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Which Nursing Certificates Can Improve Your Credentials?
The right post-graduate nursing certificate can improve your career outlook.
The need for nurses in the U.S. is rising so quickly that some worry we’ll soon face a serious nursing shortfall.1 With so much demand for nurses, nursing opportunities are expanding at every level of the field, including for nurses who hold advanced degrees such as a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN). If you hold an MSN degree, one of the best ways you can take advantage of the expanding opportunities is to acquire additional skills. And one of the best ways to acquire those skills is by earning a post-graduate nursing certificate.
What can a nursing certificate do for you?
The best nursing certificates can help you:
- Bolster your skills so you can help meet rapidly growing demands for better patient care.
- Achieve greater professional recognition.
- Create new career options or improve long-term career prospects.
- Improve your position with regard to compensation.
Which types of nursing certificates can help your career the most?
As our healthcare system continues to grow and evolve, healthcare organizations are actively seeking leaders in the expanding fields of education, technology, and management. As a nurse, your understanding of patient care gives you unique insights that healthcare employers in these three fields greatly desire. However, you might lack the specific skills you need to qualify for a position. That’s where the right post-graduate nursing certificate can help. By earning a certificate focused on one of healthcare’s most in-demand fields, you can gain the knowledge and credentials to help you become the leader you want to be. The following nursing certificates can be particularly helpful:
Post-Master’s Certificate in Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
Make a difference in the lives of seriously ill patients who have complex acute and chronic medical conditions. This certificate program prepares nurses with an MSN or a nurse practitioner MSN degree with the specialized information, knowledge, and skills to become eligible to take the national NP certification examination appropriate to this specialty and obtain NP licensure at the state level.
Post-Master’s Certificate in Adult Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner
This certificate can provide you with the advanced clinical training you need to assess, diagnose, treat, and manage a variety of health issues among patients, ages 13 years and older. You will also qualify to sit for the national certification exam for adult-gerontology primary care nurse practitioner upon completion of the program.
Post-Master’s Certificate in Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP)
If you’re a nurse with an MSN or nurse practitioner MSN degree and wish to become an FNP, this program can help you gain the skills and knowledge you need to assess and manage health issues in patients of all ages, from birth through the senior years.
Post-Master’s Certificate in Nursing Education
Nurse educators are needed in the classroom teaching students and in the field teaching other medical professionals about new medical treatments and products. A nursing education certificate can help you become a nurse educator, putting you in a position to train new nurses, keep current medical professionals up-to-date on important topics, lead conferences, and/or educate the public on important health issues.
Post-Master’s Certificate in Nursing Informatics
With a nursing informatics certificate, you can gain the knowledge you need to help guide your organization’s use of health informatics technology. Health informatics utilizes modern methods of data collection, analysis, and transmission to help healthcare organizations use resources optimally and communicate efficiently to improve patient outcomes and ensure organizational success.
Post-Master’s Certificate in Nurse Executive
Upper management drives the most important healthcare decisions made today. A nurse executive certificate can help you acquire the skills you need to play an important managerial role. Nurses who work in the upper levels of management lead their organizations in such areas as workforce development, resource alignment, technology integration, and fiscal planning and management.
Post-Master’s Certificate in Psychiatric Mental Health Practitioner (PMHNP)
Learn to assess, diagnose, provide therapy, and prescribe medications for patients with psychiatric disorders, medical organic brain disorders, and substance abuse problems. This program has a strong emphasis on pharmacology and as a PMHNP you will be able to treat children, adults, groups, and families.
What’s the best way to earn a nursing certificate?
If you’re like most nurses with an MSN degree, you are currently working and working hard. That’s why, if you’re considering earning a nursing certificate, you should take a look at online nursing schools. At an online university, you can find a level of flexibility and convenience that’s unavailable at traditional institutions. Instead of having to attend classes at a specific time and at a specific location, online nursing schools give you the opportunity to earn your nursing certificate while you continue to work and take care of your other responsibilities. Not only can this make earning your nursing certificate easier, it can save you both time and money.
The opportunities for nurses are expanding like never before. By earning a nursing certificate online, you can put yourself in a better position to make the most of these exciting opportunities. A nursing certificate can be a great way to acquire the skills you need to advance your career.
Walden University is an accredited institution offering online Post-Master’s Certificates in Nursing. Expand your career options and earn your degree in a convenient, flexible format that fits your busy life.
1Source: https://www.aacnnursing.org/News-Information/Fact-Sheets/Nursing-ShortageWalden University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission, www.hlcommission.org.