What profession doesn't pay to advance your education??Only a female dominated profession, whose members are socialized into believing it is unlady-like to ask for more money and admit you work for more than altruistic reasons. What male dominated profession would stand for that. Why pay for a BSN when a two year degree will get you the same job, a job with the benifit for tuition reimbursment if you so choose to advance to another degree? It has been my experience, however, regarding the advanced degrees you mentioned, that many ARNP/CRNA's promptly disassociate themselves from being a mere "nurse" in order to be accepted by the big boy doctors, so in reality you end up essentially leaving "nursing" anyway. I say go for the 2 year degree and let your hospital pay for your BSN if you want to "advance". Not that I think working 50+ hours a week doing the work doctors don't want to do as an ARNP is an advancement. Hour for hour, my observation is that bedside nursing pays the same if not more. Just my thoughts. By the way, I let my hospital pay for my BA in anthropology and sociology and am working on my MA as well, and I love every minute of it. It completely applies to the field and if I continue I can advance into medical anthropology on their tab, then work for community agencies, etc, not doctors and oppressive and exploitative hospital administrators