Nursing Education After BSN: Am I Ready to Apply for my MSN?
You chose the nursing career path because this profession is much more than a job – it’s your calling. If you would want to take your career to the next level, consider pursuing a master of science in nursing degree. Committing to an MSN degree program requires complete dedication, but it will hugely impact your nursing success by availing new opportunities, greater responsibilities, and better pay.
By pursuing an MSN degree, you will acquire advanced training and essential skills needed to provide better nursing care. An MSN could also qualify you to deliver most of the same services provided by physicians. This is important because physicians often have packed schedules and sometimes it is more expensive for patients to see a physician, which makes a specialized nurse practitioner a great alternative.
Reasons to Pursue Your MSN
While you may have a perfect nursing career with your BSN degree, your MSN will increase your opportunities and earning power. What’s more, the healthcare field is evolving quickly and many organizations and healthcare institutions are calling upon nurses to further their studies. Other reasons to get an MSN include:
Increased Specialization
Entry-level nursing degrees only prepare you for general nursing practice. On the other hand, a graduate degree will enable you to dig deeper into areas that interest you. The primary purpose of an MSN is to develop your professional skills and assume leadership positions.
Additionally, a master’s degree is a requirement for advanced practice nursing. Therefore, if you want to be a nurse educator or a nurse practitioner you will need an MSN. Your MSN degree will also prepare you for careers in family nurse practitioner and nursing education.
Teach Aspiring Nurses
In the year 2018, over 75,000 applicants were turned down by accredited nursing schools mainly because there were not enough teachers to handle more students. Although nurse educators with PhDs are in higher demand, you may also qualify to teach students and also lead clinical classes after completing your MSN. An MSN degree is one of the requirements for admission in a doctoral program.
Expand your Network
A master’s degree program will help you establish your relationships with other peers and professors. The connections you make as you pursue your graduate degree will help you to land on a new job, get into a doctoral program, or discover an interesting field.
Personal Fulfillment
As a nurse, you gain personal satisfaction by helping to improve the health of your patients. By earning an MSN degree, you will be able to help more people and improve your self-esteem. What’s more, your newfound confidence will go a long way in helping you.
It’s Never Been Easier
Pursuing your MSN degree will require your full commitment. Fortunately, today you don’t have to quit work and commute to school on a daily basis. There’re online degree programs that will enable you to pursue your MSN without leaving your home or workplace. Additionally, most employers encourage their employees to further their studies and some even offer grants and scholarships. Ensure that you check with your employer before enrolling for your MSN degree.
How Can You Tell If You’re Ready to Move to the Next Step in Your Career
The healthcare field is getting complex every day, and that’s why nurses are lifelong learners. Regardless of whether you planned to pursue an MSN degree right from high school, or you wanted to first gain some work experience, earning an MSN is worth considering. Some of the signs that you’re ready to earn an MSN include:
You Love Being a Leader
Do you find yourself working beyond your standard job duties? Do you enjoy training student nurses? Do you aspire to influence the healthcare institution you work for? An MSN degree will give you the authority you need.
You Want to Share What You’ve Learned
Your years of experience working as a nurse have taught you several tricks, and you want to pass on your knowledge to the next generation of nurses. By pursuing an MSN, you will be able to work as a nurse educator in both academic and clinical settings.
How Specializations fit into the MSN
Are you an RN and want to pursue a specialty and earn your MSN? Before you enroll for an MSN program you will have to choose whether you want to earn a general degree or you want to specialize in a specific area. Specializing in a specific concentration will enable you to compete for highly competitive jobs in education, leadership, and administration.
Are you a BSN nurse looking to move their career forward? If you want to earn a Master of Science Degree in Nursing, consider ECPI University. For more information, connect with a friendly admissions advisor today.
It could be the Best Decision You Ever Make!
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Gainful Employment Information – Master of Science in Nursing
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