How to Choose the Best Nursing Graduate Degree
Registered nurses are vital to patient care since they not only do physical examinations, write prescriptions, and help supervise a team of medical specialists.
However, there is a growing nursing shortage in states throughout the US as a result of staff burnout, inadequate training, and a generation of retiring nurses. A growing number of experts agree that there is an increased need for nurses, particularly those with advanced degrees, as a result of a number of factors such as an aging patient population that is living longer and often managing chronic diseases, as well as a decline in primary care physicians.
A postgraduate nursing degree requires significant time and financial investment, so prospective students must carefully consider their options to be sure their decision will pay off in the long term.
The Degree in Advanced Nursing
Advanced Practice Registered Nurses, or APRNs, typically hold a Master of Science in Nursing or Doctor of Nursing Practice degree. The clinical component of healthcare is emphasized by both. Nurses who wish to work in academia or research can enroll in a Ph.D. program.
Some people could enjoy being academics. Some may choose to pursue careers as research scientists. Some people want to manage health care companies, according to Beth Ann Swan, interim assistant dean for education, associate dean, and vice president for academic practice partnerships at Emory University’s Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing in Georgia. “Graduate training is necessary if they’re interested in making that move, but it really depends.”
Swan, a registered nurse with a Ph.D., says she has seen DNP students go on to become federal policy advisers, vice presidents of large health systems, and chief nursing officers of hospitals.
MSN nurses will continue to benefit from advancements in their careers, including opportunities for teaching and other challenging roles, as well as higher earning possibilities. This is particularly true for nurses who wish to continue working closely with their patients or who are unsure if pursuing a PhD is the right path for them.
Master of Science in Nursing
One can specialize in clinical nurse specialist, nurse practitioner, nurse anesthetist, or certified nurse midwifery as an MSN candidate. Pediatric and adult-gerontological nurses work with specific patient populations.
While expedited programs can be finished in as little as 15 months, full-time completion of an MSN degree often takes two to three years. Students without any prior nursing experience can finish their bachelor’s, graduate, and licensing programs in three years thanks to an accelerated nursing curriculum.
A nurse with a master’s degree will be more responsible for their patients, creating prescriptions, ordering diagnostic testing, and creating care plans.
Master of Science in Nursing
Susan Renz, Ph.D., a geriatric nurse practitioner and director of the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing’s primary care program, contends that working as a primary care physician has several advantages, one of which is the capacity to improve a patient’s health. “You are essentially at the same level as physicians and typically work side by side with them.”
With more responsibility come new obstacles.
Acute care nurse practitioner Alexander Menard works in the intensive care unit for 12 hours a day, seven days a week, and characterizes his typical workday as “a lot of time with patients” while managing a high workload. “I spend the entire day caring for patients and their families, working closely with nurses and an interdisciplinary team, getting guidance from experts like social workers and physical therapists, planning the patient’s care, and making sure all pertinent fields are contributing to the patient’s best outcomes. A lot of care coordination is required.
Higher standards are typically accompanied with higher compensation. The median yearly wage for nurse practitioners, nurse anesthetists, and nurse midwives was $125,900 in 2022, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, while the annual salary for registered nurses was $81,220.
