Running Head: IN-DEPTH LOOK AT BSN & NURSING

An In-Depth Look at a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and the Nursing Profession

Alexa Gonzalez
The University of Texas at El Paso
UNIV 1301

IN-DEPTH LOOK AT BSN & NURSING

An In-Depth Look at a Bachelor of Science and the Nursing Profession

Nursing is a challenging profession to get involved in, to receive a bachelor in nursing the
student must dedicate a lot of their time to the program. At UTEP there are multiple
requirements for students to enter the nursing program such as a test and an application. To be
considered to the program the applicant must have an excellent grade point average in core
curriculum courses. Once a student completes their degree and the required examination they can
become a registered nurse. Although registered nurses have stable jobs, they have difficult day
to day tasks such as tending to the patients needs, charting everything that is going on with their
patients, and meeting with other healthcare professionals about the well-being of the patient.
Nursing is a difficult profession to pursue, but it is a rewarding career because they help others
health improve and gain a lot of experience by interacting with patients that would help them in
their daily life.
A nursing degree is the common education level that most registered nurses have. A
bachelor in nursing requires students to be dedicated to the program. At UTEP there are several
tough requirements that students must complete to receive their nursing degree. The students
must complete eight pre-professional courses prior to applying to the program. These courses
consist of math, biology, chemistry, anatomy, nutrition, psychology, and a microorganisms
course. The students must not only complete the course, but they must receive at least a 3.25
cumulative grade point average in these courses. Applicants must also have at least a 3.25
cumulative grade point average from all university core classes and pre-professional courses. If
the student does not have at least a 3.25 grade point average, the application process is not
recommended. Students that apply are accepted only based on their grade point average.

IN-DEPTH LOOK AT BSN & NURSING

In addition to maintaining a strong grade point average, applicants must complete the
TEAS test. Students must score at least a 58.7% to be considered for the UTEP nursing program.
The TEAS test or Test of Essential Academic Skills is a standardized admissions test used by
many nursing schools to evaluate potential candidates for admission (TEAS Test Overview).
This exam consists of math, reading, science, and English portions. The main reason applicants
must take the exam is to measure if the student is well rounded and has retained most of the
information that they have learned in their college education. It is also taken to give a small look
if nursing school would benefit from the student.
After applying for the UTEP nursing program and getting accepted, students must be
devoted to the program. Nursing students must pass all courses with a C or better to remain in
the program. Students are dropped from the program when they fail twice or withdraw from two
nursing courses. Juan Barrientos, a 7th semester nursing student, said it is recommended that
students do not work when in the program because they have clinical rotations to complete, the
course load is heavy, and its tough to get an effective amount of study time when balancing
school and work. He was speaking from personal experience about this because he is married
and has a toddler so he must work to make ends meet. Nursing students must have at least a 2.5
GPA to graduate with a nursing degree which is why balancing a job and school has proven to be
very difficult for many students.
The nursing program at UTEP is designed to prepare students to take the NCLEX after
graduation. The NCLEX is an examination that nursing students take to certify them as
registered nurses. It gives scenarios that a registered nurse may come across when working in the
healthcare setting, and the best approach to it must be written. The exam also tests if nurses
know the proper medication to give certain patients, and what dosage is necessary. This exam

IN-DEPTH LOOK AT BSN & NURSING

goes over everything the students should have learned in nursing school. UTEPs regular nursing
program has the highest percentage of students that graduate and pass the NCLEX in El Paso.
Their passing rate of the NCLEX is over 95%, which is good considering how difficult the
examination is.
Although many degrees require students to complete internships, nursing is not one of
them. Also, nursing does not require students to be part of any professional or social
organizations. Internships are not mandatory, but academic advisors recommend them to build
the students resume so they can stand out when applying for jobs. Social organizations at UTEP
are helpful because they help students make friends with many other students and sometimes
meet upperclassmen that are also in their major and receive advice from them. Nursing
organizations are very beneficial for students because they meet nurses and fellow nursing
students. They can get insight of the job, how tough nursing school is, and what to expect when
working full time after graduation.
Nurses have very long and difficult work days with strenuous day to day duties.
Registered nurses work 12 hour shifts either in during the day or throughout the night. In
addition to working 12 hour shifts, nurses also work 3 days in a row and then get a few days off,
then go back to work again. Mireya Cardona, a night shift nurse, said the 3 days of work are
very beneficial because you get a lot of free time during the week, and you rarely use personal or
sick days. The tasks that many nurses must do are review and record patients symptoms,
administer medication, teach patients how to improve and have a better outlook on life, and
consult with physicians and other medical professionals about the well-being of their patient.
Duties that nurse must complete become difficult, according to Mrs. Cardona, when the
registered nurse has to watch over 4-6 patients during one shift. She says that it gets challenging

IN-DEPTH LOOK AT BSN & NURSING

to go back and forth between all the patients and chart their symptoms and medicine intake. She
says sometimes there is very little time between moving from patient to patient that she must
write all the major information in a pocketbook. The shift can become so stressful at times that
many nurses do not take any lunch or bathroom breaks. Also, many nurses must stay overtime to
complete their patients charting to avoid getting into any trouble. It is a tough job, but the
feeling that you helped a patient improve their health is rewarding (Mrs. Cardona).
Nursing jobs are very stable, the average growth of nursing jobs in the United States per
year is 15%. There has been a growing number of available jobs, but now it is close to becoming
a requirement for nurses to have a bachelors degree when applying for registered nurse jobs.
There are many nursing openings in most cities across the United States. There are much more
opening in larger cities such as Austin, Dallas, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Seattle, Houston, etc.
Additionally, many nurses are retiring at almost the same rate that there are students finishing
nursing school, so the openings are also coming from that situation. There are many openings as
well because the baby boomers are also aging, making more geriatric positions available. These
jobs will remain stable because disease and aging will always be around, and there will always
be a need to people to tend to those needs.
Nurses are very well paid, and it makes pursing the difficult degree worth it. The average
salary for a registered nurse is $67,490. Sometimes some work environments may offer other
services to make the life of the registered nurse easier. Employers may offer flexible work
schedules, childcare, educational benefits, and bonuses, was stated by the Bureau of Labor
Statistics. They mean that many employers understand that their employees have a family to take
care of, so they offer these benefits. This is a tough career to pursue, but the salary and benefits

IN-DEPTH LOOK AT BSN & NURSING

make the education that was needed worth pursuing, even though someone shouldnt pursue a
job solely for the pay (Mrs. Cardona).
The nursing profession and education are very difficult to pursue. Although difficult, the
profession makes the difficulty of nursing school worth it. It is proven that nurses earn an
excellent salary, and they have a very stable job outlook. There will always be job openings
everywhere especially for those who want to travel and work at the same time. The program at
UTEP is very tough and challenging, but after completing it the student obtains a degree and is
well prepared to take the NCLEX and become a registered nurse.

IN-DEPTH LOOK AT BSN & NURSING

7
References

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S Department of Labor. (2016). Registered nurses. Occupational
Outlook Handbook. Retrieved November 14, 2016, from
http://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/registered-nurses.htm#tab-1
NCLEX & Other Exams | NCSBN. (n.d.). Retrieved November 25, 2016, from
https://www.ncsbn.org/nclex.htm
TEAS Test Overview. (n.d.). Retrieved November 28, 2016, from https://www.testguide.com/teas-test-overview.html
TEAS Test Prep. (n.d.). Retrieved November 28, 2016, from
https://www.atitesting.com/Solutions/pre-program/TEAS.aspx
Thriving in Your Nursing Career. (n.d.). Retrieved November 20, 2016, from
https://www.discovernursing.com/thriving-in-your-nursing-career#.WD9jMeYrJEY
UTEP School of Nursing | The University of Texas at El Paso. (n.d.). Retrieved November 18,
2016, from http://hhdrc.utep.edu/