Nursing is a selfless and admirable job that, for many of us, wouldnโt seem like the career of choice. On the surface, being a nurse sounds draining, with no possibility of advancing your career. But the truth couldnโt be further from this! Like the medical industry at large, nursing is huge!
It has multiple sub-fields that you can specialise in and a hierarchy of positions between nurses as well, some of which need higher nursing qualifications than others. In this article, weโll discuss what you can do with a Master of Nursing.
Career opportunities for those with a Masters in Nursing
Nurses who aspire to further their careers can study and obtain their master’s degree in nursing.
This level of qualification will open the door for them to expand their skills in the nursing profession and advance their career to more advanced roles, leadership positions, or specialist positions.
Here are some of the careers you can pursue with a master of nursing:
More advanced nursing roles
Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
A psychiatric mental health nurse is responsible for caring for individuals who suffer from psychiatric disorders, drug addictions or brain disorders.
Often, theyโll specialise in assigning appropriate treatment for these people, including what medication they need to take. As a psychiatric mental health nurse, you can expect to get an average salary of $144,000 per year.
Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP)
Family nurses offer a bunch of healthcare services. For treating illnesses and injuries to working in education.
Basically, they offer treatment on the entire healthcare spectrum, making them versatile and sought after. Family nurses fetch around $100,000 per year.
Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner (AGNP)
Adult gerontology nurses are responsible for caring for the older population. Their jobs involve working on preventative methods for illnesses, treatment plans, and reducing the effects of chronic illnesses on the older generation.
As one of these nurses, you might find yourself working in a frail-care facility or other facilities that deal with people within these margins. Adult gerontology nurses get around $110,000 per year.
Leadership roles
Chief Nursing Officer
The chief nursing officer is responsible for representing the nursing staff at board meetings and giving advice to the senior management of the facility on the best nursing practices.
In addition to this, theyโd also be responsible for a certain level of management amongst the nursing teams.
Offering guidance, training, and managing the teams effectively. As a chief nursing officer, you can expect to get around $130,000 per year.
Clinical Nurse Leader
A clinical nurse leader is a nurse who works in the clinical sector but is responsible for supervising the team that runs the department.
Their daily job might involve delegating responsibility, evaluating client care, and coordinating the teams that treat their clients. A clinical nurse leader might get a slightly higher income than your standard clinical nurse, getting around $88,000 per year.
Patient Care Director
A patient care director is a management position. As its name would suggest, this role involves managing how patients are cared for in all aspects.
Be it in training nurses to provide quality care, or supervising the performance of nursing teams, the end goal is to ensure that the healthcare facility is providing patients with the best care possible. As a patient care director, youโd get roughly $110,000 per year or more.
Specialising as a nurse
Nurses can also specialise in numerous medical fields. For instance, you could become an informatics specialist. These nurses analyse data from healthcare facilities to help improve the care given to patients through innovations and advancements in technology, Informatics specialists earn an average of $83,000 per year.
You could also go into nursing education if you wished. Nurse educators are responsible for creating and teaching nursing curriculums that will help equip future nurses to do the job well. This job will fetch you about $90,000 per year.
What are the benefits of earning a Masterโs Degree in Nursing
There are several benefits that come with having a master of nursing degree, for example:
- You take a step closer to being able to specialise in an area of nursing that you prefer. Whether it be a leadership position or a specific medical field that you aspire to work in, studying for a Master in Nursing can open the door for you to get there.
- You get to work in positions that allow you to have a more predictable schedule. When nurses first start out, their schedules can be unpredictable because they often have to be available when called. However, if youโre in a management position or a non-traditional nursing role, your schedule might be more set, making it easier for you to plan.
- You get to be a part of actively improving the healthcare given to patients. With a master’s degree, youโll be qualified to step into research roles or management roles where you can implement treatment plans and policies that better the way nurses care for patients, thus improving this aspect of the healthcare system.
- As your career advances, your salary might climb as well, allowing you to build more wealth.
- Studying further offers you personal and professional development. On the one hand, youโre learning how to better manage and conduct yourself as a nurse and individual, and on the other, youโre improving your knowledge and skills when it comes to caring for patients.
Final Thought
Having a Master’s in Nursing makes you stand out above the rest. With it, you can step into more advanced nursing roles, leadership roles, and even specialise in a nursing field of your choosing. Said simply, it opens up more doors for you and allows you to climb the ladder in the nursing industry.
