5 Benefits of Transitioning from PN to RN

Nursing is with no doubt a profession for individuals who are committed to making a difference in people’s lives. Making a decision on the options for a career in nursing can be very stressful. One of the biggest challenges that prospective nurses face involves making a choice on whether to become a Practical Nurse (PN) or a Registered Nurse (RN). These two careers are both impactful, but looking at the benefits, becoming an RN is more beneficial. To help you make the right choice for your future, let’s take a look at 5 benefits of becoming an RN over a PN.

RNs Have Higher Earning Potential

Becoming an RN gives you an obvious advantage of earning a significantly higher salary. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual range for registered nurses was $67,490 in May 2015, compared to the $43,170 median annual salary earned by practical nurses. This, therefore, means that investing more in the extended education will give you more returns once you join the workforce. In some areas, depending on the facility and job responsibilities, you could end up earning a six-digit annual salary.

More Job Opportunities

With increased skills and responsibilities for registered nurses, the job openings keep growing. In addition, some health care facilities are not employing PNs anymore. Instead, they choose to only have registered nurses because of the limited duties a PN is allowed to perform. Moving from a PN to RN will offer you a wider scope of job types to choose from. RNs can be able to work in any hospital or state because they do not need to work under supervision of other nurses like the PNs.

Advancement

As an RN, you have more opportunities for professional advancement. For instance, if you work as an RN in long-term care ward, you stand an opportunity to advance to become the head of the infection control department. You could also move up to become the director of nursing in the health care facility you work in. Transitioning from PN to RN is the right choice if you are concerned about future advancements and leadership opportunities.

Job Security

The minimum requirements for the nursing career are forever evolving. Most organizations now require their nurses to have an RN license or have a bachelor’s degree in nursing. The PN position has become scarcer in hospital settings. If your intention is to work for many years to come as a nurse in a hospital, then you must obtain your RN license. PN job opportunities may keep decreasing with time and this means that transitioning from PN to RN is the best thing you can do to leave room in your career for growth and potential.

Registered Nurses Have More Job Responsibilities

Practical nurses usually perform selected tasks and share responsibility under the direction of more qualified nurses. To help improve the health of patients in stable conditions, PNs have to collaborate with licensed professionals, usually RNs. A registered nurse has the capability of diagnosing a patient’s response to health problems. In addition, they can provide hands-on care to patient’s in unstable conditions.

To keep the doors of opportunity open, you should choose your program wisely. Transitioning from PN to RN will require you to get more education and this means more job opportunities in the future. At Athena Career Academy, we specialize in the field of nursing and help PNs become registered nurses in just one year. To enroll for a class, contact us today at 419-329-4075.