Rural-urban differences in educational attainment among registered nurses: Implications for achieving an 80% BSN workforce

Multiple professional organizations and institutes recommend the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree as a minimum standard for registered nurse practice. Achieving this standard may be particularly challenging in rural areas, which tend to be more economically disadvantaged and have fewer opportunities for higher educational attainment compared to urban areas. Our primary objective was to provide updated information on rural-urban differences in educational attainment. We also examined rural-urban differences in employment type, salary, and demographics among registered nurses in different practice settings. Data were obtained from the 2011–2015 American Community Survey (ACS) Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS). The sample included registered nurses (RN) between the ages of 18–64 years (n = 34,104) from all 50 states. Chi-square tests, t-tests, and multivariable logistic regression were used to examine the relationship between rurality and BSN preparedness and salary across practice settings. Urban nurses were more likely to have a BSN degree than rural nurses (57.9% versus 46.1%, respectively; p