Looking To Move Into Nursing Administration? Earn A Masters Degree In Nursing

If you've been working as a registered nurse for a few years

, you may have been thinking of taking your career up a level or two by pursuing a masters degree in nursing.

Many nurses with an RN designation tend to work "on the floor" of hospitals. Whether you earned an associate's degree in nursing (ADN) at a community college or you sat for your RN license after completing a hospitals RN program, you know how important those "floor" nurses are. They are patients' primary contacts and primary advocates within the health care team.

Yet perhaps you've decided you want to challenge yourself and push your individual career "envelope" a bit. If you've ever wanted to go into hospital or nursing administration. If you've ever wanted to teach others to become a nurse. If you've ever wanted to be the one to write health care policy within the government, a masters degree in nursing can help you get there.

If you'd like to pursue a masters degree in nursing but don't have a bachelor's degree in nursing, you're very much in luck today. If you have an associates degree in nursing, there are many programs at colleges and universities throughout the country that can help you earn an ADN to MSN degree.

Some will see you taking your classes at night so that you may work during the day. Others offer classes at least partially online. Which means you'll still be able to work as a nurse while you work toward your masters degree in nursing. In addition, most ADN to MSN degree programs require that their students participate in clinical educational opportunities. Your RN to MSN degree program undoubtedly will be happy if you arrange for those clinical experiences to take place where you currently work, thus making the program all the easier for you to pursue.

In addition, be sure to ask your employer if it will help foot some or all of your ADN to MSN degree program's tuition. It certainly won't hurt to ask, because many health care employers will pay their nurses, as well as other employees, to continue their education and expand their knowledge and skills. You also should look into programs where many graduates go on to work in medically underserved areas of the country; many of these programs will pay for your tuition if you promise to practice there for a mutually agreed upon time.

by: Jean Henshaw

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