Archives for 2021

Best Hospitals to Work at in Pennsylvania

Dec 11 2021

Career Resources / Job Searching / Best Hospitals Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania is a state home to a lot of history with a ton of stuff to do. As a result, plenty of people flock to the state to enjoy the lifestyle of living in robust cities, yet affordable living prices. So, of course Pennsylvania sounds like the perfect places for nurses and so many others. But what about the best hospitals to work at in Pennsylvania? These results are based on several factors. All hospitals listed have been recognized for excellency across multiple platforms (including Glassdoor, Indeed, U.S News etc). These hospitals prioritize these following traits that great employers typically have:

Benefits
Growth opportunities
Employee satisfaction
Patient satisfaction
Best hospitals in Pennsylvania

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Benefits

Employers offer many benefit packages to bring talented nurses onboard as well as keeping their current ones happy. Some of these hospitals offer perks like generous vacation and sick leave, discounts, financial assistance for first-time homebuyers, and tuition assistance.

Growth opportunity

This factor is based on whether or not nurses feel there is room for growth and hospitals the prioritize promoting within, instead of hiring out. The healthcare field holds the potential for tons of growth opportunities for nurses. Nurses have many career paths for advancement, and can choose to pursue higher-paying specialties such as nurse practitioner, physician’s assistant, nurse anesthetist, and more.

Employee satisfaction

With nurses experiencing job fatigue and burn-out, it’s important to find hospitals that truly values their employees. Employee satisfaction and patient satisfaction go hand and hand. Places that have higher employee satisfaction have great environments for their nurses to work in, good management, are flexible, prioritize teamwork, and offer additional resources and benefits for their staff.

Why does patient satisfaction matter?

Patient satisfaction is one of the best indicators of a great employer. A lot of times, the treatment patients receive are a direct reflection of employee satisfaction. Hospitals that have significantly better work environments, benefits, and staffing generally result in happier nurses. They are more satisfied with their jobs and are likely remain where they work. This results in lower employee turnover, another great factor that results from patient satisfaction.

Best hospitals to work at in Pennsylvania

These rankings reflect the exceptional care delivered every day by our extraordinary doctors, nurses, and staff who truly define world-class care. It is reassuring to know that when patients from all over the region, nation, or world search for top care, their search leads them to the same trusted doctors and hospitals that are close to home in Pittsburgh.

Penn Presbyterian Medical Center

Pennsylvania Hospital is the first hospital formed in the United States dating back to 1751. Since then, Pennsylvania Hospital has been providing excellent healthcare for their community. In fact, Pennsylvania Hospital is ranked as the #1 hospital in Pennsylvania by U.S. News & World Report’s Other impressive accolades include:

#6 on Forbes magazine’s annual “Best Employers in America” list in 2018
Philadelphia Magazine’s Top Docs
Forbes America’s Best Employers for Women
Forbes America’s Best Large Employers

University of Pittsburgh Medical Center – UPMC

UPMC employs over 92,000 staff members, making it the largest nongovernment employer in Pennsylvania. U.S. News & World Report recognizes UPMC as one of the top ten best hospitals in Pennsylvania. UPMC has also been recognized by Healthgrades as one of America’s 250 Best Hospitals Award for three consecutive years.

Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

For those wanting to specialize in pediatrics, there is no better place to do so than the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). CHOP offers learning opportunities and advanced training for nurses. CHOP also has pediatric fellowships and residencies. Not only that, but, it has been consistently ranked among the Nation’s Best Children’s Hospitals by U.S News & World Report, and also named as one of the Most Innovative Children’s Hospitals by Parents Magazine.

* WellSpan Health

WellSpan Health employs about 20,000 people, including approximately 2,600 physicians and advanced practice providers. WellSpan also has some notable accolades, including:

2019 John M. Eisenberg Patient Safety and Quality Award
Eisenberg Award for Local Level Innovation in Patient Safety and Quality
Training Magazine’s Top 125
2019 ACCC Innovator Award

* Lehigh Valley Hospital

With over 9,000 employees and positions for over 20 specialties, and support for speciality certifications, Lehigh is a great place to develop your nursing career. Lehigh also holds several awards, including the Great Place to Work™ award.

Thomas Jefferson University Hospital

Jefferson is considered one of the best hospitals in the state, ranking as the 2nd best hospital in the Philadelphia metro area and the 3rd best in the entire state of Pennsylvania. Jefferson also stands out in 6 nursing specialty areas, and employs over 2,000 nurses. Thus, making it a great place for nurses who want to focus on a speciality.

Lancaster General Hospital

Lancaster has been around for over 125 years, and has consistently maintained their reputations as a nationally recognized hospital. Some of their awards and recognitions are the Independence Blue Cross Blue Distinction Specialty Care and the Foster G. McGaw Prize.

*Incredible Health helps these hospitals find permanent nurses. Sign up to get matched with nursing jobs!

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Top Nurses in the Nation Turn to Incredible Health to Plan and Manage Their Careers

Dec 08 2021

How experienced nurses are getting the best permanent jobs, faster

By: Iman Abuzeid, MD

Despite the nation’s demand for qualified, permanent nurses among one of the worst labor shortages in history, nurses consistently report long timelines in their job search and difficulty finding the right role. Even worse, they often never hear back from health systems they have applied to, despite the urgent need for nurses.

Nurses are the backbone of our health system and they deserve a partner that helps them succeed at every step in their careers – whether it is kicking off the job search, fulfilling their continuing education courses, or understanding potential opportunities. That’s why nurses across the nation are turning to Incredible Health. We enable nurses to quickly find their dream permanent roles and get support in planning and managing their careers, while also helping health systems hire and retain top talent.

We’re excited to share that in the last 12 months alone, the number of nurses on our platform has tripled. Not only are we attracting nurses in volume; we’re also helping the highest qualified nurses in the nation to manage their careers and get hired in top permanent roles:

Two-thirds (66%) have three or more certifications compared to the national average of 40%
Nurses have an average of 11 years of experience, and 38% have more than 10 years of experience.
Nurses hold an average of three certifications, including certifications for key specialties like ICU and OR, with some nurses having as many as 15 certifications.
67% of nurses are trained in at least one of 45 specialties, including the ICU, OR, Emergency, Cardiac Cath Lab, and Labor & Delivery. 14% of nurses are managers.
61% of nurses hold a BSN degree or higher, which is particularly important for Magnet-designated hospitals that are part of Incredible Health’s platform.
Nurses reviewed by Incredible Health’s network of over 500 hospital partners receive an average of 3 interview requests from employers, with an interview request being sent every 90 seconds.

Challenging the status quo

At Incredible Health, we flip the script. Hospitals apply to nurses, not the other way around, allowing busy nurses to interview at multiple health systems, complete thorough job searches, and confidently choose their new role. Nurses using Incredible Health get hired three times faster than national averages – in under 20 days.

Our innovative platform is free for all nurses, who can use it as a one-stop shop to find their dream permanent roles and plan and manage their careers. We are constantly adding and updating features to our platform. A few nurse favorites include:

Salary Estimator – Incredible Health’s Salary Estimator, based on real-time data from the marketplace, helps give nurses a better idea of what they should expect to make based on geography and specialty, further enabling nurses to make more informed career decisions.
Free Continuing Education Courses – Incredible Health offers 100+ premium American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) accredited continuing education units (CEU’s) free of charge to ensure nurses are always up to date with their licensing requirements, and to ease their financial burden of the $240 million spent annually by U.S. nurses out of pocket for continuing education.
Nurse Community & mental health tools – Two features added during the pandemic include the Incredible Health Nurse Community, a social network community built exclusively for nurses, and the Daily Nurse Journal, a digital journaling platform. These products were designed to help nurses build community, seek support and advice, and reflect on their workdays to help combat the high stress and burnout that is pervasive in the field.
Personal Talent Advocate – Each nurse on the platform is paired with a Personal Talent Advocate who can provide interview coaching, share resume tips, and help evaluate their job offers.
Mobile-optimized nurse onboarding – Nurses can take advantage of iOS, Android, and mobile web applications to make it even easier to use Incredible Health and find and do their best work.

“When I last applied for a job 17 years ago, it was through someone I knew. It is quite intimidating to start the process of finding a new role, no matter how much experience you have, and Incredible Health did all the heavy lifting for me,” said Kim Mctamney, RN. “I was looking for a NICU job and in less than a month on Incredible Health, I got the staff job offer for exactly what I was looking for.”

Top Hospitals Use Incredible Health to Hire Top Nurses

Incredible Health’s solution helps nurses find more fulfilling positions and stay in them longer, a value hospitals recognize. When nurses are happier and hospitals have fewer staff shortages, patients get higher quality care.

Earlier this year, we announced that 60% of the top-ranked hospitals in the United States work with Incredible Health for their permanent staffing needs. Our network of hospitals also benefits from a 15% higher retention rate with nurses hired through Incredible Health compared to nurses hired through traditional channels at one year.

Our network of employers includes academic medical centers, community hospitals, and major health systems, including Johns Hopkins Health System, Stanford Health Care, Kaiser Permanente, and HCA Healthcare. Hospitals on our platform include both union and non-union hospitals, academic and community hospitals, as well as Magnet and Non-Magnet designated hospitals.

We started Incredible Health because we believed nurse hiring was fundamentally inefficient for both nurses and health systems. Our mission from day one is to help healthcare workers find and do their best work, and we see this as another milestone in realizing our goals.

Are you a nurse looking to take your career to the next level? Sign up here. Our career tools are always free for nurses.

Are you a health system interested in how Incredible Health can increase retention and shorten your permanent nurse hiring to 20 days or less? Sign up for a free consultation here.

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Vaccine Mandates for Nurses: Where Major U.S. Healthcare Systems Stand

Dec 07 2021

As COVID-19 continues to devastate the lives of millions of people around the world, many healthcare systems in the United States have chosen to mandate vaccines for their nurses and other staff.

Hospitals opting for mandates argue that the vaccines provide the best path to keeping their employees and patients safe amid new spikes in COVID-19 hospitalizations. In other cases, their decision appears to come down to how mandates will affect staffing shortages – a major challenge currently plaguing many health systems.

In early November, 2021, the Biden administration issued an emergency regulation requiring COVID-19 vaccination of all healthcare workers in the country by December 6, 2021. However, this requirement has been legally contested by many states, so the future of this federal mandate remains unclear.

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Vaccine mandate status at U.S. health care systems

DISCLOSURE: COVID-19 vaccination policy is a rapidly evolving topic. We’ve done our best to collect up-to-date information here for some of the largest healthcare systems, but we cannot guarantee accuracy. Contact your employer, local healthcare provider, or local government to be certain of their guidelines.

State	Hospital or Health System	Vaccine Mandate Status	Deadline	Source Link
Mississippi	Forrest General Hospital	Not required		source
Nebraska	Bryan Medical Center	Required	Not listed	source
Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania Health System (UPHS)	Required	Sept. 21, 2021	source
Pennsylvania	Jefferson University Hospitals	Required	Oct. 15, 2021	source
Pennsylvania	Lancaster General Hospital	Required	Sept 1, 2021	source
Pennsylvania	Lehigh Valley Hospital	Required	Nov. 12, 2021	source
Illinois	Northwestern Memorial Hospital	Required	Oct. 31, 2021	source
Florida	AdventHealth-Orlando	No (paused)	N/A	source
Wisconsin	Advocate Aurora Health	Required	Oct. 15, 2021	source
Arkansas	Arkansas Children’s Hospital	Required	Sept. 30, 2021	source
Missouri	Ascension St. Louis	Required	Nov. 12, 2021	source
North Carolina	Atrium Health	Required	Nov 30	source
Arizona	Banner Boswell Medical Center	Required	Nov. 1, 2021	source
Texas	Baylor Scott & White Health	Required	Oct. 1, 2021	source
Ohio	Bon Secours Mercy Health	Not required	N/A	source
Colorado	CommonSpirit Health	Required	Nov. 1, 2021	source
Tennessee	HCA Healthcare	Not required	N/A	source
Tennessee	LifePoint Health	Required	Dec. 6, 2021	source
Oklahoma	Mercy Health	Required	Sept. 30, 2021	source
Washington	Providence Healthcare	Required	Sept. 30, 2021	source
Illinois	Rush University Medical Center	Required	Oct. 1, 2021	source
Illinois	University of Chicago Medical Center	Required		source
Illinois	Loyola University Medical Center	Required	Sept. 21, 2021	source
Georgia	Emory University Hospital	Required	Oct. 1, 2021	source
Georgia	Emory St. Joseph's Hospital	Required	Oct. 1, 2021	source
Georgia	Piedmont Atlanta Hospital	Required	Oct. 1, 2021	source
Georgia	Northside Hospital Atlanta	Not required	N/A	source
Georgia	Emory University Hospital Midtown	Required	Oct. 1, 2021	source
South Carolina	MUSC Health-University Medical Center	Required	June 30, 2021	source
South Carolina	McLeod Regional Medical Center	Required	Jan. 4, 2022	source
South Carolina	Spartanburg Medical Center	Required	Jan. 4, 2022	source
South Carolina	Lexington Medical Center	No (paused)	N/A	source
Alabama	University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital	No (paused)	N/A	source
Alabama	Ascension St. Vincent's Birmingham	Not required	N/A	source
Alabama	Ascension Providence Hospital-Mobile	Required	Nov. 12, 2021	source
Alaska	Alaska Native Medical Center	Required	Oct. 15, 2021	source
Alaska	Providence Alaska Medical Center	Required	Oct. 18, 2021	source
Alaska	Alaska Regional Hospital	Not required	N/A	source
Alaska	Bartlett Regional Hospital	Required	Dec. 15, 2021	source
Arizona	Mayo Clinic-Phoenix	Required	Jan. 3, 2022	source
Arizona	Banner-University Medical Center Phoenix	Required	Nov. 1, 2021	source
Arkansas	Washington Regional Medical Center	Required	Oct. 1, 2021	source
Arkansas	UAMS Medical Center	Required	Jan. 4, 2022	source
California	UCLA Medical Center	Required	Sept. 30, 2021	source
California	Cedars-Sinai Medical Center	Required	Sept. 30, 2021	source
California	UCSF Medical Center	Required	Sept. 30, 2021	source
California	Stanford Health Care-Stanford Hospital	Required	Sept. 30, 2021	source
California	Keck Medical Center of USC	Required	Sept. 30, 2021	source
Colorado	UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital	Required	Oct. 1. 2021	source
Colorado	UCHealth Medical Center of the Rockies	Required	Oct. 1, 2021	source
Colorado	SCL Health St. Joseph Hospital	Required	Nov. 1, 2021	source
Colorado	UCHealth Poudre Valley Hospital	Required	Oct. 21, 2021	source
Connecticut	Yale New Haven Hospital	Required	Oct. 1, 2021	source
Connecticut	Hartford Hospital	Required	Sept. 30, 2021	source
Connecticut	Bridgeport Hospital	Required	Sept. 27, 2021	source
Delaware	ChristianaCare Hospitals	Required	Sept. 21. 2021	source
Delaware	Bayhealth Kent General Hospital	No (paused)	N/A	source
Delaware	Beebe Healthcare-Lewes	No (paused)	N/A	source
District of Columbia	BridgePoint Hospital-Capitol Hill	Required		source
District of Columbia	BridgePoint Hospital-National Harbor	Required		source
District of Columbia	Children's National Hospital	Required	Sept. 30, 2021	source
District of Columbia	Georgia Washington University Hospital	Required		source
Florida	Mayo-Clinic - Jacksonville	Required	Sept. 17, 2021	source
Florida	UF Health Shands Hospital	Required	Dec. 8, 2021	source
Florida	Tampa General Hospital	Required		source
Florida	Cleveland Clinic-Weston	No (paused)	N/A	source
Hawaii	Queen's Medical Center	Required	Oct. 1, 2021	source
Hawaii	Kaiser Permanente Moanalua Medical Center	Required	Sept. 30, 2021	source
Idaho	St. Luke's Regional Medical Center	Required	Sept. 1, 2021	source
Indiana	Indiana University Health Medical Center	Required	Sept. 1, 2021	source
Indiana	Deaconess Hospital	Required	Oct. 1, 2021	source
Indiana	Ascension St. Vincent Hospital	Required	Nov. 12, 2021	source
Indiana	Community Hospital of Anderson and Madison County	Required	Sept. 15, 2021	source
Indiana	Franciscan Health Indianapolis	Required	Jan. 4, 2022	source
Iowa	University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics	On hold		source
Iowa	MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center	Required	Nov. 12, 2021	source
Iowa	UnityPoint Health-St. Luke's Hospital	Required	Nov. 1, 2021	source
Iowa	UnityPoint Health-Iowa Methodist Medical Center	Required		source
Iowa	Mercy Medical Center-Cedar Rapids	Required	Nov. 15, 2021	source
Kansas	University of Kansas Hospital	Required	Dec. 1, 2021	source
Kansas	Stormont Vail Hospital	Required	Oct. 31, 2021	source
Kansas	Advent Health Shawnee Mission	Suspended		source
Kentucky	St. Elizabeth Healthcare Edgewood -Covington Hospitals	Required	Oct. 1, 2021	source
Kentucky	Baptist Health Lexington	Required	Oct. 31, 2021	source
Kentucky	Baptist Health Louisville	Required	Oct. 31, 2021	source
Kentucky	Norton Healthcare	Required	Sept. 15, 2021	source
Louisiana	Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center	Paused		source
Louisiana	Abbeville General Hospital	Required	Jan. 4, 2022	source
Maine	Maine Medical Center	Required	Oct. 29, 2021	source
Maine	Eastern Maine Medical Center	Required	Oct. 29, 2021	source
Maine	Acadia Hospital	Required	Oct. 29, 2021	source
Maine	Aroostook Medical Center	Required	Oct. 1, 2021	source
Maine	Barbara Bush Children's Hospital at Maine Medical Center	Required	Oct 29, 2021	source
Maryland	Johns Hopkins Hospital	Required	Sept. 1, 2021	source
Maryland	University of Maryland Medical Center	Required	Oct. 31, 2021	source
Maryland	University of Maryland St. Joseph Medical Center	Required	Oct. 31, 2021	source
Maryland	Greater Baltimore Medical Center	Required	Sept. 2021	source
Maryland	MedStar Union Memorial Hospital	Required	Nov. 1, 2021	source
Massachusetts	Massachusetts General Hospital-Brigham	Required	Nov. 5, 2021	source
Massacusetts	Brigham and Women's Hospital	Required	Nov. 5, 2021	source
Massachusetts	Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center	Required	Oct. 31, 2021	source
Massachusetts	Lahey Hospital and Medical Center	Required	Oct. 31, 2021	source
Massachusetts	Baystate Medical Center	Required	Oct. 2021	source
Michigan	Beaumont Hospital-Royal Oak	Required	Oct. 18, 2021	source
Michigan	University of Michigan Health-Ann Arbor	Required	Feb. 4, 2022	source
Michigan	Beaumont Hospital - Troy	Required	Oct. 18, 2021	source
Michigan	Spectrum Health-Butterworth and Blodgett Campuses	Required with exemptions		source
Minnesota	Mayo Clinic	Required	Jan. 3, 2022	source
Minnesota	CentraCare-St. Cloud Hospital	Required	Dec. 15, 2021	source
Minnesota	Essentia Health-St. Mary's Medical Center	Required	Oct. 1, 2021 - 1st dose; Nov. 1, 2021 - 2nd dose	source
Minnesota	Mercy Hospital-Coon Rapids	Required	Oct. 1, 2021	source
Mississippi	Mississippi Baptist Medical Center	Required	Nov. 1, 2021	source
Mississippi	North Mississippi Medical Center-Tupelo	Required	Jan. 4, 2022 - 2nd dose	source
Mississippi	St. Dominic-Jackson Memorial Hospital	Required	Not given	source
Missouri	Barnes-Jewish Hospital	Required	Sept. 15, 2021	source
Missouri	St. Luke's Hospital of Kansas City	Required	Oct. 30, 2021	source
Missouri	Mercy Hospital St. Louis	Required	Sept. 30, 2021	source
Missouri	Missouri Baptist Medical Center	Required	Sept. 15, 2021	source
Missouri	St. Luke's Hospital-Chesterfield	Required	Aug. 13, 2021	source
Montana	St. Patrick Hospital	Not required		source
Montana	Advanced Care Hospital of Montana	Not required		source
Montana	Barrett Hospital and Healthcare	Not required		source
Montana	Beartooth Billings Clinic	Not required		source
Montana	Benefis Health System-Great Falls	Not required		source
Nebraska	Nebraska Medicine-Nebraska Medical Center	Required	Not listed	source
Nebraska	Nebraska Methodist Hospital	Required	Not listed	source
Nebraska	Annie Jeffrey Memorial County Health Center	Required	Not listed	source
Nebraska	Antelope Memorial Hospital	Required	Not listed	source

See something that needs correcting? Want to add your employer to the list? Help us stay up-to-date by filling out this form (anonymous).

Does Incredible Health require nurses to be vaccinated?

Incredible Health does not currently request the vaccine status of nurses on our platform. However, nurses should understand that our partnering hospitals, including some listed above, often do require vaccination. Nurses must abide by these policies upon accepting a position with that employer.

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What is a BSN-to-MSN Program?

Dec 07 2021

Nursing Degrees & Schools / BSN to MSN

Nursing continues to grow and expand, offering more specialties to nursing professionals than ever before. There are so many paths to pursue in the field that getting bored doesn’t have to happen. From bedside care to research of groundbreaking healthcare treatments, completing a BSN-to-MSN program opens many doors for nurses. Earning a graduate degree in nursing is an excellent option for registered nurses (RNs) who wish to branch out and do more with their acquired nursing skills and experience.

In this article, we will explore:

Why pursue a BSN-to-MSN program
Required courses for BSN-to-MSN programs
Top online BSN-to-MSN programs
How to choose the right BSN-to-MSN program
Paying for a BSN-to-MSN

Why pursue a BSN-to-MSN degree

When it comes to Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree programs, nursing students have more than 2,000 graduate programs from 500 nursing schools from which to choose. Finding a program to suit every learner and every nursing goal is possible with so many options on the table.

Pursuing an MSN may not be the right move for every nurse. Here are some things to consider before investing time and money into this advanced degree program:

MSN degrees position nurses for future advancement in their careers

Even if nurses wish to work as RNs for a few years before climbing the nursing ladder, having an MSN under their belts can open doors to more responsibilities and higher wages. MSN degrees also position nurses one step closer toward obtaining certification in several APRN specialties. There are two bridge programs that help nurses complete their MSN faster:

BSN-to-MSN bridge program – about 2-3 years
RN-to-MSN bridge program – about 2 years

MSN degrees deepen nursing knowledge

Healthcare employers prefer candidates with MSN degrees over BSNs because they hold a deeper knowledge of nursing best practices. MSN programs have more rigorous programs covering advanced topics like leadership and research, that most BSN curriculums omit.

MSN degrees offer a solid return on investment

Whether entering the field with an MSN or pursuing one while working as a nurse, an MSN is never a bad investment. Some Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) programs cost just as much as direct-entry MSNs yet do not offer the same level of career advancement as a master’s degree.

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Required courses for BSN-to-MSN degrees

Every MSN program is different, so it is best to check with the school of your choice about the required coursework and curriculum. Most accredited nursing programs follow The Essentials of Master’s Education in Nursing framework created by the American Association of Colleges in Nursing (AACN). It outlines essential curriculum content and core competencies nursing students must acquire in preparation for their nursing careers. MSN programs focus on preparation for elevating care in every healthcare setting and leading and promoting healthcare changes that can improve patient outcomes.

Quality Master of Science in Nursing programs include nine core elements:

Background for practice from sciences and humanities
Organizational and systems leadership
Quality improvement and safety
Translating and integrating scholarship into practice
Informatics and healthcare technologies
Health policy and advocacy
Interprofessional collaboration for improving patient and population health outcomes
Clinical prevention and improving population health
Master’s-level nursing practice

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Top online BSN-to-MSN degree programs

Some nursing students prefer online BSN-to-MSN programs because of their convenience. Nurses can work as RNs or in other nursing fields while they pursue advanced degrees. Here are some of the most popular online BSN-to-MSN programs for nursing professionals:

Capella University offers CCNE accredited BSN, MSN, and DNP programs open to nursing students nationwide. They have a FlexPath option that allows nurses to control the pace of their learning. Capella’s nursing programs have received accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission.

Duke University records the majority of its graduate-level courses and offers the same rigorous online curriculum that can be found in its campus classrooms.

Rush University records and archives all graduate-level courses so students can access lecture material when it is convenient for them.

The University of South Carolina also records and archives all graduate-level course lectures, making it another great choice for nursing professionals working while pursuing advanced degrees.

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How to choose the right BSN-to-MSN program

Choosing the right BSN-to-MSN program often comes down to personal preference. For some nursing students, an online program is the best fit for their busy professional and personal schedules. MSN programs involve a significant time commitment and can be quite expensive. It is not uncommon to face waiting lists for admission to master’s level nursing programs due to the high demand and limited space. It is important to find the program that aligns with the goals for completion and also fit within a budget. These two aspects can make or break a nursing professional’s ability to further their education.

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Paying for a BSN-to-MSN

The cost of a BSN-to-MSN nursing program can vary, depending on whether nursing students choose an online school or prefer a traditional campus setting. Private schools can cost significantly more than state nursing schools. Out-of-state students can expect to pay higher tuition and fees for certain colleges and universities. The good news is scholarships, grants, and student loans can help cover the expenses.

Among some of the best scholarship opportunities for nurses pursuing MSN degrees include:

AfterCollege/AACN $10,000 Scholarship Fund supports nursing students seeking advanced nursing degrees. Special consideration is given to students who wish to become nurse educators.

CVS Together We Care Scholarships offer 20 MSN scholarships worth $2,500 each to nurses pursuing MSNs so they can work as nurse practitioners.

Emergency Nurses Association (ENA) Scholarship provides multiple scholarship opportunities to its member nurses.

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Best Colleges for Nursing Students in Pennsylvania

Dec 01 2021

Nursing Degrees & Schools / Best Schools Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania is home to a lot of historical sites and was one of the first colonies. Given that, there are many historical and prestigious schools in the state for nurses to attend. Many nurses have a hard time determining what school to choose when searching. In this post we will provide information to help a nurse make the best decision.

Many of the registered nurses in Pennsylvania want to advance their careers by going back to school to obtain a higher degree. There are many different options for nurses to choose from when it comes to nursing degree types.

Some of the more common degree types are:

Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN)
Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)
Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN)
Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

However, there are also accelerated degree programs and bridge programs offered to nurse students that can greatly reduce the amount of time spent in school.

Pennsylvania has many options for nurses seeking to advance their careers. Fortunately, we have created a list of the best nursing schools in the state to help make it easier.

In this post we will explore the following:

Our ranking methodology
Top nursing programs in California
Map of schools
How to choose the right nursing program

Our ranking methodology

To capture the best schools in each state, we applied a rigorous formula, isolating five variables that were weighted equally:

Graduation rate
NCLEX pass rate
CCNE accreditation
Programs offered
Tuition costs (based on in-state tuition, attending the maximum number of credits; mandatory fees not included)

Pennsylvania’s top nursing programs

University of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania State University
Drexel University
Desales University

1. University of Pennsylvania – Score 86

NCLEX pass rate: 91.11%

Tuition per year: $54,642

The University of Pennsylvania is located in Philadelphia, PA and is one of the most prestigious Ivy League in the nation. With approximately 23,000 students enrolled for the Fall 2021 semester, it’s a medium-sized campus. Additionally, the school boasts one of the best graduation rates in the country at 95%, which is impressive considering the school’s size. The undergraduate nursing program is ranked #1 in the nation and the #1 nursing program in the world.

The school offers the following programs for nursing students:

BSN
MSN
DNP for Nurse Anesthetics
PhD
MSN to PhD

2. Pennsylvania State University – Score 74

NCLEX pass rate: 92.42%

Tuition per year: $18,898

Pennsylvania State University is located in Centre County, PA. The school is ranked 57th among national universities according to the U.S. News & World Report best colleges ranking. Their nursing school is ranked 20th by the same publication. The school has about 75,000 students, which allows its staff access to ample research. Now, some students may worry that it’s a bit too big for their taste, and that’s totally acceptable. However, the research component might offset worries about the size.

The school offers the following programs for nursing students:

3. Drexel University – Score 68

NCLEX pass rate: 97.54%

Tuition per year: $54,766

Drexel University is a private research university located in Philadelphia, PA. The school has about 24,000 total students enrolled so it’s a medium-sized school. It incorporated free indoor and outdoor wi-fi for students. The nursing program uses state-of-the-art technology and allows students to have a variety of academic options. Additionally, the school has raised about $2.9 million in external research funds.

The school offers the following programs for nursing students:

4. Desales University – Score 64

NCLEX pass rate: 85.71%

Tuition per year: $39,500

Desales University is a private Catholic university located in Center Valley, PA. The school has a medium-sized student population. Despite the small size, the school offers nurses a wide variety of classes to take. Additionally, the school allows students to take clinicals in the region at very respectable institutions.

Degrees offered:

How to choose the right nursing program

Choosing the right nursing program may feel stressful. The good news is that we’ve provided several factors for you to consider to help make your decision easier. When choosing a school, some of the factors you should consider are location, tuition, NCLEX scores, and programs offered.

Location

This is a major factor for a lot of nursing students when choosing a program to attend. Most nursing programs don’t have online components, so you must select a program that you can easily commute to. The worst thing would be to choose a program that becomes a burden to you simply because it’s too far from your house.

Tuition

Let’s face it: paying for school can be a huge barrier for students. Also, many nurses end up absorbing a massive amount of student debt from their years of college. Additionally, some nurses transition into the field after spending years in another specialty or having another degree from which they’ve already accumulated student debt.

Finding a school that’s both affordable and reputable can seem challenging. Fortunately, you don’t have to jeopardize quality over price. Several of the schools we analyzed were both affordable and highly respected.

NCLEX scores

One of the most critical measures of a nursing program’s credibility is its NCLEX pass rates. The NCLEX test is an examination that measures a potential registered nurse’s aptitude. A good NCLEX pass rate for a school is anything in the 90th percentile and above.

Programs offered

The programs offered at the particular school you want to go to is critically important. You need to make sure that the school you are applying to has the program that you need. There are many different nursing programs offered at various schools. The principal baseline program offered at most universities is the BSN program. However, every person has different needs, and choosing the right program depends on the career track you are interested in.

Graduation Rate

The last factor that you should consider when choosing a nursing program is the graduation rate. A higher graduation rate indicates that the school graduates first-year students within 4-6 years at a greater rate than other schools. Knowing that your school has a proven track record of graduating students on time is crucial.

We retrieved our data from the following locations:

University webpages
The state board of registered nursing if applicable (for example, Pennsylvania Board of Registered Nursing)
The U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard
The American Association of Colleges of Nursing
U.S. News Best Colleges

To calculate the scores for the respective schools, we took the lowest-scoring school from each individual metric, assigned it a 1 and gave the highest score a 10. We then were able to create brackets within that range to place each college in.

After coming up with a score for each school out of ten for their respective metric, we added them up and multiplied them by two to come up with a score out of 100.

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How to choose the right nursing program

Location

Tuition

NCLEX scores

Programs offered

Graduation Rate

We retrieved our data from the following locations:

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