Are you ready to begin your MSN degree? If so, you might as well get it done right the first time. There are many different ways one can gain a Master of Science in Nursing degree. You might need a certificate or two, but that’s the whole shebang!
Read on to learn everything you need to know about getting an MSN degree, study abroad, and more. Here is everything you need to know about getting an MSN degree.
Also read: The Top 8 Online Degrees That Pay Well
Meaning of Nursing
“Nursing is the protection, promotion and optimization of health and abilities, prevention of illness and injury, alleviation of suffering through diagnosis and treatment of human response, and advocacy in the care of individuals, families, communities, and populations,” according to the American Nurses Association (ANA).
“Nursing” is defined by the International Council of Nursing (ICN) as “encompassing autonomous and collaborative care of individuals of all ages, families, groups, and communities, sick or well, and in all settings; including the promotion of health, prevention of illness, and care of ill, disabled, and dying people.”
To convey the idea of nursing and everything it encompasses, various bodies of knowledge have been used. Self-care theory, Environmental Theory, Theory of Interpersonal Relations, Theory of Human Caring, Behavioural System Model, Goal Attainment Theory, Nursing Need Theory, Care, Cure, Core Theory, and Theory of Unitary Human Beings are a few examples.
Understanding that a person is made up of biological, psychological, social, economic, and spiritual elements is crucial to the nursing profession. This has influenced the Holistic Approach in practice over time. The practice of nursing takes all of these factors into account while keeping in mind that they are interconnected.
In actual practice, the nurse aims to comprehend the client by concentrating on all the components, their interactions, how these interactions led to the client’s current health condition, and how the client’s health problem is affecting these components. The nurse’s intervention is guided by this data in order to deliver the intended level of care.
Types of MSN Degree Specializations
Nurses who want to pursue an MSN have a wide range of possibilities. Programs offering a master’s in science in nursing can be broken down into two main groups: general MSN programs and specialty MSN programs.
Graduates of general MSN programs are prepared to work as nurses educators, researchers, administrators, and more. Clinical nurse specialist (CNS), certified registered nurse anesthetist, certified nurse midwife, and certified nurse practitioner are the four specializations covered by specialty advanced practice RN (APRN) programs (CNM).
Nurses who want to pursue an MSN have a wide range of possibilities. Programs offering a master’s in science in nursing can be broken down into two main groups: general MSN programs and specialty MSN programs.
Graduates of general MSN programs are prepared to work as nurses educators, researchers, administrators, and more. Clinical nurse specialist (CNS), certified registered nurse anesthetist, certified nurse midwife, and certified nurse practitioner are the four specializations covered by specialty advanced practice RN (APRN) programs (CNM).
Some nurses opt to first complete a standard MSN degree program before returning to finish the MSN speciality school’s requirements for the APRN certification.
Nursing Specialist
Students in MSN nurse practitioner programs are prepared for careers as APRNs. These programs’ graduates are eligible to apply for national board certification. NPs have a wide range of practice specialties to select from, including adult-gerontology, family practice, women’s health, mental health, and many more.
The clinical duties of a nurse practitioner include disease prevention and promotion of good health. They may be able to carry out many of the same tasks as doctors, including recommending medication and conducting lab tests, depending on the state. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, an NP earns an average yearly pay of $118,040. (BLS).
Professional Nurse Midwife
The licensed nurse midwifery curriculum has a strong emphasis on personalised care and wellness before, during, and after childbirth. The average yearly pay for a certified nurse midwife is $114,210, according to the BLS.
A CNM must pass the American Midwifery Certification Board’s nurse midwife certification exam after finishing an authorized MSN program (AMCB). There aren’t many recognized MSN programs that have been accepted, including online nurse-midwifery schools.
Depending on state laws, a CNM may work alone or under a doctor’s supervision. The majority of CNMs are employed by hospitals, ambulatory care clinics, or private birthing homes. A CNM’s employment responsibilities include doing prenatal and postnatal checkups, assisting expectant parents and persons in creating birth plans, and more.
Public Health
Graduates of public health MSN programs are prepared for a career in education, emphasizing long-term health and wellness and enhancing community access to healthcare. They frequently work with impoverished, low-income, and underserved groups.
Community health center health checks are one service that public health nurses may offer, though their areas of expertise may be more varied. For other healthcare professionals to use in their areas, they might create campaigns for illness prevention and health education, for instance.
Coursework for a public health nursing MSN degree program includes advanced nursing practice in population health, research methodologies and biostatistics, and an introduction of global health challenges. A public health nurse’s average hourly wage in October 2022, as reported by Payscale, was $29.40; their typical annual salary ranged from $48,000 to $94,000.
Nursing Management
Graduates of an MSN program in nurse administration can work in human resources, management, or as chief nursing officers, clinical nurse managers, or other positions.
They must ensure patient safety and high standards for care while also implementing nursing policies in the healthcare environment. They also handle money-related issues, such as creating budgets to make sure a facility or a unit has enough resources.
There are online dual degree programs that allow students to earn both an MSN and a master of health administration. The average yearly wage for nursing administrators, according to the BLS, is $119,840.
Nursing Studies
Research and teaching hospitals, as well as other academic medical institutes, frequently employ nurse researchers. They may also work for businesses engaged in medical research, such as manufacturers of pharmaceuticals or medical devices.
Nurse researchers may perform original study on enhancing nursing quality or care for and track the results of patients taking part in medical research. The ethical treatment of human subjects, sophisticated data collection and analysis, statistics, the principles and practices of medical research, evidence-based practices, and risk management are all heavily emphasized in the curriculum for nurse researcher programs.
Boundaries of a Nursing Degree
Your caretaker will help you to understand the boundaries of a nursing degree. These boundaries might include:
- Your individual needs and the needs of your family.
- The needs of your clients.
- Your training courses and instruction.
- Your community service.
- Your research and professional development.
- Other duties that may fall under the purview of the degree.
- Get your bachelor’s degree here.
- Get a night job while you’re at it.
- Get prepped for your clinical career.
Top MSN Degree Universities In The World
- University of Pennsylvania
- King’s College London
- Johns Hopkins University
- University of Washington
- The University of Manchester
- University of California
- Yale University
- University of North Carolina
- University of Southampton
- Duke University
Summing Up
And there you have it! The perfect opportunity to earn a MSN degree. Apply yourself to the task and you will be fine. Your job will be to learn as much as you can, gain experience, and prepare for your clinical career.
Once your degree is in, you can take any elective training that might be available in that field, as well as other training opportunities that may be available.
Then, you can apply your knowledge to support businesses in your field and become a resource to your community.