You’re ready to make a career change and you already know nursing is your chosen path. Now you are debating whether to pursue a BSN or MSN. How can you decide which degree is right for you? Instead of spending your time poring through research and weighing your options, we may have the answer you need right here.
Marquette University’s Direct Entry Master of Science in Nursing (Direct Entry MSN) program in Milwaukee and Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin prepares you for a rewarding future as a nurse in less than 21 months. The Direct Entry MSN program allows you to apply your non-nursing bachelor’s degree toward earning your master’s in nursing sooner. Through an innovative blend of online learning, hands-on labs and clinical experience inside top area healthcare facilities, you will be able to graduate a competent, confident nurse who is one step ahead when it comes to advancing your future in nursing.
Do You Need a Master’s Degree?
If you’re looking for higher earning potential and greater job opportunities, getting a master’s in nursing from Marquette University could be the answer you’re looking for if you want to become an advanced practice nurse. With a median annual salary of $123,780 and a job outlook of 45 percent from 2020 to 2030, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, advanced practice nursing is the job of the future.
Growing Demand for Nurses with MSNs
The demand for registered nurses with master’s degrees is growing faster than ever before due to aging baby boomers, as well as a wave of nurses reaching retirement age. That means the opportunities for what you can do with your master’s in nursing are endless.
Not only are there going to be an estimated 260,000 openings for registered nurses by 2025, but many of those jobs require a master’s in nursing. In order to take full advantage of the demand and opportunity, it’s important to advance your nursing education so you can increase your earning potential.
Possibilities with an MSN
What can you do once you earn a master’s in nursing? If you want to become an advanced nurse, your required continuing education depends on what you decide you want to practice.
No matter which path you choose for your nursing career, the Direct Entry MSN program sets you up for success. Not only is an MSN a prerequisite for many advanced practice roles, holding such a degree gives you the necessary tools to advance faster and pursue leadership opportunities than you could with a BSN. Earning an MSN also allows you to continue toward certification in your desired field.
With a master’s in nursing, you can choose whether to take a generalist or specialist path with your practice. Some of your options include:
Medical-Surgical Nurse
A medical-surgical nurse oversees patients with healthcare issues or those preparing for and/or recovering from surgery and provides any necessary treatment. This role can take place within a traditional hospital environment, as well as within private practice environments.
General Nurse Practitioner
As a general nurse practitioner, you will examine and assess the patient, order appropriate testing, interpret tests and formulate a diagnosis, and prescribe treatment plans. This advanced practice nursing specialty opens doors to multiple career paths and is only accessible through a master’s degree.
Nursing Educator
Nursing educators use their knowledge and experience to prepare and inspire the next generation of nurses. This role isn’t limited to a classroom setting, however. Aside from teaching in colleges and universities, nursing educators can also teach in clinical settings like hospitals and physician’s offices.
Health Policy Nurse
Health policy nurses review and evaluate current healthcare policies and suggest changes to improve the healthcare system. This advanced nursing role uses their extensive nursing background to advocate for change and improve patient welfare.
Additional Benefits
A master’s in nursing is associated with higher earning potential and greater job opportunities, but here are some of the additional benefits that come with a master’s in nursing.
You’re One Step Closer to Post-Master’s Certifications
One of the biggest benefits to earning your master’s in nursing through Marquette’s Direct Entry MSN program is that it gets you one step closer to your post-master’s certification, which opens up more opportunities for you once you graduate and pass the National Council Licensure Examination NCLEX-RN), both professionally and financially.
Because an MSN degree allows you to advance in the healthcare industry, Marquette’s Direct Entry MSN program can help you discover what your goal is and help you carve a path that will allow you to achieve it. For instance, like we mentioned above, many students use this program as their first step toward becoming a nurse practitioner (NP). So if you have a goal of becoming an NP, we advise getting your master’s degree.
This is a generalist direct entry program, yet it touches on the aspects of clinical nurse leadership and nurse educator. Through this program, you can experience the different aspects of the field, so if you elect to, you can continue your education and go on to become a nurse practitioner. The Direct Entry MSN program offers that, whereas, at a BSN level, you are going to have to advance into a master’s to reach your goal.
Becoming a nurse practitioner isn’t the only advanced field a nurse can enter with a master’s degree. In fact, the other most popular pathway is teaching or nursing instruction. This requires some further education, or you can go even further by earning a PhD so you can teach at universities, like your future alma mater, Marquette.
Direct Entry MSN Programs Can Offer an Accelerated Timeline
Why should you earn a master’s in nursing over a BSN through Marquette’s Direct Entry MSN program? You can earn your MSN degree in a similar timeframe to earning a BSN degree. The Direct Entry program can be completed in 19–21 months.
Plus, in less than two years, you will be a lot closer to being able to further your education so you can become an advanced nurse. You’ll gain diverse experience through hands-on labs and clinical placements in top healthcare facilities throughout southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois. You can graduate prepared to sit for the NCLEX and get to the next step of your education.
Earn Your Master’s in Nursing Today
Now that you know what you can do with a master’s in nursing through Marquette’s Direct Entry MSN program your next step is connecting with an admissions adviser. There are always more questions and Marquette’s advisers are ready to answer them all for you. They are just a phone call away.
If you are ready to take the first step toward advancement in the field of nursing, we have a seat for you. Marquette’s Direct Entry MSN program offers two start dates per year. Contact us today to find out what you need, besides your non-nursing bachelor’s degree, to get started on earning a master’s in nursing from Marquette.