Eager to advance from your current role as a registered nurse (RN)? If so, it might be time to consider returning to school. A Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) is a versatile, graduate-level degree that may help you prepare for many advanced practice, leadership, education, and advocacy roles within healthcare.
With a better idea of the types of MSN nursing jobs you can pursue — as well as how to choose the program that's right for you — you can move forward with the next exciting chapter in your professional journey.
Earning your MSN gives you the opportunity to build on your valuable experience as an RN, preparing you for roles with expanded clinical authority, deeper specialization, and broader influence in modern healthcare systems.
An MSN gives you the opportunity to become an advanced practice nurse (APRN) upon meeting certain state license and/or certification requirements. The move from RN to APRN also often comes with a greater sense of autonomy and diagnostic authority, as well as prescriptive privileges.
Completing an advanced nursing program (such as an MSN) may help nursing professionals strengthen their own assessment, diagnostic reasoning, treatment planning, and leadership skills as they relate to patient care. All these competencies can be applied in both current and future roles.
So, what exactly can you do with an MSN degree? The majority of MSN nursing jobs fall into the advanced practice category, with common roles including family nurse practitioner (FNP) and adult-gerontology nurse practitioner.
Regardless of the area of advanced practice you're interested in, the Jacquelyn Wilson Fegley ’71 College of Nursing at Neumann University offers three dedicated MSN tracks to suit your needs.
Family nurse practitioners are APRNs who provide a wide range of healthcare services, ranging from routine exams to patient education and treatment for illnesses/injuries. These professionals treat patients across the entire lifespan, from infants to the elderly.
The Family/Individual Across the Lifespan NP track could be a suitable choice for those interested in becoming a healthcare provider taking care of patients of all ages.
Some MSN graduates in advanced practice may go on to work specifically with adolescents through the elderly population. Primary Care Nurse Practitioners, much like the FNPs, provide a wide array of healthcare services in the outpatient setting.
The Adult-Gerontology Primary Care (AGPCNP) MSN track, provides dedicated coursework in health promotion, disease prevention, and treatment for common health conditions in adolescents through the older adult population. The Primary Care NP program also includes hands-on clinical experiences guided by preceptors.
Other APRNs may pursue roles in adult-gerontology acute care, which focuses on the stabilization of complex conditions in high-acuity settings. These professionals must possess advanced clinical competencies and the ability to collaborate with healthcare professionals across disciplines — all critical skills that are sharpened in Neumann University's Adult-Gerontology Acute Care (AGACNP) MSN track.
If you feel passionately about preparing future generations of nurses or playing a part in healthcare policy improvement/reform, an MSN could help you pursue nurse educator and healthcare policy/advocacy roles.
Nurse educators are responsible for teaching nursing students, typically in clinical settings or in a college/university classroom. These professionals may also be in charge of mentoring new nurses, ensuring they are carrying out their roles safely and with patients' best interests in mind.
Some MSN-educated nurses go on to thrive in healthcare policy and advocacy roles, where they work to influence healthcare legislation with patients and healthcare professionals in mind. Their work can directly impact organizational policies and patient advocacy initiatives, creating positive impacts for patients, their families, and fellow nursing professionals.
In many ways, pursuing an advanced nursing degree in the form of an MSN can help professionals build competency and authority that can expand their scope of practice.
MSN-prepared nurses may have a better understanding of areas such as pathophysiology, pharmacology, and evidence-based practice. This may lead to more advanced clinical assessment and diagnosis in their everyday work.
APRNs with an MSN education may prescribe medications, but scope-of-practice laws vary by jurisdiction. Many states allow NPs to practice with substantial independence, while others require a collaborative or supervisory relationship with a physician for certain aspects of care. State law may also govern authority related to ordering or prescribing devices, medical equipment, and other services.
Finally, nurses with an MSN may be better prepared to lead teams, coordinate care, and improve patient outcomes. These skills are developed through dedicated coursework in leadership, interdisciplinary collaboration, and systems thinking.
If you've been considering an MSN, choosing the right program is key. At Neumann University, we're proud to offer online MSN programs that make advancing your nursing career easier than ever.
No matter where your specific interests may lie, our MSN is offered in three dedicated tracks to help you tailor your learning experience. These tracks include:
All our MSN tracks include supervised clinical hours with experienced preceptors throughout Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware. This built-in practicum experience allows you to directly apply course concepts to real clinical scenarios while sharpening career-ready skills along the way.
Our MSN program aligns with national certification exams, so you can complete your program and be eligible to sit for the exam that correlates to your chosen specialty in the field.
Pursuing your MSN can be a great way to broaden your scope and professional influence while gaining valuable skills that serve as a pathway to advanced nursing roles. If you're looking for a program with online flexibility that doesn't require you to put your career on hold, Neumann University's Master of Science in Nursing degree could be an excellent choice.
Available with your choice of three specialized tracks and built-in clinical experience, our MSN program prepares you to rise to the challenges and opportunities of the nursing field with help from expert faculty who maintain active clinical practices.
Get in touch to learn more about our MSN program, or start your application for admission today!