6 minute read
How an RN-to-MSN Program Can Advance Your Career
BY JULIA QUINN-SZCESUIL
As the nursing industry continues to change, more nurses seek a master of science in nursing (MSN) to advance their careers. The path to a master’s degree varies among schools and programs, giving nurses options for how to pursue a degree and balance it with their other obligations.
Nurses considering an MSN will want to examine several programs to benchmark the basics, such as admission requirements, cost, potential funding, program length, and course delivery (online or oncampus work). The graduation rates will give you an understanding of how many nurses complete the program.
One option is the RN-toMSN program which helps accelerate studies. RN-to-MSN programs are all slightly different. For example, some programs require an associate’s degree for admission, while others require completion of BSN studies. Within programs, nurses may need to complete prerequisite courses before beginning program work, so all students enter with the same foundational knowledge, particularly in math and science courses.
Find the Right Program for You
Once you have some programs in mind, looking at your personal and professional goals will help you whittle down the best RN-to-MSN programs. According to Tina Farrell, director of the RN-MSN program at the University of Mississippi Medical Center School of Nursing, the right RN-to-MSN program can expedite a nurse’s career goals and trajectory.
“The big benefit is to those nurses who know they want a particular type of master’s,” she says of RN-to-MSN programs, “because it requires a commitment to a particular track.” For example, the University of Mississippi’s RN-MSN program offers several tracks, including an FNP, a master’s in nursing education, or a master’s in nursing and healthcare administration.
Farrell says RN-to-MSN programs help students save time and money. “Doing the RN-to-MSN takes the same time as it would be to complete an RN-to-BSN,” she says, and nurses graduate with the advanced degree without having to apply for, be accepted into, and complete a separate MSN program. In addition, thanks to an outreach program at the University of Mississippi, some students there can apply for early acceptance while in an associate’s program, says Farrell, offering an even more seamless approach to an advanced degree.
Other programs offer a different path. For example, at the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing, students complete an accelerated BSN/ MSN. “The program permits students to use some credits from the graduate programs as electives in the undergrad completion portion so that they can take fewer total credits to get an MSN,” says Linda Kelly, JD, MSN, RN, assistant professor and coordinator of the RN Options Program at the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing.
Students in the program often want to complete BSN requirements for work and advance their careers, so continuing with the MSN brings even more benefits. “It also gives them the additional information necessary for moving up their career ladder into education, administration, and other endeavors,” Kelly says, because the depth of learning offered through the curriculum gives an excellent foundation in pathophysiology, assessment, organizational theory, and other key courses needed for advanced learning.
Part-time or Fulltime Program?
RN-to-MSN programs frequently offer flexible timelines for students to complete the work, but Farrell mentions a few things nurses should consider. A full-time student is often eligible for additional potential funding and grants that a part-time student is not. Some schools also set a cap on tuition credit costs, so a fulltime student may be able to add a few extra credits without an additional cost. Part-time students have other advantages, she says. They can work while taking courses and have more financial resources. They also have a lighter course load which can help with a school/ work/life balance. “Students may choose to take one course per term or two courses per term, depending on how fast
Nurse educators are in high demand.
they want to move through the program,” says Kelly.
An MSN degree opens up career opportunities for nurses. According to Farrell, nurse educators are in high demand, and nurses could find work in areas such as diabetes hospital educators or as coordinators for a joint replacement program. “There are many different roles for educators,” says Farrell, “you just need to get in and find what works for you.”
Master’s degrees are an excellent entry for nursing healthcare administration where nurses are needed in leader-
ship, says Farrell. Many roles that require expertise in global leadership or managing budgets don’t require a nursing degree, but a nursing leader in one of those positions brings an entirely different set of experiences, she says. Healthcare leaders with nursing education and experience will look at patient care, nurse support, and analytics to understand what’s required to deliver optimal care
in a realistic setting. “What’s needed,” says Farrell, “is the ability to speak the nursing language and translate it to those who do not.”
Options Bring More Diversity to Nursing
And because it offers a pathway for nurses, an RN-to-MSN program often helps expand opportunities for nurses from traditionally underrepresented groups--increasing diversity in the nursing industry. And many nurses can step into a nurse practitioner provider role upon completion of their degree, which can help fill the growing primary care provider shortage, particularly in underserved areas where care can be challenging to access. An MSN is also needed for faculty roles, so pursuing this advanced degree path will get more nurses into higher education. The results are broad--more faculty eases the faculty shortage, allows nursing schools to accept more applicants, and brings more diverse perspectives to students.
Assessing the balance of time, money, and goals is essential to success if you’re considering a path to an MSN. Pursuing an MSN is an excellent option for nurses who know what they want to accomplish and how a specialty or generalized path will help them meet those goals.
Many nurses will find an advanced degree will help them achieve their goals faster. “A master’s degree is a prerequisite for almost all promotions in the acute care workplace,” says Linda Kelly, JD, MSN, RN, assistant professor and coordinator of the RN Options Program at the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing.
graduate-level program, there will be a lot of work,” she says, “but the outcome will be worth it.”
Julia Quinn-Szcesuil is a freelance writer based in Bolton, Massachusetts.
“A master’s degree is a prerequisite for almost all promotions in the acute care workplace,” says Kelly, and those positions frequently come with a higher salary and more responsibility. “As with any college-level or
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