There are many amazing nursing roles that require an advanced nursing degree, but which degree is best for your career plans? Some nursing careers, such as management and administrative roles, require a Master of Science in Nursing. Other roles, such as clinical and research positions, require a doctoral degree.
A graduate-level degree in nursing can open a world of possibilities in advanced clinical care and non-bedside roles. While you will first need to earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) and obtain licensure as a registered nurse (RN), an advanced nursing degree sets you on the path toward pursuing leadership and administrative nursing roles.
Felician University’s Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program can help you take the first step and fast-track your nursing career. If you have at least 60 non-nursing credits or a bachelor’s degree, you can earn a BSN through either our hybrid or on-ground ABSN programs in New Jersey in as few as 16 months. This lays the groundwork for pursuing graduate-level nursing education after you’ve gained licensure and clinical experience.
As you plan your career path, you should become familiar with the different types of advanced nursing degrees. Explore the career paths associated with them and how you can take the first step by earning a BSN.
Get your complete guide on getting into nursing school.
Types of Advanced Nursing Degrees
An advanced degree typically takes two or more years to complete, depending on the program. The main types of graduate nursing degrees are:
- Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)
- Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
- Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice (DNAP)
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
An MSN degree is one step up from a BSN. It typically takes between one and three years to earn, depending on your course load, scheduling, and program requirements.
The other degrees are doctorates. These degrees that represent the highest possible academic achievement in a field. They can take between three and five years to complete; however, a DNAP can be completed in one to two years if you are enrolled on a full-time basis.
Some doctorate-level programs require applicants to have a completed MSN, while other programs offer a BSN-to-DNP pathway. This option includes the information covered in an MSN program within its DNP education.
Graduate degrees in nursing typically offer a concentration in a specialty area. For example, if you’re interested in a non-clinical role in nursing, you might earn an MSN with a concentration in organizational leadership, management, or nursing education. The DNAP degree does not offer a separate concentration, as it’s already focused on nurse anesthesia.
All but one of these advanced nursing degrees are practice-focused, meaning they assume that learners will continue working in the field, either directly with patients in a clinical role or away from the bedside in a non-clinical setting. The exception is the PhD in Nursing, which is a research-focused degree.
Career Paths and Opportunities for Advanced Practice Nurses
If you’d like to advance your career in clinical care, you can consider becoming an advanced practice registered nurse (APRN). There are four main types of APRNs:
Nurse Practitioner (NP)
Nurse practitioners have a broad practice authority, including prescribing authority with varying limitations in different states. NPs can diagnose patients, order labs, authorize treatments, and make referrals to other healthcare providers. They can also specialize in areas such as pediatrics or women’s health. In many underserved areas with limited access to physicians, NPs fulfill an essential role as primary care practitioners. They can also establish their own independent practices.
Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS)
Clinical nurse specialists oversee the care of patients with complex conditions. These nurses are trained in advanced physiology, pharmacology, and physical assessment in addition to their specialty areas. They often work with teams of other nurses and doctors to provide coordinated patient care.
While a CNS may continue to provide clinical care, a main area of focus is on driving system-wide progress in healthcare organizations to improve patient outcomes. A CNS wears many hats, including change agent, advocate, mentor, consultant, and leader.
Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM)
These nurses specialize in pregnancy, prenatal care, childbirth, and postpartum recovery. Even though their primary focus is pregnancy care, they also provide reproductive care across the lifespan, from puberty to menopause. Nurse midwives help mothers have a drug- and intervention-free childbirth process if desired, cultivating a close one-on-one relationship with the parents.
Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA)
A nurse anesthetist administers anesthesia during surgery and diagnostic procedures, carefully monitors the patient, and responds to any complications that may arise. CRNAs use intravenous drugs, inhalation agents, or regional blocks, depending on which modality is most appropriate for each procedure and patient. They can earn either a DNP with the appropriate concentration or a DNAP.
Nursing Specialties You Can Pursue
There are many nursing specialties to choose from. Some focus on the type of patient or condition, while others focus on research, management skills, or education. By earning an advanced nursing degree, you broaden your career specialization options.
Acute Care Nurse
An acute care nurse works with patients who are experiencing severe or life-threatening diseases and injuries, requiring them to make life-saving decisions in fast-paced environments. Acute care nurses usually pursue additional certifications, such as pediatrics or adult-gerontology, to demonstrate advanced knowledge in a particular subspecialty.
Clinical Nurse Consultant
A clinical nurse consultant provides valuable input for managing patient care within an organization or hospital system. They focus on improving patient care and outcomes by influencing nursing practice and the healthcare organization. To accomplish their goals, they might mentor nursing staff members, influence policy decisions, and ensure that evidence-based practices are implemented.
Did you know there are different types of nursing skills? Learn these 12 soft skills to help you become a better nurse.
Nurse Researcher
Nurse researchers work on scientific studies, analyze data, and work with patients during clinical trials. These nurses receive training in informatics and research methodology tools. Even though they don’t provide direct nursing care, their research and work help improve nursing and save patients’ lives. A nurse researcher typically needs a PhD in Nursing.
Nurse Educator
Nurse educators are the mentors who teach the next generation of nurses. This role at nursing schools generally requires an MSN or a doctorate and years of nursing experience. Nurse educators serve as advisers and role models to their students, guiding them on their path to becoming successful registered nurses.
How to Choose the Right Path for Your Career Goals
It’s often a good idea to avoid choosing an advanced nursing degree and advanced clinical or non-clinical role too early. This is because your clinical experience can significantly inform your future career decisions.
You might begin a nursing program with your heart set on pediatrics but later discover that a role in the emergency room is better suited to your strengths, work preferences, and interests.
In Felician’s ABSN program, you’ll complete clinical rotations within the Atlantic Health System and other leading healthcare providers, exposing you to various nursing specialties, including mental health, long-term care, adult health, and pediatrics.
You’ll get an inside look at the pros and cons of these specialties and use the experience to choose a nursing specialty. After gaining clinical experience and networking with RNs, APRNs, and non-clinical nurses across specialties, you’ll have a better idea of your career advancement goals.
When you’re ready to choose a graduate nursing degree, start by narrowing your options. First, determine if you want to continue working in clinical care. If not, then would you prefer management and administration or research? If you prefer clinical care, does an APRN position appeal to you? If so, which subspecialty?
Steps to Earning an Advanced Nursing Degree
Your journey toward an advanced nursing degree begins with becoming an RN. While it’s possible to become an RN with an ADN, only a BSN allows you to apply to a graduate nursing program. Follow these steps:
- Earn a BSN: If you have a non-nursing bachelor’s degree or college credits, then an accelerated BSN program, such as Felician’s ABSN, can help you complete this step faster than the traditional, four-year BSN route.
- Pass the NCLEX-RN and get licensed: Passing the NCLEX-RN takes significant preparation. Start studying for the exam early in nursing school. Once you pass, you can obtain a nursing license from your state’s board of nursing.
- Gain clinical experience: Clinical experience will help you decide which advanced nursing path is right for you. It will also prepare you for graduate nursing programs.
- Earn an MSN: An MSN is the minimum requirement for some advanced positions, such as nurse managers. This might be the final stop for you, but if you wish to become, for example, a CRNA, you will have to earn a doctorate degree next. You might be able to skip this step if you are eligible for a BSN-to-doctorate degree program.
- Earn a doctorate: While not a requirement for all advanced positions, a doctorate degree signifies the highest academic achievement.
- Obtain board certification: Depending on your career goals, board certification might be the final step. If you wish to become an APRN, you must receive licensure in your specialty.
Get Started Today
As a first step toward pursuing an advanced nursing degree, you can earn your BSN in as few as 16 months with Felician University. If you have a non-nursing bachelor’s degree or at least 60 college credits, you can choose from our Hybrid ABSN program in Parsippany, New Jersey, which offers online coursework, or our On-Ground ABSN in Rutherford, New Jersey, which is all in-person.
Both ABSN programs offer a values-based curriculum with a practice-ready focus, including thorough NCLEX-RN prep, so students are prepared to take the exam with confidence. Contact an admission counselor today to learn if the accelerated BSN program is right for you.