5 Higher Degrees Nurses Can Choose to Advance Their Career

0
100
nurse

You are a registered nurse working at a renowned hospital. You have a stable job, work experience, and a good salary, but it still feels incomplete. Constantly, a voice in the back of your head tells you to delve deeper into your career and take a step further. What steps can you take to level up your nursing career?

You can opt for diplomas, certificates, or a graduate degree. A graduate degree is the best choice. It helps you excel in your career by keeping you up to date with the current practices. So, which graduate degree should you choose? Here are five graduate degree programs you can choose from to advance your nursing career.

  • Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP)

If you wish to benefit the community as a whole, then an FNP degree is the way to go. Family nurse practitioners are at the forefront of the healthcare system and deal with basic healthcare needs. They interact with individuals of all age groups and cultures to provide a therapy best suited for them. With an FNP degree, you will learn to prescribe medications, perform physical exams, counsel patients and families, and control chronic diseases. Alongside this, you will also learn to screen patients for potential disorders and design therapies as per patient needs. Not only will you benefit the community but yourself as well. Since, after completion of MSN family nurse practitioner degree, your chances of scoring a position as a leader, educator, or policymaker also increase. Moreover, you can work in various primary healthcare settings such as medical clinics, community health centers, dental offices, rural areas, and private clinics. 

  • Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMNHP)

If your goal is to provide good physical and mental health, choose the PMNHP degree. Psychiatric Nurse practitioners treat several psychiatric disorders ranging from mild to severe. They work closely with their patients to monitor and treat behavioral disorders. A PMNHP degree teaches you how to diagnose, plan and treat your patient’s mental health. It equips you with skills such as patience, empathy, adaptability, and teamwork. 

After attaining this degree, you will be able to counsel patients of substance abuse, help depressed patients find their way, and educate families on the supervision of schizophrenic patients. Moreover, you will aid patients in managing their comorbid diseases and maintaining a good quality of life. Your job would include assessing the effectiveness of a treatment, helping patients build relationships, and performing psychotherapy. Your patient would not be the only one requiring your help; the community would also need you. You can benefit the community by raising awareness on mental issues, breaking stigmas linked with psychiatric problems, and performing mental health screenings. As a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner, you can work in schools, nursing homes, public health facilities, and underdeveloped communities.

  • Nurse Educator

If you aim to provide knowledge and education to others, then become a nurse educator. Nurse educators influence the nurses of the future through knowledge. They work in various institutes to educate and mentor their juniors and trainees. An NE degree helps you master the art of teaching. You learn to design curriculums, develop learning strategies, and understand students at a personal level. Moreover, you develop mandatory skills needed for coaching others. As a nurse educator, you will teach the proper care of patients, demonstrate physical exams, and provide hands-on practice to your juniors. Moreover, you will counsel students regarding nursing as a profession and the future programs available. You can also work as an advisor to provide necessary academic and patient information to colleagues and policymakers to aid policymaking. With your analytical reasoning and abundant knowledge, you can research and investigate various concepts and theories. 

  • Executive Leader

If you do not shy away from challenging situations, go for this degree. Executive leaders work as administrators of nursing organizations. They tend to lead and manage different nursing departments. A graduate degree in executive leadership teaches you everything needed for running an organization. You learn to form policies, manage finances, and implement protocols. Moreover, carrying out conferences, supervising others, and recruiting new members are part of your job. As an executive leader, you will be accountable for your organization’s work and policies; it would be your duty to maintain a healthy work environment while enforcing all safety protocols. 

Moreover, you will plan projects that provide better patient outcomes, introduce new technology for improved healthcare, and manage resources to reduce costs, and that is not all; you will also act as a collaborator to form partnerships with other organizations to improve the quality of care. As tiring as it may sound, a degree in executive leadership does have its benefits. It polishes your analytical skills, enhances critical thinking, and strengthens communication while keeping you at the topmost position. 

  • Adult-Gerontology Primary care Nurse Practitioner (AGPCNP)

If you prefer to work with adults rather than children, then a degree in AGPCNP is for you. Adult-gerontology nurse practitioners look after adults and the elderly and provide safety and support to their patients. An AGPCNP degree teaches you patient-oriented healthcare. As an adult-gerontology nurse practitioner, you will form therapies concerning the patient’s background and socio-economic conditions. Your focus would be to maximize patient outcomes. 

You will also educate the patient on managing chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, arthritis, and stroke. Similarly, you will diagnose and treat diseases, provide health education, and prevent illness or injury. Your job would be to study patient reports, interpret lab reports, study imaging diagnoses, and provision of cost-effective patient care. Similar to an FNP, you can work in numerous work environments, including ambulatory care, nursing homes, private homes, hospitals, and community health centers.

Whether your goal is providing primary healthcare, solving mental issues, educating others, taking risks, or helping the elderly, your options are limitless. A post-graduate degree would satisfy your yearning for knowledge, foster your growth, and open up numerous doors to better opportunities. It would provide a handsome salary and peace of mind.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here