Benefits of Pursuing a Master’s Degree in Nursing

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Most registered nurses cringe at the thought of returning to school for a master's nursing degree, especially after spending a lot of time and money pursuing their bachelor’s degree. However, pursuing a master’s degree in nursing is beneficial in many ways, and online post master's FNP certificate programs have made it easy for employed nurses to advance their education without quitting their jobs. If you are uncertain about this, below are the advantages of a master's nursing degree.

1. Better compensation

Like other professions, advancing your education comes with a better salary and benefits package. Advancing your education proves to employers that you are a more valuable employee than nurses without a master’s degree, especially if you have specialized. Registered nurses earn $64,000, while MSN graduates earn approximately $86,000 annually.

Advancing your degree is the key to earning a $20,000 salary increment. Nurses with MSN take up higher levels and management roles, which come with additional benefits.

2. More knowledge

Compensation aside, advancing your nursing degree expands your knowledge in the medical field. Several studies have concluded that nurses with advanced education provide better care and improve patient outcomes. Pursuing a master’s degree allows you to understand various nursing concepts better, enabling you to perform better.

3. More career options

Interestingly, most nurses feel stuck in their careers after a few years in the service. If you are feeling stuck and looking for new options, you should consider enrolling in a master’s degree. Experience combined with a master’s degree can move you into a leadership role or better career options.

Higher education in nursing can also land you in a nursing educator role, where you’ll be tasked with training young nurses and preparing them for different situations they’ll face in the hospital environment. Nurses with master’s degrees can also pursue a career in nursing informatics. Here, you’ll be required to combine your experience in nursing and technology to drive major decisions. There are many other career options for nurses with advanced education beyond conventional nursing care.

4. Less working hours

While nursing is a rewarding career choice, the number of hours worked is discouraging. Nurses in most hospitals work between eight and 12-hour shifts, which is exhausting for new and experienced nurses. Entry-level nursing positions also don’t have holiday offs and very few leave days. However, nurses with master’s degrees are often employed in management positions with few hours per work week.

5. Competitive advantage

Nurses with a master’s degree are better positioned to secure employment opportunities in the market than those with lower qualifications. An advanced degree legitimizes your skills and credibility, which is attractive to most employers. Nurses with MSN provide better medical aptitude and quality of care to patients than BSN and RNs.

Endnote

Pursuing a master’s degree in nursing is beneficial to you, the nurse, and the patients. Apart from personal gains, such as increased wages and fewer working hours, hospitals or clinics will benefit from your acquired knowledge and skills. Studies show that post-graduate nurses have better decision-making, critical thinking, and leadership skills.

This is a guest blog entry.