Benefits of a Master’s Degree in the Nursing Profession

When it comes to their career, some people prefer stability, while others prefer looking for better opportunities. This fact is especially relevant to nurses. Some nurses want stability in their career, because they love what they are doing, while others dream of taking their career to the next level.

Those who want to move forward must realize that they will have to put in extra effort. For starters, they will have to pursue a master’s degree. Once they have completed it, they can make much better career choices based on their specialization.

With a master’s degree in hand, they can avail better job opportunities. They can also perform certain tasks in their current job such as accessing patient conditions, researching (if required), overseeing patient records, developing treatment plans, educating patients, and managing low-level nurses.

A nurse with a master’s degree can choose from these advanced nursing career opportunities:

• Nurse Practitioner: A nurse practitioner has the authority to treat certain medical ailments without the supervision of a doctor. These nurses are specifically trained to promote health and maintenance by treating acute illnesses and chronic conditions. They can also prescribe medications, order and perform diagnostic tests, educate patients, and examine the patient’s previous medical history. This makes it a highly-revered career with great opportunities.

• Certified Nurse Midwife: The core responsibility of a certified nurse midwife is to offer proper care to women during their pregnancy and postpartum period. Other roles of a nurse midwife involve tracking fetal development, providing primary health care for women, and referring patients to specialists. These nurses act as a support for women before and after pregnancy.

• Clinical Nurse Specialist: As a nurse specialist, you can provide expert advice related to specific conditions or pathways. Other responsibilities include implementing nursing care, teaching skills to patients and families, and implementing new ideas and changes in patient care.

• Certified Nurse Anesthetist: A nurse anesthetist is specialized in the administration of anesthesia. A certified nurse anesthetist is one of the most-highly paid nursing professions, making it an excellent career choice in the field of health care.

Apart from the aforementioned career opportunities, there are other reasons nurses can benefit by earning a master’s degree:

• Nurses Can Expect Better Working Hours Than Before: Although nursing is a highly-respected career, working hours are not usually suitable. This can make for a hectic and exhausting day. If the nurse earns a master’s degree, they will be eligible for management positions which come with more desirable working hours.

• Nurses Can Get Higher Perks: Nurses can expect much higher rewards with a master’s degree in hand due to specialization in a particular area of expertise.

• Nurses Can Also Serve As Educator: With a master’s degree, nurses can serve as an educator quite conveniently to prepare new nurses, and develop current health professionals.

In addition to these benefits, a nurse with a master’s degree will always be a source of great inspiration to others. If you are a nurse and are thinking about pursuing higher education through specialized nursing programs, explore your options at INSCOL.