The last two years have been highly crucial in determining the real value and worth of healthcare workers, especially nurses. While we were all quarantined at home, nurses rose to the occasion and gave twice or thrice as more than they signed up for during the global pandemic. They were at the forefront of the entire situation, risking their health, investing their physical strength, and sacrificing their mental wellbeing for the sake of the general public’s health. Undoubtedly nurses were the real heroes in the war against disease, alongside other healthcare staff.
While nursing can be a highly demanding career, it is also profoundly rewarding. It will test every ounce of your patience. You will begin to question whether the mental and physical labor is worth it or not. But at the end of the day, you will be well compensated, not that any money could ever make up for the roles of a nurse, but you will go home pleased with yourself. Nurses can deal with the burnout and stress oftheir jobs by implementing meditation and emotional resilience.
Like any other career, a career in nursing is only fruitful if you don’t stagnate. To reach newer heights, you need to be rightly qualified. For that purpose, you may pursue an advanced degree in nursing to broaden your scope of options. Various fields of nursing offer multiple kinds of salaries to nurses. If you want to make a fortune in this line of work, you may opt for an online MSN Adult Gerontology Acute Care NP program. It’s a degree in demand because the rapidly increasing aging population requires care from highly trained professionals. So, continue reading to find out more benefits of earning an advanced degree.
A master’s degree in nursing will be nothing less than beneficial for you in every way. If two nurses in a hospital unit are employed in the same role but have differing qualifications, their salaries will differ. Since a master’s degree equips you with additional skills and knowledge regarding nursing, it makes you eligible for higher pay. Typically, a nurse earns around $85,000 annually. Nurses who hold a master’s degree earn approximately $30,000 more. As you advance from an AND to BSN, BSN to MSN, MSN to DNP, your salary will hike with the role you’re pursuing.
A master’s degree in nursing opens doors to newer and advanced job opportunities for you. Most leadership roles in nursing have a requirement to obtain a master’s degree before you apply. Plus, you may specialize in a particular field and find prospective jobs in that line of work. An advanced degree will also give you an edge over other candidates applying for the same role. For example, if you want to become a nurse-midwife or a neonatal nurse, you’ll be required to earn a master’s degree for the same by most hospital administrations.
Most nurses and students step into the healthcare profession by idealizing the top of the hierarchy in their minds. An essential component in a master’s degree course is the leadership element. It prepares you to take on administrative tasks, counseling, data assessment, and decision making, as they’re an integral part of healthcare. However, RNs and BSNs are hardly ever eligible for these jobs. Nurses who specifically want to work in leadership roles can earn a master’s degree in leadership to be eligible.
Most healthcare organizations have listed an advanced degree – either a BSN or an MSN – as a requirement for most nursing jobs, especially way up in the hierarchy. Even if you do score a job, you’re allotted a fixed duration of time to obtain your advanced degree. Sometimes your employer might even fund a percentage of your advanced degree. If you don’t complete your advanced degree within the set time, you may lose employment or several benefits that come with it. Since online education is prevailing, it is more convenient than ever today to pursue advanced education.
An advanced degree allows you to move a step ahead in your career mentally and professionally. It teaches you skills like communication, time management, critical thinking, problem identification and resolution, as well as informed decision-making. These skills allow you the freedom and autonomy to make decisions without having second thoughts about your choices. Autonomy also happens to be effective in preventing career stagnation for nurses. When you feel a sense of control, you’re likely to be more satisfied with your job.
Nursing is a difficult profession majorly because of the long and tiring working hours you’re required to do. You may find yourself working 36-hour calls or even more in emergencies. Besides that, you might not get the day off on weekends, holidays, nights out, or even your birthday. The tough schedule barely leaves any room for you to manage your personal life. However, the working hours get slightly flexible when you advance in your career, which is only possible when you’re rightly qualified. This way, you might get the weekends and holidays off.
An advanced degree provides you with an opportunity to pursue your passions instead of aimlessly following the herd. If you are into record-keeping and supervision but also want to pursue healthcare, you can opt for a master’s in healthcare administration degree. Aside from that, if you pick up new skills, receive advanced career opportunities, or choose a new area of specialization, it’ll only bring you personal fulfillment. Besides, the best part about upgrading your qualification is the monetary benefits that come with it.
The Bottom Line
A nursing career can be very tough initially, but it can also be very rewarding. Even so, to achieve these rewards, you must first obtain an advanced qualification. Why? Because it’s more convenient than ever today, all thanks to online education. Plus, it opens new horizons of opportunities for you. You might get a pay raise or more job offers. If you’re already employed, you can go for a leadership position that requires you to have an advanced degree.
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