employment in Florida, the list of nursing career pathways below describes some to take into consideration.

Nursing Practitioner

The group of nursing professionals known as advanced practice registered nurses includes nurse practitioners (APRNs). These specialists normally complete a master’s degree program in a specific area of medicine, such as geriatrics or pediatric care, and they carry out some tasks that are usually done by doctors, such writing prescriptions.

New York’s average annual wage is $91,550.

Nurse Anesthetist

Students pursuing this specialized career path study anesthesia and anesthesiology procedures in a variety of healthcare settings in-depth. In hospitals and clinics, nurse anesthetists assist with operations and other treatments that call for local or general anesthesia.

New York’s typical salary is $65,735

Emergency Room Nurse

Studying critical care and stabilizing patients with life-threatening injuries is a priority for nursing students who want to work in emergency rooms. Florida continues to have a high demand for emergency room nurses.

New York’s typical salary is $61,194

Neonatal Nurse

The critical care at-risk newborn newborns need throughout their first few months of life is covered by this nursing specialty. Neonatal nurses care for premature infants, neonates with infections, heart abnormalities, anomalies, and other critical medical disorders in both hospital and home settings.

New York’s typical salary is $65,000.

Psychiatric Nurse

This area of nursing calls for a highly developed knowledge of psychology and psychiatry. When a patient needs therapy for a mental health illness, psychiatric nurses evaluate the patient and assist in creating a care plan.

New York’s typical salary is $60,986.

Certified Nurse Midwife

Certified nurse midwives are an additional subset of APRNs that have received specialized training in birthing and reproductive health. They assist patients in places such as hospitals, birthing facilities, private clinics, and homes.

New York’s typical salary is $81,250.

Best RN to BSN Programs in Florida

1. Jacksonville University

Students enrolled in JU’s online RN-to-BSN program benefit from six start dates each year, eight-week courses that are flexible, and a fully asynchronous delivery method that eliminates the need for required class attendance. The 120-credit program consists of electives on areas like global health promotion, holistic nursing, and palliative care techniques in addition to a minimum of 30 credits of basic nursing courses.

JU allows nurses to perform professional practice projects locally, frequently at their place of employment, and the program has no on-campus requirements. BSN candidates can complete this flexible degree within 18 months by enrolling in either part-time or full-time classes.

Candidates for the program must hold a current RN license and have a cumulative GPA of at least 2.5. Veterans, reservists, guardsmen, active duty service members, and their families are eligible for a 10% tuition discount for online nursing programs.

2. Florida Atlantic University

FAU, one of Florida’s top nursing schools, offers a highly flexible on-campus RN-to-BSN program with a variety of completion choices, allowing working nurses to get their degrees in three to six semesters, depending on the amount of coursework they do.

FAU does not permit students to perform practicum experiences at their place of employment, in contrast to many other online nursing schools. Instead, applicants work at places in the community that are relevant to their careers, like clinics, schools, community health centers, and home healthcare organizations.

The United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians and the Cherokee Nation are two Cherokee tribes in Oklahoma that the college has a special relationship with. Students who are interested in learning more about Native American history and caring concepts while obtaining experience in health promotion can take part in FAU’s transcultural practicum program. Students should be aware that travel and lodging expenses for the Oklahoma immersion experience are the responsibility of the participants.

3. Nova Southestern University

Although having its headquarters in Fort Lauderdale, NSU offers its BSN program both online and at satellite campuses in other parts of Florida, such as Miami and Fort Myers. The 82-credit nursing program is typically completed by students in just over two years.

Prerequisite courses of 39 credits, covering subjects like nutrition, algebra, the physical and social sciences, are needed in order to enroll in the program. Aspects of anatomy and physiology, pharmacology, nursing research methodologies, and psychiatric/mental health nursing are just a few of the topics covered in the program’s nursing courses.

The six-credit practicum that all applicants must complete integrates curriculum ideas with practical experience in a recognized healthcare environment. Hospitals close to NSU’s campuses frequently host these practical opportunities. Graduates of nursing programs are prepared for the industry-recognized Registered Nurse National Council Licensure Examination.

4. University of West Florida

UWF’s campus in Pensacola hosts a sizable online learning program with an RN-to-BSN degree that serves about 12,000 students. The online healthcare program from UWF is geared toward working nurses with an RN diploma or associate degree and emphasizes social, cultural, ethical, and political perspectives on nursing in addition to technical practice.

A minimum of 32 credits in nursing major courses, including gerontological nursing, community health education, and the foundations of evidence-based nursing practice, are needed to complete the totally online program. Also, candidates take 16 credits of upper-division electives to develop their specific nursing abilities.

The school offers an accelerated RN-to-MSN pathway that enables candidates to pursue their master’s degree without finishing a bachelor’s, for qualified students with a strong professional nursing background.

5. University of Miami

One of the oldest baccalaureate nursing programs in the state is offered by UM, a top nursing school in Coral Gables, just outside of Miami. The on-campus RN to BSN program at the school places a strong emphasis on practical healthcare education, with 30 credits devoted to advanced practice placement.

The program’s connections with numerous important medical facilities, such as the University of Miami Hospital and Jackson Memorial, a 1,567-bed teaching hospital located in Miami’s inner city, are advantageous to nursing students. The university also provides exceptional chances for hands-on learning at its simulation hospital, which is a healthcare training center including an emergency room, an intensive care unit, and numerous surgery rooms.

The Simulation Hospital uses medical actors, mannequins, and standardized patients to replicate typical nursing scenarios, such as diagnostics, trauma treatment, and neonatal care. These environments include home care and palliative care settings.

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6. University of Central Florida

With more than 66,000 students enrolled on its Orlando campus, UCF is one of the biggest universities in the nation. The institution runs a sizable distance learning program that provides some of Florida’s best nursing programs.

With flexible enrollment choices, UCF’s online RN-to-BSN program meets the demands of working nurses and allows students to finish in three to ten semesters. Certain courses are also available for completion on campus, either at the main UCF campus or the college’s Health First Education Center in Melbourne.

A 27-credit nursing core, a 29-credit upper division section, and a three-credit nursing elective are among the 59 credits of nursing coursework needed for the degree. Up to nine credits of graduate nursing coursework may be taken as part of the BSN by students who intend to pursue a master’s degree in nursing.

7. University of North Florida

A public institution in Jacksonville, UNF offers on-campus and online courses to more than 16,000 students, and both formats offer a bridge curriculum from RN to BSN. With on-campus classes often only taking place once a week, both programs provide flexibility for working students.

Via a mix of campus, online, and hybrid course offerings, students examine both broad and niche subjects, such as perspectives on chronicity, women’s health, pediatric nursing, and socialization to the nursing profession. At health organizations in the Jacksonville region or their own neighborhood, students are required to complete professional practical hours. Working at clinics, home care companies, homeless shelters, and hospital outreach programs is a common way for nurses to meet this criterion.

It takes both tracks around a year to finish. The on-campus track exclusively admits registered nurses from Florida; the online track welcomes registered nurses from all 50 states. Candidates for the online track do not need to have any professional nursing experience.

8. Palm Beach Atlantic University

PBA, a tiny Christian university with headquarters in West Palm Beach, specializes in liberal arts education but also provides a range of professional degrees, such as a fully online RN-to-BSN program.

The program, which was created for working nurses, offers full-time and part-time enrollment options, as well as three start dates each year in the fall, spring, and summer. Besides with fulfilling general education requirements that include religious and intellectual standards, the institution asks applicants to complete 31 nursing credits. Students with a 3.5 GPA or better are guaranteed admission to the university’s graduate nursing programs, and the BSN curriculum effortlessly transitions into PBA’s master’s and doctoral nursing degrees.

While the online track allows students to finish their curriculum without traveling to school, only nurses with a Florida RN license are eligible to apply for admission to the program. Residents of the state may be eligible for financial aid of up to $3,000.

9. University of South Florida

A significant public research university with headquarters in Tampa, USF enrolls more than 50,000 students and provides one of Florida’s best online nursing programs. Three areas are the focus of the school’s online RN-to-BSN program: clinical excellence, staff/patient education, and leadership management.

The curriculum consists of 30 major credits, 15 of which are required for a nursing degree. There are also six focus credits and nine nursing elective credits. Candidates must take one practicum course as part of the USF core curriculum; the majority of students complete this course at their place of employment.

The practicum helps students get professional experience without placing a direct patient contact requirement on them and typically includes an organizational culture assessment and an evidence-based patient education initiative. While full-time students finish the nursing degree in three semesters, part-time students often need five.

10. Southeastern University

SEU is a 7,000+ student Christian liberal arts college located in Lakeland that is associated with the Assemblies of God. The school’s RN-to-BSN program offers working nurses flexibility with a variety of enrollment options that let students proceed at their own pace.

The program provides nurses with the opportunity to advance their leadership and integrated research skills, developing their professional practice and enhancing their employment prospects. It places a strong emphasis on patient safety principles, clinical prevention, and quality improvement.

Health assessment, nursing history, and community population health are some of the 30 hours of required core courses for the nursing degree. Nine credits of Christian theology, ethics, and religious integration courses are required of all students. The institution provides tutoring, library resources, and academic achievement coaching for nursing students.

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