Choosing the MSN Specialization That's Right for You

Walden University’s online Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) is designed to help those in the nursing profession who wish to make a greater difference in the field of healthcare, within their own communities, in their organizations, and in the lives of patients. 

Some MSN programs give students the opportunity to choose a specialization that aligns with their interests and career goals. When selecting an MSN specialization, it is helpful to consider what your passion is and ask yourself a few questions:

• What would you like to see yourself doing in three to five years?
• Which groups do you prefer working with (large or small, patients, senior leaders)?
• What are your strengths (technology, communication, analytics, health)?
• What type of work setting do you prefer (hospital, primary care, healthcare organization, university, insurance company)?

Nurse Practitioner or Specialty Practice?

Walden’s online MSN program offers nine distinct specializations, which fall into two groups: nurse practitioner and specialty practice. 

Many people believe that the role of a nurse practitioner is limited to a family practice—but that is not the case. Walden offers four very different nurse practitioner MSN specializations, and each can help qualify you to take on additional responsibilities that include prescribing medication, examining patients, diagnosing illnesses, and providing treatment. 

If you prefer to focus your nursing career on leadership, management, or the education of other healthcare professionals, a specialty practice MSN specialization might be right for you.

Regardless of your choice, these MSN specializations can help differentiate you in the field and prepare you for work in a nursing specialty. Here is an overview of each specialization within Walden’s MSN program:

Nurse Practitioner Specializations

MSN – Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (AGPCNP): Adult-gerontology primary care NPs are trained to assess, diagnose, treat, and manage a variety of health issues among patients 13 and older in a variety of settings. They also have the option to specialize in a certain area, such as cardiology, dermatology, or orthopedics, to name a few. Students in this specialization learn strategies for improving health outcomes through effective communication and collaboration. You’ll have the opportunity to explore current health topics through a curriculum developed in collaboration with experts who serve in leading healthcare systems and institutions.

MSN – Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner: This specialization focuses on the advanced care of acutely or chronically ill adolescents through older adults. In addition to learning how to conduct initial assessments, make diagnoses, and develop treatment and care plans, graduates can apply their skills in surgical and medical intensive care units or in hospital settings.

MSN – Family Nurse Practitioner: Care for infants, young children, and other family members as a family nurse practitioner. Discover how to assess, diagnose, and treat routine medical conditions and explore strategies for practicing preventive healthcare. You will be positioned to work in a broad spectrum of settings, including primary care clinics, urgent care clinics, worksite-based health clinics, private medical practices, and public health departments.

MSN – Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (PNP) Primary Care: Oversee the health and well-being of patients from birth to 21 in a variety of pediatric primary care settings. This specialization prepares you with the skills and knowledge you need to provide well-child care and preventive healthcare, manage acute and chronic conditions, oversee the mental health of patients, and manage your own practice. This specialization also prepares you to sit for the Certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner - Primary Care (CPNP-PC) exam.

MSN – Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner: As a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner, you can access, examine, diagnose, and treat patients with mental illness. You will also be able to prescribe medications, and your scope of work could include suicide prevention, anxiety, depression, and drug addiction. Psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioners work with children, adults, and groups and often teach families about a patient’s condition and how best to support them. 

Specialty Practice Specializations

MSN – Nurse Executive: Gain essential skills that can make you an effective leader in decision-making, planning, finance, and human resources. You will prepare to help ensure the delivery of safe, effective healthcare through coursework designed to hone skills in coaching, motivating, and leading a professional team while developing administrative expertise and decision-making skills in the areas of quality assurance and effective oversight of organizational resources.

MSN – Nursing Education: Play a pivotal role in strengthening the nursing workforce and serve as a role model by educating others. You can learn to design, implement, evaluate, and revise educational programs for nurses, including formal academic programs that lead to a degree or certificate and more informal continuing education programs designed to meet individual learning needs.

MSN – Nursing Informatics: The American Nurses Association defines nursing informatics as “a specialty that integrates nursing science, computer science, and information science to manage and communicate data, information, and knowledge in nursing practice.” Graduates of this specialization are expected to be able to integrate data, information, and knowledge to support decision-making by patients, nurses, and other caregivers in all roles and settings. This specialization is designed to prepare graduates to qualify to sit for the nursing informatics board certification exam. 

MSN – Public Health Nursing: Nursing often goes beyond caring for individuals. Instead of treating one patient at a time, public health nurses use their skills to help entire communities live better, healthier lives. Public health nurses design and implement health education campaigns, develop programs for illness and disease prevention, act as advocates for underserved communities, educate groups about available healthcare programs and services, monitor health trends, and more.

Help Choosing an MSN Specialization

Earning a Walden MSN degree can help you build a skill set relevant to a range of career paths. 

The MSN program has two admission tracks for registered nurses: a BSN entry track for students who hold a bachelor’s degree in nursing, and an RN entry track for students who hold an associate degree in nursing, a hospital diploma, or a non-nursing bachelor’s degree. Students in the RN entry track complete 26 quarter credits of foundational courses before starting MSN core courses.

If you’re still not sure which specialization in Walden’s online MSN program is right for you, visit the MSN Specialization Finder to take a five-question quiz that might help you decide.

At Walden, an HLC-accredited university, you can earn your degree online while you continue to work full time. That means you can better maintain a work-life balance while you advance your skill set. With online learning, there’s no need to completely rearrange your schedule or commute to campus—you can complete coursework at whatever time of day works best for you as you earn your master’s degree and work toward the nursing career of your dreams.

Walden University is an accredited institution offering a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program online. Expand your career options and earn your degree in a convenient, flexible format that fits your busy life.

Walden University’s Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program is designed to provide the academic degree required to apply for national certifications. Because no graduate program can guarantee that graduates will achieve national certification, we encourage students to consult the appropriate credentialing center for the specific requirements. It is an individual’s responsibility to understand, evaluate, and comply with all requirements relating to national certification as requirements vary widely. Walden makes no representations or guarantee that completion of Walden coursework or programs will permit an individual to obtain national certification. For more information about certification programs, students should contact the American Nurses Credentialing Center at www.nursingworld.org/ancc, or other certification websites.

Walden University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission, www.hlcommission.org