What Kind of Master’s in Nursing Specialties are there?

Earning your Master Degree in Nursing can position you to enter several different specialty areas within healthcare. At first, the options may seem overwhelming, especially if you are just starting to explore what’s available. Just keep in mind that your options for study include degrees that focus on different segments of care delivery within nursing. In order to simplify your search for Specialty Master’s in Nursing programs, we have taken the time to organize them all in a few easy to understand ways.

As you look through the schools and programs on this site, it may help to keep the following points in mind about Master’s in Nursing specialty tracks.

• MSN degree specialties may focus on a certain body system or health concern such as cardiac care, diabetes or vascular nursing. Courses specific to each focus are usually incorporated into the curriculum of the Master’s program you choose.
• Master’s in Nursing programs can also be based around a specific patient population like pediatrics or gerontology. These MSN programs can be a great fit if you enjoy working with patients of a certain age or at a specific spot within the life cycle.
• You can also find Nursing Master’s degrees that focus on patient acuity or location of care delivery such as primary care, public health nursing or acute care nursing. In these programs, you will take MSN classes that cover widespread patient conditions, disease processes and healthcare delivery topics.
• Finally, there are non-patient care specialty areas you can focus on as you earn your Master’s degree in Nursing. These include nursing education, healthcare administration and management, nursing research and health policy.

Why Should I Specialize?

As our nation’s leaders continue to overhaul and reform healthcare, nurses are increasingly stepping up to provide high quality care that is patient-centered, cost effective and efficient. Utilizing highly educated nurses has been proven to improve patient outcomes, reduce mortality rates and boost patient satisfaction scores. As you choose your Master’s in Nursing degree program, finding the focus that best suits you and your abilities can further improve the care you provide.

As a nurse, you are probably well aware of the sheer number and complexity of the health conditions that affect millions of Americans every day. By refining and honing your nursing skills and knowledge through higher education, you can become an expert in your field. This will allow you to provide thorough and complete health services to those patients that can benefit most from your knowledge base. Specialization involves both narrowing and deepening your nursing practice, which will ultimately allow you to adeptly “meet the needs of the society that creates and supports our profession” (Janet Fulton Phd, RN).

As nurses we are held to advocate for our patients and our communities and to protect and improve their health and wellness. We are also called to maintain our own competencies and to engage in activities that promote continual growth and learning within our profession. We believe that one of the best ways to achieve both of these goals is by earning your Master’s degree in Nursing.

Take some time to review the information on our site, compare schools and read about the myriad of programs available. Once you have an idea of what kind of Master’s degree program in nursing interests you, contact the schools to speak with a representative and receive program materials.