There are many reasons for working, ADN- and diploma-prepared nurses to pursue a Master of Science in Nursing degree — more money, bigger challenges, great job opportunities, and the privilege of training the next generation of nurses, to name a few. While the benefits are easy to see, the education to get there may seem anything but easy. First you have to earn a bachelor’s degree, right? Then the MSN. All while working full time with adult responsibilities.
Enter the online MSN programs at Lamar University. Of course, we’re not promising an easy ride to a master’s degree (Would you really want an easy MSN? Would your patients?), but our online programs make earning this degree more convenient than you may have thought possible.
RNs without BSNs can skip the bachelor’s degree and start working toward a master’s in the RN to MSN program. (However, a BSN is conferred during the course of the program.) Because these MSN programs are online, you can study at your own pace, whenever and wherever you choose.
Below are the three online MSN options available through Lamar University.
Master of Science in Nursing in Nursing Administration
Nursing can be hectic to say the least. Twelve-hour shifts full of droning alarms, complaining patients (and their families) and endless paperwork can overshadow the rewards. Your schedule may change on a week-to-week basis, if not on a day-to-day basis — one day you work nights and the next night you work days. Stressful just doesn’t cover it. But imagine a world in which you work 40-hour weeks, Monday through Friday, with weekends, nights and holidays off. It’s easy if you try.
But of course, you didn’t start out in nursing for the hours or the relaxing environment; you began a career in nursing to help people. You love being part of something bigger than yourself. You save lives! You love seeing people get better and helping them through the tough times on the way back to health. There’s the camaraderie of your fellow nurses. You can’t imagine a life in a cubicle, working on spreadsheets and PowerPoint slides forever. With an MSN in Nursing Administration you can have the best of both worlds.
In only 24 months, you could be starting your new job as a nurse administrator, a position for which the median pay is $96,540 per year, according to 2016 data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. And because of the nursing shortage and ever-changing nature of healthcare, the job outlook is good — 17 percent growth through 2024. Nurse administrators usually work standard office hours, with nights, weekends and holidays off. And while this position is a step back from the bedside, you’ll still have a hand in patient care, either directly or through the nurses under your supervision. Not only that, but you’ll be able to help shape policy throughout the health system, both where you work and at large.
Master of Science in Nursing in Nursing Education
Speaking of the nursing shortage, one of the main factors causing the shortage is the lack of qualified faculty to teach aspiring nurses. Nurses and nurse educators from the Baby Boomer generation are retiring, leaving nursing schools without enough faculty and hospitals without enough nurses. With your clinical experience as an RN, plus the knowledge you gain in an MSN in Nursing Education program, you can help teach the next generation of nurses to provide excellent, patient-centered care. You can complete the coursework in as few as 24 months through Lamar University.
And your job options don’t end with colleges and universities; many hospitals and other healthcare facilities hire nurse educators to provide continuing education for seasoned nurses and new hires alike. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, nurse educators at colleges, universities and professional schools make a mean annual wage of $76,480, while nurse educators at hospitals make $86,980. The projected job growth is also strong, at 26 percent by 2020, according to Nurse Journal.
Registered Nurse to Master of Science in Nursing (RN to MSN)
All of that sounds great, you may be thinking, but I don’t even have a bachelor’s degree. Lamar University’s online RN to MSN program was designed with you in mind. This program enables you to save time and money by allowing you to earn dual credit — for both BSN and MSN. You’ll actually take nine fewer hours than you would if you earned each degree separately. Because this program is online, you’ll be able to complete coursework and study from anywhere with an internet connection, at any time of day or night. You’ll never have to worry that a change in your work schedule will cause you to miss class. This flexibility also allows you to keep up with your personal responsibilities.
The online RN to MSN program at Lamar University allows students to choose their path — MSN in Nursing Administration or MSN in Nursing Education. You can complete the coursework for either focus in as few as 36 months, with a total of 58 nursing course credit hours. The total cost of the program is $25,931. (The cost can change depending on what classes you’ve already taken.)
Learn more about Lamar University’s online MSN programs.
Sources:
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Medical and Health Services Managers
Nurse Journal: 5 Best Paying MSN Jobs in Nursing
