Online Nursing Master’s Program

More than anything else, a master’s degree in nursing prepares you to be a nurse leader, capable of managing aspects of the healthcare system and helping people lead healthier lives. Because nearly every field of healthcare needs nurse leaders, there are a wide variety of nursing careers you can enter with an MSN degree. Common MSN nursing careers include:

• Nurse practitioner

• Nurse educator

• Nursing faculty

• Administrative nurse faculty

• Nursing instructor

• Patient educator

• Staff development manager

• Staff educator

• Continuing education specialist

• Clinical nurse educator

• Clinical supervisor

• Consultant

• Case manager

Career options may require additional experience, training, or other factors beyond the successful completion of this degree program.

It depends. The direction you take in your nursing career will influence how much you earn. Salary ranges can vary widely depending on a number of factors, including your education, certifications, additional skills, number of years spent practicing, geographic location, and place of employment.

Nurses find positions in a wide variety of settings, doing a wide variety of tasks. If you want to take your career in nursing to the next level, consider furthering your education. An MSN degree program can prepare you with the advanced skills needed to pursue roles in leadership, nursing education, informatics, or public health, or to pursue certification and credentialing as a nurse practitioner.

Yes. The path to becoming a nurse practitioner typically begins at a nursing school with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing or in an RN program with the intent to enroll in an RN to BSN program later. The next step is to earn a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree, after which you must pass a national nurse practitioner certification exam. All told, earning an MSN and becoming a nurse practitioner takes about six years of total education, although enrolling in an RN to MSN program can help you earn your master’s degree faster.

Walden offers five MSN specializations that prepare graduates to pursue certification and credentialing as a nurse practitioner: Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner, Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner, Family Nurse Practitioner, Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (PNP) Primary Care, and Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner.

Yes. A Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) is often required to apply to a master’s program in nursing. However, some universities offer an RN to MSN track that allows RNs to enter an MSN program with a hospital diploma or an associate degree in nursing. Students then complete undergraduate-level foundational courses before beginning MSN core courses.

Thanks to online learning, you don’t have to pause your nursing career in order to earn an MSN degree. You can complete the majority of your MSN program from wherever you have internet access, without the hassle of driving to a campus. Additionally, an online MSN program will allow you to complete coursework at whatever time of day works best for you. Instead of rearranging your work schedule to fit your education, you can arrange your education to fit your work schedule.

Toward the end of your program, you’ll put your knowledge into practice in person in a real healthcare setting through a practicum experience. This is not only an opportunity to apply what you’ve learned in your online classes, but also a chance to receive mentoring from nurses who are experts in your area of interest. Your practicum can help you gain valuable field experience and develop the advanced nursing skills needed to follow your passion in a certain specialty or to move up as a nurse manager or leader in your healthcare organization.

The length of time required to complete an MSN degree program varies widely depending on many factors, including the track and learning format you choose.

The MSN program offers two tracks: the BSN to MSN track for those entering with a BSN, and the RN to MSN track, in which RN students complete 26 quarter credits of undergraduate-level foundational courses before starting the MSN core courses.

In addition, the MSN program is offered in course-based and competency-based formats. Students in the course-based format follow a structured schedule with regular deadlines to make steady progress. In the competency-based format, students can progress at their pace and on their schedule.