Blog | higher ed

As the healthcare sector continues to progress, the need for highly skilled Nursing professionals is more evident than ever. Pursuing further education in Nursing not only improves patient care but also provides opportunities for leadership positions, specialized practice, and increased compensation. For those contemplating an advanced Nursing degree, understanding the advantages and available pathways is needed for making an informed decision.

Benefits of Advanced Nursing Degrees

Increased Career Opportunities

A higher degree in Nursing expands your career options beyond bedside care. With an advanced degree, you can pursue roles such as Nurse Practitioner (NP), Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS), Nurse Educator, or Healthcare Administrator. These positions often come with greater autonomy and influence in patient care and policy-making.

Higher Earning Potential

Advanced degrees often lead to higher salaries. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Nurse Practitioners earn a median salary significantly higher than Registered Nurses (RNs). Leadership roles, such as Nurse Managers or Directors, also come with competitive compensation.

Specialization and Expertise

Advanced degrees allow Nurses to specialize in fields such as acute care, family practice, psychiatric-mental health, or informatics. Specialization enhances clinical expertise, making you a valuable asset in your chosen area.

Greater Job Satisfaction

With more knowledge and skills, advanced-degree Nurses often experience higher job satisfaction. Many find fulfillment in expanded roles that allow them to diagnose and treat patients, influence healthcare policies, and educate future Nurses.

Increased Autonomy

Nurse Practitioners, especially in states with full practice authority, can diagnose conditions, prescribe medications, and develop treatment plans without physician oversight. This level of independence is appealing to many Nurses looking for professional growth.

Paths to Higher Nursing Education

Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)

An MSN is a common choice for Nurses seeking advanced practice roles or leadership positions. Popular MSN specializations include:

Nurse Practitioner (NP) – Provides primary or specialized care.
Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) – Focuses on improving patient outcomes in a specific field.
Nurse Educator – Prepares Nurses for academic or clinical teaching roles.
Nurse Administrator – Trains Nurses for leadership in healthcare organizations.

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

A DNP is a terminal practice-focused degree for Nurses who want to lead in clinical practice, healthcare systems, or policy-making. DNP graduates often hold executive roles or shape healthcare improvements at a systemic level.

Doctor of Midwifery (D.Mid)

Some programs offer a Doctor of Midwifery degree, which is a terminal doctoral degree focused on midwifery practice and research. This advanced degree is designed for those who wish to deepen their expertise in the field of midwifery, emphasizing both the practical and theoretical aspects of the profession.

PhD in Nursing

A PhD in Nursing is a research-focused degree ideal for those interested in academia or conducting groundbreaking studies to advance Nursing science. PhD Nurses contribute to evidence-based practice and improve patient care through research.

Post-Master’s Certificates

For Nurses who already hold an MSN, post-master’s certificates offer an opportunity to specialize in another area, such as psychiatric-mental health or gerontology, without pursuing another full degree.

Selecting the best degree depends on your career goals, interests, and financial situation. If direct patient care excites you, an NP program might be ideal. If you’re drawn to leadership, consider a DNP. If research and teaching are your passions, a PhD could be the right fit.

Advancing your Nursing education can open new career doors, increase your earning potential, and improve job satisfaction. Whether you choose an MSN, DNP, or PhD, each path offers unique benefits that can elevate your impact on healthcare. If you’re ready to take the next step, explore accredited programs and start planning your future in advanced Nursing today.

By Lisette Hilton

Nurse researcher Linda H. Aiken, RN, PhD, FAAN, FRCN, has published a study that presents the latest in growing body of evidence to suggest a more highly educated nursing workforce saves lives.

“Our research shows that each 10% increase in the proportion of nurses in a hospital with a bachelor’s degree is associated with a 7% decline in mortality following common surgery,” said Aiken, professor of nursing and sociology and director of the Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Research at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.
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“More education, and particularly university education, enhances critical thinking. Professional nurses are called upon to quickly synthesize a large amount of clinical information about acutely ill patients, process this information in the context of scientific evidence, reach evidence-based conclusions, communicate salient information and their conclusions to physicians, and act in the absence of a physician at the bedside, which is most of the time.”

Aiken said the study, published Feb. 26 on the website of The Lancet, was designed to account for other possible explanations for lower mortality, including patient-to-nurse ratios, presence of physicians, availability of high technology and how sick the patients are on admission.

“After taking into account these other factors, nurses’ education is a very important factor in patient outcomes,” Aiken said.

The researchers combed through more than 420,000 patient records of discharged patients following common surgeries, such as knee replacements, appendectomies and vascular procedures.

This isn’t the first such finding for Aiken.

“In U.S. research, we have established a causal linkage between better-educated nurses and patient deaths by studying hospitals over time, showing that hospitals that actually increase their hiring of bachelor’s nurses have greater declines in mortality than hospitals that have not increased BSN employment over the same time period,” she said.

American Association of Colleges of Nursing President Jane Kirschling, RN, PhD, FAAN, said the fact Aiken publishes in such high-end journals as the Journal of the American Medical Association and The Lancet shows her findings stand up to rigorous scientific reviews.

The message for associate degree-prepared nurses, according to Kirschling, is to continue their education.

“We’re the largest single group of healthcare providers in the United States, and we’re there 24-7, 365 days a year for the care that’s provided,” Kirschling said. “That’s in hospitals, community settings and long-term care settings. So, we have to make that commitment as a discipline and as professional nurses to continue to expand our knowledge and our critical thinking skills, and we do that through advancing nursing education.”

Donna Meyer, RN, MSN, president, National Organization for Associate Degree Nursing, said that while the N-OADN supports higher-education initiatives in nursing, community colleges are crucial to meet the nursing care needs of the U.S. healthcare system. Community colleges graduate quality nurses representing 60% of the nursing workforce, according to Meyer, who is dean of health sciences at Lewis and Clark Community College in Godfrey, Ill.

“Community colleges provide entry points for students moving into the nursing profession to practice, [and] provide a pathway to higher education and advanced practice, research and faculty positions,” Meyer said. “Many community colleges are embedded in rural and-or medically underserved communities, and without them and the nursing graduates they produce, healthcare provider shortages would continue to impair access to care.”

Meyer said N-OADN is working with the National League for Nursing, AACN and the American Nurses Association to find ways to encourage students to continue their education. A-OADN also is working with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Future of Nursing: Campaign for Action to support recommendations in the Institute of Medicine report, “The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health.”
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The study supports the importance of IOM recommendations that 80% of the U.S. nursing workforce be bachelor’s-educated by 2020, Aiken said. Nurses should help their institutions use this strong evidence base to improve nurse staffing adequacy and facilitate the transition to a BSN workforce.

“There are now quite a few large, well-designed studies by different research teams and in different countries documenting the relationship between more BSNs in hospitals and better patient outcomes,” Aiken said. “These studies were mentioned in The Lancet article and include at least multiple studies in the U.S., research in Canada, Belgium, China and now in nine countries in Europe. That is a substantial evidence base, sufficient to guide policy and practice decisions.”

To hospital and other employers, this and other studies show that nursing education really does matter, Kirschling said.

Healthcare stakeholders need to “make the investment in our associate degree-prepared nurses by providing tuition support for them to go back to school … [and] to provide flexibility in the workplace” to allow them to continue their education, Kirschling said.

Lancet study abstract: http://bit.ly/1k7O3nR

For further reading, see “An increase in the number of nurses with baccalaureate degrees is linked to lower rates of postsurgery mortality,” by Ann Kutney-Lee, RN, PhD, Douglas M. Sloane, PhD, and Linda H. Aiken, RN, PhD, FRCN, FAAN, Health Affairs, March 2013 (study abstract):http://content.healthaffairs.org/content/32/3/579.abstract?sid=32bce161-cc20-4fd2-837b-577d651033f0

Engaged in education

This article is part of a series that will periodically examine issues affecting the future of nursing education in the U.S.

Previous articles:

RWJF offers funding for 'Future of Nursing' implementation
http://news.nurse.com/article/20140317/NATIONAL05/140314005#.U0v7j1eRceU

Study looks at implementation of recommendations on BSNs
http://news.nurse.com/article/20140120/NATIONAL05/140117004#.UyMdfYWRceU

Source: Nurse.com

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DiversityNursing Blog

Exploring the Benefits and Paths to Nursing Higher Education

Benefits of Advanced Nursing Degrees

Increased Career Opportunities

Higher Earning Potential

Specialization and Expertise

Greater Job Satisfaction

Increased Autonomy

Paths to Higher Nursing Education

Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

Doctor of Midwifery (D.Mid)

Post-Master’s Certificates

Degrees matter

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