I know first hand that you don't need a BSN to excel in your career or move up. I have known several Director of Nurses who did not have BSNs, and I was recently hired for a job where my team was composed mainly of nurses with BSNs however, I was paid approximately $7 more an hour than them because of my foreign language abilities. Further, when most of them, who had been with the company for years, were laid off, they kept me, and I had only been with the company for 7 months or so. They kept me because they needed a nurse with foreign language abilities. Although I have no Bachelor's, I have applied for jobs which stated that a Bachelor's and foreign language skills were preferred and I was offered the position because of my language skills. I do know that if you want your Master's then obviously, a BSN would be required. Also, if you want to ultimately teach. It also depends on job markets. Browse some general employment ads to see what requirements/preferences they list.