• Skip to content
  • Skip to footer
  • Skip to main navigation
  • Skip to current students navigation

Site Header Phone Number

608-262-2011

Site Header Chat

Chat OnlineChat Offline

Site Header Apply

Apply Now

Site Header Current Students Navigation

Current Students

Click a link below for program specific Canvas access and resources.

  • Degrees

    • Arts & Science
    • Business Administration
    • Diagnostic Imaging
    • Health Sciences
    • Information Science & Technology
    • Nursing Degree (RN to BSN)
  • Certificates

    • Business Analytics
    • Health Care Informatics
    • Project Management
    • Substance Use Disorders

University of Wisconsin Flexible Option

Site Header Main Navigation

Menu

  • Programs
    • Degrees

      • Associate of Arts & Science
      • Business Administration
      • Diagnostic Imaging
      • Health Sciences
      • Information Science & Technology
      • Nursing Degree (RN to BSN)
    • Certificates

      • Business Analytics
      • Health Care Informatics
      • Agile Project Management
      • Substance Use Disorders
    • Microcredentials
      • Interprofessional Leadership in Healthcare Microcredential
  • Getting Started
    • How to Apply
    • UW Flexible Option Admission
    • Talk to an Enrollment Adviser
    • Technology Requirements
    • Veterans
    • Special Students
  • Tuition & Financial Aid
    • Tuition

      • Payments & Refunds
      • Withdrawals
    • Financial Aid

      • Financial Aid Overview
      • Types of Aid
      • Applying for Financial Aid
      • Cost of Attendance
      • Disbursements & Refunds
      • Maintaining Eligibility
      • Impacts of Enrollment Changes
      • Repeating a Course and Financial Aid
      • Net Price Calculator
    • Quick Links

      • Academic Calendar
      • Academic Plan of Study (APS)
      • Definition of Terms
      • Establishing Attendance
      • Financial Aid FAQs
      • Financial Aid Forms
      • Financial Aid Tools
      • Make Payment
      • Contact Us
  • Stories & News
  • About
    • How UW Flexible Option Works
      • Frequently Asked Questions
      • What is Competency-Based Education?
    • Faculty & Staff
    • Annual Report
    • Academic Calendar

Site Header Search

Search Site

Show Search
Note this article is Archived, and its contents may not be up to date.

Wall Street Journal Reports On Nurses’ Struggle as More Hospitals Require BSNs

Angela Meidl · Wed Oct 21 2015

hospitals require BSNs

Are the days of associate degree nurses (ADNs) numbered?

That’s the gist of an October 14 Wall Street Journal article titled, “Job-Seeking Nurses Face Higher Hurdle as Hospitals Require More Advanced Degrees.”

The story examines why more and more hospitals today are requiring their nurses to hold a bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) degree—or be working toward one.

Why the requirement for BSNs? Reasons include:

  • The Institute of Medicine’s 2010 call for 80 percent of nurses to hold a bachelor’s degree by 2020
  • The growing complexity of healthcare
  • An influx of new nurses attracted by good wages and the prior two-year-degree standard
  • Evidence that more educated nurses deliver improved health outcomes

In addition, more hospitals are striving to achieve “Magnet” status, a designation that recognizes nursing excellence and quality patient care. Top nurses at Magnet hospitals are required to hold bachelor’s degrees.

The Institute of Medicine calls for 80 percent of nurses to hold bachelor’s degrees by 2020.

Featured in the article is Megan Goodman, a 30-year-old aspiring nurse from Pennsylvania who graduated with an associate degree in May. Despite applying for dozens of nursing jobs, Megan has yet to land a job in her chosen field.

“Truthfully, an associate’s program is not really going to get you anywhere anymore,” Megan is quoted as saying. She is currently working two part-time jobs (lifeguard and emergency medical technician) as she continues to apply for jobs.

She has also enrolled in an online RN to BSN degree program.

“It’s really wearing me down,” she said. “I wish hospitals would look at the person. I have life experience.”

Education stats for Wisconsin nurses

According to the Wisconsin 2014 RN Workforce Survey, only 44 percent of nurses in Wisconsin currently hold a BSN. (This compares with 55 percent of nurses nationally.) Another 36 percent have an associate degree, and nearly 8 percent have a high school diploma. Eleven percent hold a master’s.

As more hospitals require BSNs, the pressure is sure to mount on job-seeking nurses who don’t have them.

Get a UW Flexible Option Degree Guide

Download an introductory guide (PDF) to the self-paced, competency-based UW Flexible Option programs, including details about costs, admission requirements, and more.

Get Guide

Step 1 of 2

0%
  • By selecting yes, I agree to receive updates about online degrees, events, and application deadlines from the Universities of Wisconsin.

    Msg frequency varies depending on the activity of your record. Message and data rates may apply. Text HELP for help. You can opt out by responding STOP at any time. View our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy for more details.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Discover an RN to BSN program that makes the most of your nursing experience

If you are an ADN (or a diploma nurse with sufficient post-secondary credits) who would like to increase your job security and upward mobility with a BSN, the University of Wisconsin Flexible Option RN to BSN degree-completion program may be for you.

Offered by the UW-Milwaukee College of Nursing—the largest nursing program in Wisconsin, ranked in the top 6 percent of nursing programs in the nation by U.S. News & World Report—this online, competency-based program is made to fit the busy schedules of working adults.

Students in Flexible Option programs can start any month, work at their own pace, and make progress using the nursing experience and skills they already have. Sounds like a program that busy nurse from Pennsylvania would like!

Here’s what two of our Flex RN to BSN students have to say:

“My goal was to finish a BSN degree in one year, and I did it! Thanks to the self-paced Flexible Option format, I was able to complete 36 credits while working full time as an ER nurse.” —Lori Kenyon, Madison, Wis.

“I’ve gained a lot of knowledge on the job. That’s valuable because Flex lets you earn credit for what you know. It doesn’t matter where, when, or how you learned it. As long as you can prove it and use it to complete your assessments, you can use it to move ahead.” —Carla Lundeen, La Crosse, Wis.

Click here to read the full WSJ article.

Looking to advance your career with a bachelor’s degree in nursing? Find out more about the flexible RN to BSN degree program today. Questions? Call 1-877-895-3276 or email flex@uwex.wisconsin.edu to speak with a friendly enrollment adviser who will be happy to help.

UW Flexible Option Student Stories

 

Lori Kenyon

Busy ER Nurse Earns BSN Online in Less Than a Year Through UW Flexible Option

 

 

 

testimonial_image1_large

Why One Busy Nurse Chose the UW Flexible Option’s RN to BSN Program

 

 

 

Adam Doe

Busy IT Specialist and Bass Player Still Finds Time to Earn His Bachelor’s in Information Science and Technology Degree

 

 

 

How One Ambitious Student Saved $7,500 and Nine Months in His Very First UW Flexible Option Subscription Period

CT Technologist Finds New Challenges, Direction with Competency-Based Diagnostic Imaging Program

Competency-Based Degrees a Smart, Affordable Option for Busy Professionals Like Craig Kilgo

“I’ve Been Waiting for This Opportunity”: Competency-Based Education Right Fit for Associate Degree Student

Tagged With: BSN

Footer

Pages

  • UW Flexible Option Programs
  • Getting Started
  • Tuition & Financial Aid
  • Current Students
  • Stories & News

Connect

  • Facebook
  • Linkedin
  • Youtube

Contact

Flexible Option Enrollment Team
University of Wisconsin Extended Campus

608-262-2011
flex@uwex.wisconsin.edu
Fax: 608-262-4096

Technical Support

1-877-724-7883 (toll free)
Web Form

 

A Collaboration of the Universities of Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin System

The Universities of Wisconsin are comprised of UW-Eau Claire, UW-Green Bay, UW-La Crosse, UW-Madison, UW-Milwaukee, UW-Oshkosh, UW-Parkside, UW-Platteville, UW-River Falls, UW-Stevens Point, UW-Stout, UW-Superior, and UW-Whitewater.

Copyright © 2025 Board of Regents - University of Wisconsin System. All Rights Reserved.
Site Map | Privacy Policy | Log in