Career Options with Masters Degree in Nursing Education

If you would like to move into a position where you can use your experience not just to manage other nurses but to teach them to be more effective health care professionals, a masters in nursing education could be your degree of choice.

Getting some type of MS degree in nursing is key to moving up into most management positions in the nursing field. A post graduate degree specialized in nursing education will provide you with advanced knowledge in instruction, curriculum development and other teaching skills, as well as study of broader topics like leadership, advanced administration and health policy. And while some of these subjects may be covered in a masters program with a more general heading like “healthcare administration,” the MS in nursing education will, among other things, communicate to employers that you have a strong interest and ability in teaching. Advanced nursing degree programs that are education-specific may also go under headings like MSN Healthcare Education, MSN in Contemporary Nursing Faculty or MSN Clinical Nurse Leadership.

Varied Opportunities
Graduates with a masters in nursing education will be prepared to teach the next generation of nurses and nursing candidates in a variety of settings, from educational institutions to hospitals and other health care facilities that hire significant numbers of nurses.

Some of the key subjects usually covered in the MS degree in nursing education include:

• Advanced nursing practice
• Fundamentals of research
• Role development, policy, and financing
• Educational techniques and trends
• School law and classroom technology
• Theories in educational instruction
• Curriculum development

Career Opportunities With An MS Degree in Nursing Education
Those who graduate with a master’s degree in nursing education should be able to find teaching positions in colleges, as well as public and private schools. They will also have the option of using their degree in such areas as creating nursing curriculum, becoming a department chair, or overseeing schools and programs in a variety of nursing education settings.

A variety of MS Degrees in Nursing Education are offered online through established universities, as well as on-campus. Programs can usually be completed within two years of study, and most schools offer some form of tuition and financial-aid assistance. While there are some “RN to MSN” programs out there, the vast majority of nursing masters programs require a bachelor’s degree for admission.

Keeping A Hand In Nursing
The masters in nursing education can give you an opportunity to increase your salary and do new things, without necessarily leaving nursing practice to become a pure administrator. If this degree interests you, your best start will be to gather information from several universities, to compare program offerings and find one that meets your specific needs.