Have you got your Bachelor’s in Nursing and are wondering what to do now? You can always go into nursing straight away and begin earning some real-life experience to go along with your degree! But that’s not all you can do – instead, you could also choose to study an advanced nursing degree. Staying in education for a few more years can help you further your career and even treat you to promotions in a quicker amount of time, so they’re well worth it if you’re considering a Master’s in Nursing!
For many nurses, studying for an advanced degree can be a very rewarding and smart investment. But why should you bother? What’s your Master’s degree going to give you? Keep reading to find out eight benefits of studying for your Masters!
1. Further Your Education
First and foremost, studying a Master’s in Nursing is an excellent way to further your education and continue improving upon your initial licence. It’s always great to keep learning, and a Master’s program lets you learn alongside your practical working to help you gain more skills from both aspects. Plus, improving your education can help you gain your advanced practice nursing licence, which leads to more money and higher working positions with more responsibility. If you’re hoping to further your career as much as possible, a Master’s in Nursing is an excellent way to fast track this.
2. Help Society Fill A Need
There is a global shortage of physicians and nurses right now, so training to become an advanced practice nurse cna fill an essential need by offering your education to the profession. While there is a shortage for nurses of all skill levels, earning your Masters while working on the job can let you enjoy the best of both worlds. Plus, with so many job opportunities going right now, it’s an excellent time to get into nursing!
3. Improve Your Skills
Any advanced degree will let you learn more about your chosen subject, and nursing is no different. By applying for a Masters in Nursing, you’ll be able to learn about things that you never heard of during your Bachelors degree. Some people even think the skills they learned during their Masters were more important than their Bachelors, so if you love learning new things, continuing onto an advanced degree is well worth the time.
4. Take On More Responsibilities
Nurses who study for their Masters can advance to Nurse Practitioners, and this job role falls somewhere in between physicians and nurses. This means you’ll be able to enjoy more freedom and independence than other nurses, as well as being given more responsibilities including diagnosis and prescribing medications. More responsibilities keeps us motivated, so if you’re looking for a push upwards in your career, a Masters degree might be the best way to get the ball rolling.
5. Choose A Speciality
Some Masters in Nursing degrees let you choose a speciality to focus on, and this can help you transition into this area of healthcare in the future. You can also specialise in concentrations that you never learned about in your Bachelor’s degree, too, so you can learn more about what you’re passionate about with the help of higher education!
6. Boost Your Income!
Not only do nurse practitioners have higher entry-level earnings over nurses, but they’re also offered higher salaries over time. This means that your Masters degree will not only improve your education and skill set, but you’ll also be able to enjoy more money for your troubles. Who doesn’t love a boost in their income, anyway?
7. Become A Mentor
Once you’ve studied for your Masters of Nursing, you’ll be in a better position to become a nurse educator or a mentor. Both of these roles give you the opportunity to be like a big sibling for younger nurses, helping shape the way they perform and act in your place of work. You’ll be able to help them succeed in their new roles, and that’s an amazing accomplishment in itself.
8. Work Better Hours
Registered nurses are often given twelve-hour shifts, while nurse practitioners with Masters degrees can often land managerial positions that follow a more traditional eight-hour shift pattern. You may have some overtime to do, but you should be better rested for these shifts thanks to your more favourable shift pattern.
Final Thoughts
And there you have it – eight reasons why you should consider studying for a Master’s in Nursing. Aside from furthering your education and becoming a mentor to younger nurses, you can also benefit from higher salaries, better positions, and even shorter hours! If you’ve been thinking about applying for your Masters, take this as your sign to go for it!