What Does it Take to Achieve a Master’s Degree in Nursing for Public Healthcare?
Earning a Master’s Degree in Nursing (MSN) with a public health focus can be highly rewarding. Not only will it enable you to make a positive impact on your community, but it will also shape the direction of healthcare itself. An advanced pathway towards MSN public health nursing offers students knowledge about diseases and vulnerabilities across populations as well as how Public Healthcare access affects community well-being. An MSN in Public Health Nursing prepares graduates to work closely with communities, conduct field research, identify risk factors for improvement in health and solve problems. What information should they learn about earning their MSN? Let’s find out!
How Can I Acquire an MSN in Public Healthcare Nursing?
Each program has different prerequisites. Generally, prospective MSN students require a bachelor’s in Nursing with a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA, an active RN license, and to write a personal essay outlining their goals for nursing. Goodwin University does not require applicants to submit GRE scores; however it is highly recommended that you have two years of nursing experience.
What curriculum can I expect to acquire?
An MSN with a concentration in public health allows you to pursue career-oriented coursework within this field. Goodwin’s MSN program emphasizes population and health, offering 30-credit hours that can be completed within 20 months via online coursework with no class times – the convenience! With these courses, you have complete control over when and how often you take them.
Classes may include both clinical and theoretical work.
Policy and Politics – How are healthcare policies formed? This course examines the interconnectedness of politics and advocacy in their making. How can nurses ensure leaders take an ethical approach? Gaining this understanding will empower tomorrow’s nurses to be even more powerful advocates.
Pathophysiology and Pharmacology for Advanced Nursing Practice – This three-part clinical class equips students with the knowledge needed to perform advanced practice nursing duties. Pharmacology covers drug distribution and use as well as cultural and economic nuances; pathophysiology helps learners comprehend illness causes and effects; physical assessment provides advanced techniques to evaluate patients across life’s spectrum while emphasizing holistic perspectives.
This course on population theory examines the theoretical underpinnings of public health – How are quality and costs distributed among various areas and socioeconomic groups across different places? By planning population health projects, collecting data, and analyzing its outcomes, students will gain an understanding of these distributions.
Goodwin University’s MSN program offers students the advantage of being able to transfer their credits directly into other specialized areas or doctoral programs, should they wish to progress in their career!
What career prospects are available to those with an MSN (Master of Science in Public Health) degree?
Nurses with an MSN in nursing can find greater career advancement opportunities. RNs with this degree or those in population health could potentially work in:
- Hospitals
- Government Sector
- Regional or State Health Departments
- Nursing Homes and Residential Care Facilities
- Universities
- Outpatient care centers
- Offices of physicians
Nurses with master’s degrees in nursing can provide care to some of society’s most vulnerable populations. With extensive Public Healthcare knowledge, these nurses collaborate with local, regional governments and policy-making agencies to enhance lives and wellbeing for those they serve. MSN public health nurses play an invaluable role; not only do they treat patients but they also act as advocates, educators and partners.
An advanced MSN degree in public health can offer leadership opportunities for graduates. Potential careers could include Nurse Managers, Community Health Directors or Nurse Education Specialists. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, an MSN in population and health management carries a salary of $101,340 annually.
To be considered for the position of Medical and Health Services Manager, you must possess clinical or administrative experience as well as a master’s degree with coursework in management and leadership within healthcare. The Goodwin University MSN program meets all these requirements.
What distinguishes this degree from other MSN/MPH degree options?
A Master of Nursing with a focus on public health is distinct from other MSN programs. It has a wider educational scope, longer program length, more credit hours and distinct curriculum. Consider programs like the Psychiatric and Mental Health Nurse Practitioners (PMHNP) or Family Nurse Practitioners (FNP). The PMHNP program prepares students in diagnosing, advocating for, and treating patients with acute and chronic mental health issues. To earn 50 credits required to become a PMHNP, students must complete seven semesters worth of coursework. In addition to clinical expertise, FNP training emphasizes teaching nurses how to promote holistic health throughout patients’ lifespans. FNP students can earn 47 credits in 27 months of part-time study and continuous study. On the other hand, MSN programs offer a faster pace of 20 months with 30 credits earned; potential MSN students should take into account that population health differs between states.
If public health is your main passion, you might consider the MSN in Population Health or Master of Public Health. Both programs can be completed within 12-15 months using an accelerated format and students earn 42 credits. When selecting which master’s path you would prefer – research, clinical work or policy writing? Is working directly with patients more important after earning your master’s? These questions will help determine if either MSN or MPH path is suitable for you.
Additional Resource:
https://www.apha.org/what-is-public-health
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_health
https://www.cdcfoundation.org/what-public-health