The Benefits of Having a Master’s in Nursing
Nursing is one of the most rewarding career choices one could ever make. The impact that nurses make simply cannot be reciprocated. Besides meeting the medical needs of their patients, they also act as a median between the patient’s family and the medical staff. It is easy to see why nurses are so important, but one thing that is often overlooked, is the importance of earning a master’s in nursing, and the benefits it can have.
If you have decided to start your nursing career, or if you are thinking about continuing your education, then take a few minutes to learn more about what a master’s in nursing can do for your career. Over the course of this article, we will look at a few key benefits that come with earning your master’s in nursing, or MSN.
The Salary
To put it simply, nurses who hold an MSN, have quite the significant pay raise. The average salary for a nurse with a bachelor’s degree comes in at around $80,000, but on the other end you have an average salary of $113,000 for nurses with an MSN. Often times there can be a sense of worry that there will not be any jobs available after graduation, this is simply not the case for MSN graduates. With an estimated 26% growth rate, over the next 8 years, nursing jobs will be available for a long time coming.
Pursuing higher education can shape you as a more qualified candidate to apply for jobs with better working conditions with higher salary ranges. Exploring available vacancies and choosing the right position for you will not be possible without detailed research of the nurse labor market. Nursing and medical-focused job posting websites like nurses PRN or NurseBuff will make it easier for you to access a variety of job vacancies and positions.
The pay difference alone is reason to continue your education. However, there are even more benefits to earning your MSN.
Career Depth
Another intriguing attribute of holding your MSN, is the variety of the field. When you have a MSN, you are now able to pursue different avenues of nursing that were not available in the past. You can broaden your nursing perspective in areas such as:
- Nurse Practitioner
- Nursing Anesthesiologist
- Lead Nurse
- Teaching Roles
These are just a few of the different roles that become available after earning a master’s in nursing. Nurses already do so much for their patients; they literally are there at every moment to ensure health and wellness to those in their care. When you deepen your medical knowledge, then your career grows as well. New opportunities to work in specialized fields begin to open up after earning your MSN.
Satisfaction Guaranteed
Lastly, let’s look at the emotional benefits of continuing your education. When you graduate with a master’s in nursing, you will experience a new level of pride and joy as you soak in every bit of your accomplishment. Alongside your personal satisfaction, others around you will look to you as a source of inspiration.
Your happiness doesn’t stop with you or your peers. In fact, the care that is delivered to your patients is even impacted. There have been surveys that show the difference nurses who hold a master’s truly making. Things like better patient outcomes and lower mortality rates (just to name a few).
These are just a few of the many benefits of earning your master’s in nursing. The first step to furthering your nursing career is to further your education. The future starts today, what are you waiting for?
