Get a better understanding of the nursing profession and learn about the importance of getting a Masters in Nursing.
Nursing is such a noble profession that many people don’t consider it a profession at all. Nurses give more importance to the health and welfare of patients than their own. Nothing is better than a registered nurse except for a nurse with a Masters in Nursing.
Like any other profession, there is a career ladder to climb for nurses. Ideally, nurses wouldn’t mind career movements and salary increases, but in the real world they do. There are bills to be paid and there is a career to be built by everyone, including the noble nurse.
A Registered Nurse or RN is someone who received a license to become a nurse after taking a 2-year vocational course. RNs do not get assigned responsibilities exclusively for regular nurses. The career standing and salary bracket of RNs is only a little over those of an orderly, licensed practical nurse (LPN) or nursing aide.
A regular nurse is someone who has earned a Bachelor’s degree in Nursing (BSN). BSN is a 4-year course that is offered in universities and nursing colleges. Those who have earned the degree and have gone on to become nurses are given much more career opportunity choices than RNs.
There are online RN-BSN courses that allow RNs to make a career jump from a practicing health care provider to a regular nurse. The course offers subjects and practical applications that an RN misses. Nurses with BSN are trained in performing specialized health care in several situations, for instance special assistance to cancer patients or an elderly patient.
RN-BSN may be a big jump to some but there is yet a better offer: the RN-MSN program. There are registered nurses who wish to earn a Masters degree in Nursing in the fastest way possible, and with this program, the jump is possible. This program is tailor-made so that an RN avoids an overlap from needing to go through a BSN program first before continuing to MSN.
APN or advanced practice nurse is someone who has completed an MSN program and earned a Master of Science in Nursing. Anyone with a Bachelor’s degree could become an APN even without prior nursing experience. A Direct Entry MSN program allows non-nurses to jump into the nursing profession equipped with a Master’s degree, as long as they have a bachelor’s degree in a related field.
A Direct Entry MSN course takes three years to finish, which is not a very long time considering the jump to a new field of study. The first year focuses on entry-degree nursing subjects so that non-nurse students can effectively transition. The next two years are for research, coaching into one’s specialization, and preparation for RN licensure.
MSN students (RN, BSN, or non-nurse) are given several specializations to choose from, which include health care administration, nurse administration, management, and education. The choice depends on one’s inkling or given set of skills and experience. For instance, students with prior teaching experience and a natural liking for teaching should specialize in Master’s in Nursing Career: Nurse Educator.
A Nurse Educator is responsible in educating patients, families, other nurses and physicians when necessary. This Masters in Nursing program will train students to do the work of a consultant in matters of public health policy, scientific applications, and other nursing guidelines including insurance policies. In other words, an APN is more skilled than an LPN, RN or BSN, and can move on to becoming DNP or doctor of nursing practice.