Whether you’re a high-school senior who is interested in the medical field, or you are established in your profession but considering a career update, becoming a nurse qualified with an MSN, or Master of Science in Nursing, is a life-changing choice. No matter where you are currently in your healthcare journey, it’s smart to consider how far nursing can take you. Are you up for the challenge of earning your MSN, and with it, all the benefits of this distinguished credential? Read on to find out how you can stand out amongst the 3.07 million nurses in the United States and the top reasons why you should earn an MSN:

An MSN helps you qualify for advanced nursing careers

The education that you’ll earn with an MSN includes a full slate of advanced nursing classes, covering:

•  Theory
•  Pathophysiology
•  Pharmacology
•  Physical Assessment
•  Policy, Politics, and Organization of Healthcare
•  Healthcare Quality
•  Leadership
•  Population Health and Clinical Practice

Not only will you graduate with 30 credits, but you’ll achieve 90 clinical hours. A more experienced, more educated nurse will always look better on paper during application processes, not to mention during interviews and trials or demos. Why should healthcare institutions hire more advanced nurses? The answer is, it’s better for everyone, particularly patients. In a study that compared hospitals that had the most and fewest advanced nurses on staff, the hospitals with a more advanced nursing staff achieved 21% fewer deaths after common surgical procedures. Incredibly, earning an advanced education increases patient outcomes to an extraordinary degree.

It provides more autonomy in your career (whether you become a nurse leader or specialized APRN)

Earning a master’s degree in Nursing prepares you to become a leader in the nursing field, which means you’ll rise on the totem pole of command no matter what type of institution you work at or aspire to join. By earning your MSN, you can potentially become a nurse practitioner or an advanced practice registered nurse. A graduate-level education will equip you to take both national and state certification exams and have a chance at earning your APRN license. Advanced clinical practice is a popular choice. For nurses who prefer administrative, research, or education work, an MSN can also help you become a nurse leader as a college or trade school professor, a nurse manager in charge of a team, or even a nurse who works on the policy implementation or fundraising side of a healthcare center. No matter the role, earning a master’s degree in Nursing means that you are prepared to take on more responsibility and have managerial and leadership responsibilities, not to mention mentorship and authority within your organization.

Interested in becoming a specialized APRN? Download our Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) or Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) Get Started Guides today to learn more!

It increases your salary potential

Registered nurses make a comfortable salary of $77,600 annually. However, APRNs and other nurse leaders earn significantly more. Nurse practitioners make, on average, $121,610 annually in the United States. High employment areas such as New York City pay nurse practitioners as much as $170,320 annually. APRNs who earn specializations such as becoming a nurse anesthetist increase their earning potential to $195,610 annually.

It ensures job security, particularly in a physician shortage

Did you know that there are three times as many RNs in the United States as there are physicians? That figure, paired with the Association of American Medical Colleges’ finding that the U.S. will experience a shortage of 37,800 to 124,000 physicians between 2019 and 2034, which includes primary care physicians and specialists, is quite sobering. Fewer physicians mean longer waits for patients to get appointments, less flexibility for scheduling, and potentially lower-quality care due to professional burnout. With a crisis looming, nurses with a master’s degree can be part of the solution. Nurse specialists are more than capable of taking a patient’s clinical assessment into their own hands, which is why many respected sources urge for increased nursing autonomy in today’s healthcare landscape. Autonomous nurses take responsibility for their decisions in the workplace, act independently, and have excellent judgment and self-control.

It allows you to make an impact in the greater healthcare field

Besides shouldering some of the weight of complex caregiving that physicians provide, nurses with master’s degrees get to take an active role in mentoring and shaping the next generation of nurses. Registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, nurse aides, orderlies, and other essential workers in the healthcare field will look up to a nurse with an advanced degree for advice, training, instruction, and just plain emotional support. If you’re considering devoting your life to something as fulfilling as healthcare, we encourage you to think not only of the patients you’ll see but of your colleagues who could use a leader in their lives.

It’s on the way to becoming a doctor

If you’re a goal-oriented individual, rest reassured that an MSN is one step closer to a Doctorate. If becoming a medical doctor or an elite researcher is at the end of your mission statement, there’s no better place to start than with a master’s degree in Nursing. Doctors earn respect not just by becoming educated experts, but by gaining years of hands-on patient experience and time interfacing. Considering a degree program that is flexible enough to allow students to study for their MSN part-time and online, with time to continue to work, means that you don’t have to miss out on any medical experience while investing time in school.

It’s a great way to meet lifetime career partners

Studying alongside other motivated nurses means that you’ll build camaraderie and make connections to last you your whole career! It’s important to find a program that is career-focused if you want to maximize the value of this benefit. And at Goodwin University, there’s a lifetime of career services ready to assist you in your job search and to connect you to alumni who are out there, achieving great things in healthcare already.

To learn more about how earning your master’s in Nursing from Goodwin University could be your next career milestone, reach out to our admissions staff today by calling 800-889-3282, or visit us online today and request more information!