Find Your Program

Or browse by

Browse our programs

How the Affordable Care Act is Creating New Career Opportunities for Registered Nurses with a Master's Degree in Nursing

When the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) became law, it changed the lives of millions of uninsured Americans who previously couldn’t afford health insurance or were denied coverage due to pre-existing health problems.

At the same time, ACA has also changed the lives of registered nurses by giving them new incentives for earning a master’s degree in nursing (MSN) online or on campus.

How the Affordable Care Act is Creating New Career Opportunities for Registered Nurses with a Master's Degree in Nursing

The New Reality for Nurse Practitioners

If you’re a registered nurse with a BS in Nursing, you’re in an enviable position. Your skills are in high demand in a marketplace suffering from a growing shortage of nurses. Now, thanks to the ACA, you can take advantage of exciting new career opportunities with an online master’s degree in nursing.

The ACA provides new and expansive opportunities and responsibilities for nurse practitioners (NPs), also known as advanced practice registered nurses (APRN). NPs hold a master’s degree in nursing (MSN) or a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP).

In paradigm-shifting language, the Affordable Care Act states that the normal lines of responsibility between doctors and APRNs must be redrawn and barriers must be lifted in order to expand the roles of NPs in this new age of national healthcare.

There are several reasons for the ACA’s strong directive:

  • This new influx of 8- to 11-million newly insured patients in 2014 is adding to the heavy patient loads of primary care doctors across the country.1
  • Primary care practices are no longer concerned solely with acute care and chronic disease management. The ACA expands their responsibilities to include prevention, screening, wellness, and education.
  • By the year 2030, the U.S. could be facing a shortage of physicians totally up to 120,000.2
  • NPs have long argued that they are qualified to treat chronic illness and provide preventive services without a physician’s oversight, especially in healthcare settings such as primary care, pediatric care, and women’s health.3
  • Currently in 19 states and the District of Columbia, NPs are allowed to practice independently of a physician. This growing trend reflects major changes that are being made in healthcare delivery as a result of the passage of the ACA.

Prepare for Your New Future With an Online Master’s Degree in Nursing

As an NP with a master’s degree in nursing, you can look forward to earning a full-time mean base salary of $113,930.4 Your new master’s degree allows you to provide a broad range of healthcare services, including:

  • Taking the patient's history, performing a physical exam, and ordering laboratory tests and procedures
  • Diagnosing, treating, and managing diseases
  • Writing prescriptions and coordinating referrals
  • Providing handouts on disease prevention and healthy lifestyles
  • Performing certain procedures

At Walden University, you can customize your online master’s degree in nursing by choosing one of six specializations to focus your degree: family nurse practitioner, adult-gerontology nurse practitioner, adult-gerontology acute care nurse practitioner, nurse executive, nursing education, and nursing informatics.

Explore Walden University's online master’s degree in nursing program and specialized certification programs that fit your career goals. Earn your degree at a pace that fits your life and schedule.

1 Source: http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/10/27/us/is-the-affordable-care-act-working.html?_r=0#/
2 Source: https://news.aamc.org/press-releases/article/workforce_report_shortage_04112018/
3 Source: http://kaiserhealthnews.org/news/kentucky-law-gives-nurse-practioners-more-flexibility-on-practice-prescriptions/
4 Source: https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/nurse-anesthetists-nurse-midwives-and-nurse-practitioners.htm

Whether looking for information on programs, admissions, or financial aid, we're here to help.

Fill out the form and we will contact you to provide information about furthering your education.

Please use our International Form if you live outside of the U.S.

  • Step 1: Contact Information
  • Step 2: Academic Interests

Are you or your spouse an active or retired U.S. military service member?*

By submitting this form, I provide my signature, expressly consenting to calls, prerecorded messages, messages created by generative artificial intelligence, emails and/or texts regarding my educational options from Walden University (Walden) and its contractors using an automated dialing system to the number and email address provided. I understand my consent is not required to enroll at Walden, and that I can withdraw my consent at any time. To request information without consenting, please call 866-492-5336. For telephonic communications, message and data rates may apply. Message frequency may vary. To opt out of communications via text messaging reply STOP or HELP for help or call 866-492-5336. For more information, visit Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.