Accelerated MSN Programs

Accelerated MSN programs are advanced-level postgraduate degrees. MSN stands for Masters in Nursing, and it is a degree that registered nurses generally pursue. An MSN is also regarded as a type of entry-level degree for both managers as well as nurse educators. An MSN is a good foundation for ambitious nurses to pursue a career as a clinical nurse leader, a health policy expert, or a nurse administrator.

This kind of postgraduate degree may center on one of many, various nursing specialties. These specialties are areas like family, adult, acute care, neonatal, geriatrics, palliative care, psychiatric, pediatric, or gynecological nursing. An MSN might be a prerequisite for nursing education of a doctorate level. In previous years, the MSN was a requirement for people looking to become advanced practice nurses such as nurse anesthetists, nurse practitioners, nurse midwives, or clinical nurse specialists.

All 50 states offer MSN programs for nurses who want to pursue higher education, increased expertise and specialization, and a higher rate of pay. Many states require that interested students go through the same process in order to obtain an MSN, which means that the MSN programs are quite straightforward. Registered nurses can obtain their MSN degree online of in a traditional classroom setting at a university campus.

In most states, nurses who are pursuing an MSN will eventually become licensed as either an Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner or an Advanced Practice Nurse when they complete their MSN programs. They will be licensed by the state board of nursing of the state in which they are living. For instance, nurses who continue their education in the state of Texas will be licensed by the Texas Board of Nursing, while nurses who obtain an MSN degree in New York will be licensed by the New York Board of Nursing. However, before any nurse can even think about getting his or her MSN degree, he or she will have to first obtain licensing as a registered nurse.

In many states across the land, there are four, definitive areas of specialization in which MSN degrees are offered. These four areas are nurse practitioner, clinical nurse specialist, certified nurse midwife, and certified nurse anesthetist. Nurses interested in pursuing their MSN degree are advised to contact their states’ board of nursing authority to learn more about the legal applications of their future careers. Specifically, they should ask the state boards about the legal authority that advanced registered nurse practitioners or advanced practice nurses are invested with in regards to the four, aforementioned areas of specialty.

Many states feature online MSN degree programs because of their popularity with regards to allowing flexible schedules. Nurses who are interested in getting their MSN degrees from a more traditional setting can still do so, since most states offer MSN programs at physical universities. For instance, the state of Texas features MSN degree programs at The University of Texas at Austin, The University of Texas at Tyler, and the University of Houston-Victoria, just to name a few. Another example is the state of New York, which features MSN programs at New York University, Sage College, and the Columbia University School of Nursing.

To find programs offering Master’s of Nursing Science degrees, select your state from the dropdown menu on search by zip code.

Accelerated MSN Schools Near You & Online