Which way to go?

What kind of certifications are you talking about? Most nursing specialty certifications require a minimum of 1-2 years experience in the specialty field. What do you want to do as far as "furthering your career" goes? If, say, you work in oncology and intend to stay in oncology indefinitely and want to move up the clinical ladder then, yes, OCN certification would be beneficial. If you're at your first job and are just looking to move on in the future, a specialty certification may not help if you want to go to a different specialty. Do you want to go back to school for a higher degree? If you're employed as an RN with an ADN, a BSN isn't going to necessarily open many more doors for you. So bascially, where do yoou want to go? That will determine the route you take to get there....

The BSN is more versatile. Certifications may require BSN and most require at least two years working in that area of interest. Try talking to a nurse educator who might have some insight. Good luck!