Getting a higher education is a step in the right direction career-wise and fulfillment of personal goals. If you are a nurse and want to advance your career your first instinct should be to get a master’s degree. Master in Science of Nursing is the next degree after your Bachelor in Science of Nursing. The program can easily be completed within 18-24 months. Getting an MSN after BSN will improve your career, earning, skillset and status as a nurse practitioner.
1. MSN can be completed online:
If you have a bachelor’s degree in nursing you most probably are working as a nurse. Nurses have long shifts, with odd timings. It’s a very hard job with very little flexibility in working hours. Because of this most universities offer masters programs online. You have flexible hours to take classes and courses online. You can also submit assignments in your own time. If there are any classes or clinical practice that you have to go for in person, you can take them at any registered facility closest to your work or home. Hence you can convert your BSN to MSN online without compromising your work or family, with ease.
2. It will give you more choices:
Getting a master’s means more choices as to what you want to do in the future. You can become an educator in college, vocational school, nursing school or a university. You can also enter into leadership and policymaking roles. Having a master’s means you have more control over the future of your career and influence in your work community. You can enter administrative positions or take up management positions. While in a graduate program you can reach out to other people in the field. Look into research work that you might want to join. It will also be a step towards getting a doctorate if that is your future goal.
3. You get a Salary boost:
When you upgrade your bachelor’s degree to a master’s degree it also means you are upgrading your paycheck. According to surveys, there is at least a 10-20 percent should increase in your basic salary if you are holding a master’s degree rather than a bachelor’s degree. Over the years as more experienced you get, the potential to earn more also increases exponentially. The more specialized you get better you earn. Nurse Anesthetist is the highest earning nurses in the field. They earn about 100 percent more than the basic pay of a general nurse.
4. You can get a specialization:
With a master’s degree, you are no longer a general nurse. You can pick the field you like and get your specialization in that through your masters. You can learn advanced skills and practices regarding that field. Having a specialization will also fulfill your personal goals. Field specialist is always more in demand and gets the better-salaried position. There are many fields to choose from, like psychiatric nurse practitioner, acute care nurse practitioner, pediatric nurse practitioner, midwife, etc.
5. You are more respected:
Being a graduate in any field means you are very serious about your work and want to achieve professional advancement. It will earn you respect from your peers, colleagues, and juniors. You will be treated as a senior with experience and skill. Being more knowledgeable means you will more be respected and difficult cases will be deferred to you. You will be seen as a more responsible and able person. It will give your self-esteem a boost and earn validity. Your work at times will mean overseeing other nurses’ work. You will be a source of admiration for your juniors a mentor so to say.
6. Better working hours:
Getting a master means you earn seniority. That will give you more control over your working hours. Your shifts will become less grueling. The grunt work is usually reserved for junior staff. Being more educated and skilled will mean you will get more special cases. Your workload will be more administrative and field-specific rather than being just laborious.
7. There is growing demand:
The employment of specialized nurses like midwives, nurse anesthetists, nurse practitioners will grow by 26% from 2018-2020. This is much faster than the average growth of any other field. The reason for that is more and more people are getting health insurance and hence getting access to pre-emptive care in the USA. Secondly, the huge population of aging baby boomers will be entering the health care system for care. Hence getting a masters will secure you a better job and position in this growing industry which needs specialized professionals.
Summation:
Getting an MSN is a financial commitment for sure and it will cost you money. But if you are working it is a manageable commitment. You can reduce the load by transferring your bachelor credits to your master’s equivalent ones. In the long term, your masters will elongate your career. It will help you get positions that will not require a lot of physical work. Nurses suffer from physical pains and problems because this is a physically demanding field. So having an administrative, managerial, or educator position will become a lot more suitable at a later age and that is only possible if you have the required education and skills. To improve your degree and education to secure your future.