MSN Programs in California
Due to the wide range of healthcare needs and demographic groups in California, nurses with advanced degrees play a big role in the state’s health care system. Your time as a nurse may have led you to great interest in research, teaching, direct practice, or management. Whether you are looking for RN to MSN programs in California, entry level Master’s in Nursing programs for non-nursing degree holders or a traditional Master’s in Nursing, California has several options to choose from. Choose those schools that interest you and request program materials today.
Like most states, in order to earn your Master’s in Nursing, California require you to complete an intensive educational experience that is meant to prepare you for many types of advanced nursing positions. Most Master’s degree programs in California can be completed in about three years of part-time study. Degrees that prepare you for patient care—like nurse anesthesia, nurse practitioner, and nurse midwifery—are heavily focused on clinical work. After completing theory courses like Integrative Physiology, Advanced Pharmacology, and Pathophysiology, you move directly into residency. During your clinical residency, you work with the population that you’ll be serving in your new career.
Degrees that focus on management or nurse education are more heavily based in theory courses. An internship will still likely be part of your curriculum—however, you may not spend as much time in the field as a prospective nurse practitioner, nurse midwife, or nurse anesthetist. There are also RN to MSN programs in California that take into account the fact that seamless progression to higher nursing degrees can be achieved by incorporating past experience and education into graduate studies. These programs may even offer online options for increased flexibility.
In addition to school-specific and federal financial aid opportunities, there are many graduate nursing scholarship programs in California. The Health Professions Education Foundation, which is dedicated to providing health care to California residents, funds millions of dollars in scholarship for health care professionals every year. If you are willing to work in an underserved area after graduation, you may be eligible for the NURSE Corps Scholarship Program. The California Nursing Students Association awards scholarships of $1,000 to $2,500.
Working With Your MSN in California
Over the years, California has adopted legislation that affects nursing careers and makes the state a better place for nurses to work. The California Action Coalition has made huge strides in many legislative areas, including advanced nursing practice, access to nursing education, and collaboration with other medical professionals. California was the first and only state to adopt strict nurse-to-patient ratios, ensuring that patients receive quality care and that nurses are able to deliver it. This piece of legislation has increase the need for graduate-level nurses who fill primary care and leadership roles.
In addition to legislation that supports nurses at all levels, there is a greater need for nurses throughout California. The Los Angeles Times notes that Los Angeles County alone needs over 700 new nurses. Nurses that can fill multiple roles—primary care, specialty care, and management, for example—may have the most promising job outlook.
The state of California attracts many nurses with its warm temperatures and alluring beaches. There are many career options for masters prepared nurses in this state, including advanced practiced psychiatric nurses and clinical nurse specialists.
As an advanced practice psychiatric nurse you will monitor psychiatric patients’ medications and results, as well as diagnose and treat psychiatric disorders.
As a clinical nurse specialist you will collaborate with other members of the healthcare team to help improve patient outcomes and experiences. You will also help develop care plans and policies.
To discover more about how obtaining your MSN can help you advance your nursing career, contact one of the schools listed on this page.
Nursing Schools in California
San Jose State University
San Jose, CA
Stanford University
Stanford, CA
University of California-Davis
Davis, CA
University of California-Irvine
Irvine, CA
What You Can Expect From Your MSN Program
With your BSN, you likely have lots of responsibility and enjoy working as a leader in your health care facility. If you’re ready to take your nursing career to the next level and delve into a specialty area of nursing, an MSN can help you deepen your knowledge and build on your nursing skills to make a greater impact on both your patients and your profession.
An MSN is typically a 30-45 credit graduate degree that takes two to three years to complete. If you decide to attend school part-time, which may be a necessity if you plan on working full-time, your degree may take closer to four years. There are some core courses that are required, including Advanced Pathophysiology and Pharmacology, Theories and Roles of Advanced Nursing, Research Methods in Nursing, and Health Care Economics.
While a BSN or ADN program may focus heavily on practical nursing skills and direct nursing care, it’s clear that an Master’s in Nursing has a more significant focus on theory, advanced practice skills, and overarching themes in the health care system. Beyond that, the subjects you study are dependent on your choice of concentration.
Concentrations that may be available at your California nursing school include family/gerontological/pediatric nurse practitioner, nurse anesthetist, nurse midwife, nurse leadership, and nurse education. Those who decide to advance their clinical careers may spend more time in the nursing field, getting clinical experience. Selecting another specialty like nursing education or nurse administration may reduce your clinical workload through your Master’s program.
Once you get accepted to one of the traditional MSN programs in California, you can start applying for financial aid. Your school will likely help you apply for different types of federal aid, including federal loans and grants. However, there are also many private aid sources to consider. The Kaiser Permanente Deloras Jones Nursing Scholarship is available to nursing students at any level of education. Several schools have institution-specific scholarships. For example, you may be able to apply for scholarships like the Graduate Opportunity Fellowship, the Nonresident Tuition Fellowship, and the University Fellowship. The NURSE Corps Scholarship Program is a federal program that allocates scholarship funds to students who agree to work in a high-need area after graduation.
Just like with any nursing profession, you’ll need to make sure that you meet the licensing requirements of the California Board of Registered Nursing before you begin working as a Master’s prepared nurse, regardless of your specialty. Per the Board of Registered Nursing, there are several advanced practice certifications. Before you can apply for any of these certifications, you must have a valid registered nursing license. Careers that require advanced licensure include Clinical Nurse Specialist, Certified Nurse Anesthetist, Certified Nurse-Midwife, Certified Nurse Practitioner, Mental Health Nurse, and Public Health Nurse.
Though anticipated job growth rates vary between careers, the general outlook for California graduate prepared nurses is positive.
Salaries also differ significantly in the field of direct care nursing. Generally speaking, salaries in California are higher than the national average.
It’s clear that an MSN can have a positive effect on your career, but it can also influence the whole field of nursing. Specializing in direct care, research, administration, or education can help you create higher care standards in California, leading to improvements in health. You can find a full listing of all the schools in California that offer MSN programs on our site, and we suggest you contact those you are interested to get more information.
California RN to MSN Bridge Programs
Nursing is a growing field in the United States, but there are still many unfilled positions, as evidenced by the country’s nursing shortage. In California, this nursing shortage is particularly pronounced. As a working registered nurse, you may already be doing a lot to change the nursing field in your area. However, you can do more! By attending an RN-to-MSN bridge program in California, you can earn your BSN and MSN at the same time. An MSN is a versatile graduate degree that may allow you to work in many different nursing specialties, so contact the California nursing schools that offer these programs to find out which is the right degree for you.
One of the first decisions you have to make as a potential MSN student is what you want to study. While you complete some basic coursework in all nursing specialties, you study one specialty extensively while earning your degree. You may choose to study nursing education and teach ADN/BSN students. If you would prefer to keep working with patients, you may study nurse midwifery, nurse anesthesia, or nurse practitioner. Nurse administration is another option for management-minded students.
RN-to-MSN programs in California require the completion of approximately 60 credits, although some clinical paths do have higher credit requirements. If you attend school full-time, you may be able to graduate in three years.
The curriculum for your program may vary based on which nursing specialty you choose. Nursing education students may take courses like Conditions of Learning and Instruction, Curriculum Development in Nursing, and Theoretical Concepts in Nursing Education. In a clinical path, courses you may take include Family Theory and Clinical Experience, Theories and Roles of Advanced Practice Nursing, and Advanced Physical Assessment in Nursing. Courses that may be part of a nursing administration program include Administrative Theory and Clinical Work, and Human Resources Management in Health Care. Each of these paths has clinical requirements that you must meet as well.
In a large state like California, you can apply for a huge variety of nursing scholarships and grants. The California Board of Registered Nursing offers numerous financial aid opportunities, including the Nursing Scholarship Program. Those who want to go into nursing administration or nursing leadership may find relevant scholarship opportunities through the Association of California Nurse Leaders. A good resource for nursing students in all specialties is the California Nursing Students’ Association.
California is home to the California Board of Registered Nursing, a licensing board that oversees regulations for registered nurses and other nursing professionals. Those who want to work as nurse practitioners, nurse anesthetists, nurse midwives, or clinical nurse specialists must obtain a special license from the Board of Registered Nursing.
Across the board, nursing salaries in California are higher than national averages.
It’s clear an MSN may be the key to expanding your career options, serving the health care community of California, and using your nursing skills to their full potential. Check out RN-to-MSN programs near you to get started!
California Direct Entry MSN
The state of California is a leader in nursing and healthcare news, often setting precedent for the rest of the nation in areas such as safe staffing and patient safety. By becoming a nurse in California, you too, may be able to act as a healthcare leader in California. A direct entry master’s in nursing program may be a viable way to enter the profession of nursing in California, positioning yourself solidly in the profession.
Contact the California nursing schools on this page to learn more about your options for earning a master’s in nursing.
There are millions of people living in this state and many do not have access to the primary care and specialty care they need to be healthy. Master’s-level nurses can lead other nurses, provide advanced care services to patients, and teach the next generation of nurses.
If you have a Bachelor’s degree in a non-nursing field, you may still have the opportunity to earn a Master’s degree in this field. California has many schools that have direct entry MSN programs. In the course of 18 to 24 months of full-time schooling, you cover undergraduate-level nursing courses and Master’s-level nursing courses in your specialty of choice.
Addressing your school’s learning goals is an important part of succeeding in a direct entry MSN program. You must be able to apply theoretical knowledge to a number of health care situations and settings. It’s also crucial to be able to analyze health problems in individuals and populations. During your education, you should develop your critical thinking skills and establish a leadership personality.
The first one or two semesters of your education may be spent on Bachelor’s degree nursing courses. These courses quickly help you establish basic nursing skills and practice them in a variety of clinical settings. Core courses in your curriculum may include Foundations of Professional Nursing, Health Assessment, Pathophysiology, and Health Care of the Adult Patient. This part of your education often requires 30 to 40 hours per week of class and clinical work, so your school may restrict your outside work activities.
Your Master’s-level courses are dependent on the specialty you decide to pursue. However, there are some base courses that all students take. You may take courses like Advanced Nursing Care of Adults, Leadership and Management in Professional Practice, and Research & Theory in Advanced Practice Nursing.
Like most students, financial aid is probably a big part of your education planning. The good news is that there are quite a few resources for graduate-level nursing students in California. The other side of that, however, is that you should begin applying as early as possible to have access to a number of scholarships. The California Nursing Students’ Association awards scholarships at their Awards Convention each year. If you want to go into nursing leadership or nursing administration, consider applying for academic scholarships offered by the Association of California Nurse Leaders. Students interested in becoming nurse educators may qualify for scholarships through California Vocational Nurse Educators.
The California Board of Registered Nursing will be your source for licensure information as you work towards your MSN. California has advanced licensure requirements for nurse specialists, nurse midwives, nurse anesthetists, nurse practitioners, public health nurses, and mental health nurses.
If you enjoy helping people and making a positive impact on your community through your work, an MSN degree could be the next best step for you. You can also serve registered nurses in California with your advanced education. Through your deep understanding of evidence-based practice and community care, you may improve health care standards across the state.
Take some time to request information on direct entry MSN programs in California from the schools listed on our site. You can maximize your impact on the nursing profession by starting with an advanced degree.
California CRNA Programs
Across California, there are hundreds of hospitals and medical centers that serve laboring women, patients experiencing medical trauma, and people who suffer from chronic pain. For many years, these patients relied on a pool of too-few anesthesiologists for appropriate pain relief. Now that nurse anesthetists are gaining more practice rights around the country, patients can benefit from timely, appropriate pain relief wherever they go.
If you’re a Bachelor’s-level nurse that wants to take the next step in your nursing career, nurse anesthesia may be ideal for you. This is a highly specialized nursing career that demands dedication to your career, a solid knowledge of pharmacology and anatomy, and ongoing education. By earning a Master’s degree and working as a licensed CRNA, you may affect healthcare delivery in positive and meaningful ways.
In order to become a CRNA, you should be willing to work independently. Though teamwork is an important part of any nursing career, as a CRNA you may spend much of your time alone with patients and filling out documentation. You may take orders from doctors and other medical personnel, but much of the time, you will work autonomously. If you’re ready to take on the responsibility of a nurse anesthesia career, contact schools today to learn more about CRNA programs in California.
Admissions and Curriculum for CRNA Programs in California
There are multiple CRNA programs located throughout California. As a result, you may be able to look through the admissions requirements and required courses for various programs and choose one that best fits your skills and career goals. At minimum, you may need a 3.0 GPA at the bachelor’s degree level to qualify for admission to a CRNA program. Some schools also require you to shadow a working CRNA for one or two days to ensure that this is a good degree choice for you. Work experience tends to be required at this level; some schools require as little as one year of nursing experience, while other schools require three years or more of critical care nursing.
Over the course of your education, you may complete about 60 graduate credits. For full-time students, this can take roughly three years. A handful of CRNA schools allow you to attend courses on a part-time basis. In the first one or two semesters of your program, you may take core advanced nursing courses like Advanced Pharmacology Across the Lifespan, Conceptual Basis for Advanced Nursing Practice, Advanced Pathophysiology, and Basic Principles of Nurse Anesthesia.
As you progress through your nursing courses, you may start higher-level nurse anesthesia courses like Physiologic Variables for Nurse Anesthesia Practice, Ethical Issues in Advanced Nursing Practice, Role of Advanced Practice Nurses, and Pharmacology of Anesthetics & Accessory Drugs.
Your practical CRNA experience may start in the first semester of your education. You need to get trained in a variety of settings and at many different levels. This may involve shadowing CRNAs, watching procedures in various medical specialties, and eventually participating in the administration of anesthesia. For the safety of your patients, a strong set of hands-on skills is important. As a result, you may spend over 500 hours with patients throughout the time you spend in an MSN program.
Working as a Nurse Anesthetist in California
The process of becoming a nurse anesthetist can be fairly lengthy, so you may want to prepare for it as you approach the end of your degree. You must maintain your registered nursing license through the California Board of Registered Nursing. This is particularly important if you plan on working as an RN while earning your nurse anesthesia degree. Upon completing your education, you must pay a $75 application fee and fill out the Application for Nurse Anesthetist Certification. After you receive your license, you must renew it every two years to keep working in this field.
California may offer a promising job outlook to CRNAs.
Nurse anesthetists in California earn a wide range of salaries, but generally speaking, nurses who go into this specialty may enjoy an increase in earning potential.
Though committing yourself to an MSN may require hard work and time, it may pay off in many ways. First, you can become a very important part of California’s nursing community. Furthering your education and becoming trained in a specialty can encourage other nurses to continue their schooling and invest themselves in the care of their patients. This career path can also help you fulfill your professional potential and enjoy the impact you have on patients’ lives. Becoming a CRNA may also help you build valuable professional connections, as CRNAs often work closely with anesthesiologists, charge nurses, nurse practitioners, surgeons, and other skilled medical personnel.
If you’re ready to put your nursing skills, knowledge of pharmacology, and interest in higher education to use in a new career, it may be time to look for a master’s degree program in nurse anesthesia. Use our school listings to find nurse anesthesia programs near you and take the first steps to becoming a CRNA in California.
Forensic Nursing in California
In the wake of a crime, there are many time-sensitive tasks that must be completed. Not only do victims need to receive immediate care to minimize the damage of their physical and emotional injuries, investigators have to collect evidence and begin preparing for a trial. However, in the rush to collect evidence and punish the perpetrator, victims are sometimes forgotten or have their needs overlooked. Forensic nurses bridge the gap between the two main priorities after crime. Their healthcare training allows them to care for patients and ensure that they are emotionally stable after being victimized. Their knowledge of the legal system and physical evidence put them in a position to promptly and accurately collect evidence.
There are several professional resources available for those who pursue forensic nursing certification in this state. The Southern California branch of the International Association of Forensic Nurses is one of the biggest professional organizations in this area of nursing.
To learn more about how to become a forensic nurse, contact California nursing programs below.
Master’s Degree Programs in Forensic Nursing in California
Forensic nursing is a complex field that covers topics in healthcare and criminal justice. Because of the sensitive nature of this field, you must be able to meet stringent admissions requirements for a Master’s degree or certificate program. You need a valid nursing license in the state of California. Most programs require at least one year of full-time nursing experience, although some programs do require more. With the exception of RN-to-MSN programs, forensic nursing programs require a Bachelor’s degree.
To earn a Master’s degree in forensic nursing, you have to complete between 30 and 40 credits over a period of four semesters. Their coursework should include a significant amount of clinical experience, since working in forensic nursing can be a huge shift from other nursing positions.
In your curriculum, you may find courses like:
- Forensic Sciences within Healthcare Settings
- Forensic Approaches to Blunt Force and Firearms Injuries
- Forensic Approaches to Human Abuse Injuries
- Crime Scene Preservation
- Occupational Considerations in Forensic Nursing
- Forensic Approaches to Mental Health Assessment
- Adult and Adolescent SANE
- Clinical Ethics in Managed Care
Certification is the goal for most aspiring forensic nurses. Through the Commission for Forensic Nursing Certification, you can apply to become a SANE (Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner) or an Advanced Forensic Nurse.
The Role of Forensic Nurses in California
Forensic nursing schools may help you develop the skills you need to work in a range of settings. The is a state facility that addresses the rapidly growing need for nurses who can perform sexual assault examinations. The Sexual Assault Response Team in Placer County responds exclusively to crimes of this nature, ensuring that victims get timely and sensitive care. As a new forensic nurse, you may get involved in professional organizations like the California Sexual Assault Investigators Association. Your work setting is a major factor in your forensic nurse salary, which is why it’s important to begin weighing your options when you are still a student.
Getting certified in this area may help you shift your focus to patients who most need your care. The work you do can also strengthen court cases and help investigators put perpetrators behind bars. Learn more about forensic nursing in California by requesting information from the schools below.
California Clinical Nurse Leader Degrees
At health care institutions and facilities all over California, nurses aren’t just part of a specific specialty or medical team. Instead, many specialties and facilities have entire nursing departments that include CNAs, LPNs, RNs, APRNs, CRNAs, and other nursing professionals. With different practice requirements and licensing expectations at each level, it is important for the nursing industry to have leaders who can unify the field and set goals for facilities and departments.
If you have a Bachelor’s degree or Associate’s degree in nursing, now may be the time to further your education with a graduate degree. Employment experts claim that job prospects are better for nurses with MSN degrees, thanks to the possibility of taking on senior-level administration positions (CBS Local).
High-level nursing professionals note that ongoing education is a huge part of succeeding in this industry, since it permits nurses to combine their experience with approved training (CBS Local).
Do you want to find out how your nursing experience may qualify you for competitive leadership roles? Request information from nursing leadership graduate programs in California to learn more about the process of becoming a CNL.
How Can I Become a Clinical Nurse Leader in California?
To earn the title of Clinical Nurse Leader in California, a Master’s degree in nursing is required. A Master’s degree in nursing leadership covers health policy, nursing management, health care funding, and systems used in health care environments.
When you begin your training at this level, your curriculum may include these courses:
• Evidence-Based Practice: Role of Theory and Research
• Management of Health Care System Quality Outcomes and Patient Safety
• Clinical Nursing Leadership: Theory and Practice
• Influencing the Health Care Environment: Policy and Systems
• Evidence-Based Practice Capstone Project
Before applying to programs around California, make sure that you’re a good fit for a nurse leadership program. Many programs require a Bachelor’s degree in nursing, but some schools offer alternative programs for Associate’s-level nurses and non-nursing Bachelor’s graduates. Experience is a big part of the admissions process. Experience in different nursing specialties and settings may serve you well when you start applying to graduate school.
Financial aid is available through a variety of sources. The Association of California Nurse Leaders funds scholarships for promising leadership students.
Once you graduate, you must become licensed by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing to obtain the title of Clinical Nurse Leader. After passing a thorough exam, you receive a license that must be renewed every five years. During each renewal cycle, plan on completing 50 hours of continuing education.
Furthermore, it is important to maintain a California registered nursing license. The State of California Board of Registered Nursing requires the completion of 30 continuing education credits every two years.
What Does a Clinical Nurse Leader Do?
The role of Clinical Nurse Leader has largely been developed and articulated over the last 10 years, so your work experience may differ quite a bit between employers. In general, CNLs oversee the coordination of patient care, implement evidence-based care plans, make difficult decisions while under pressure, and pave the way for innovations in health care.
Because of the amount of experience and education you bring to the table, you may also find that you are in a position to influence health care policy and encourage registered nurses to further their education. The role you play as a professional mentor and guide is extremely important.
As a nurse leader, you may work closely with organizations like the American Nursing Association of California to contribute to the improvement of current issues and lend your voice to advocacy efforts. For example, major advances made by nurse leaders in California include stricter immunization laws and increased recognition of magnet hospitals throughout the state.
It’s important to remember that the role of Clinical Nurse Leader does not refer to a strictly administrative position that involves managing nurses. Yes, it is likely that you will serve in a management capacity, but you should still expect to spend quite a bit of your time working with patients. In fact, you may enjoy a more independent role in patient care, as CNLs often create care plans and enforce them with staff nurses.
California is home to tons of clinics and hospitals that could benefit from stronger leadership and streamlined care. As a nurse leader, you can lead your facility to greater success. Take the first step now by looking into graduate nursing leadership programs in California.
California Research Nursing Graduate Programs
The time you spend working as a registered nurse is invaluable in so many ways. Not only do your patients appreciate what you do, the experience you gain can help you develop great intuition and expertise when it comes to health care. This can serve you well if you decide that you are interested in the field of research nursing in California.
In your position as a registered nurse, you have likely developed your own opinions about the laws and standards that affect the world of health care. For example, State Bill 128 in California would give terminally ill patients the right to die as they choose. By working in the field of nursing research, you can design and carry out the research that executives and legislators used to make important decisions like this one.
Find out how you can get started on the path to becoming a nurse researcher in California by contacting the schools listed on this page for more information.
California Graduate Degree Programs in Nursing Research
You can go one of two routes when you decide to go into nurse research. A Master’s degree program often requires just two years of study, but it may exclude you from teaching positions later down the road. A doctoral degree may take up to seven years, but it may give you more choices when it comes to your career. Studying the curricula of different schools can help you make the right choice for your needs.
Before you can start learning the research techniques that make the nursing world keep moving forward, you must take your theoretical understanding of this field to an advanced level. To reach this goal, you may take courses like Philosophy of Science in Nursing, Substantive Nursing Knowledge, and Nursing Knowledge Development.
Once you have completed these courses, you can start exploring research techniques, standards, and expectations. Some of the classes you may enroll in include Advanced Health Care Statistics, Qualitative Methods in Nursing Research, Quantitative Methods in Nursing Research, Mixed Methods Research, Behavior Observation Methods, and Qualitative Data Analysis.
It should come as no surprise that lab experience is a crucial part of this degree. You must learn how to design a real study, screen potential participants, go through the ethics approval process, conduct your experiment, and interpret your findings. This involves spending hundreds of hours working under skilled researchers and doctoral graduates. This experience may also give you some insight as to which nursing specialty most interests you.
The Role of Clinical Nurse Researchers in California
California has a huge biomedical and medical research industry, which is why the demand for clinical researchers is growing rapidly in this state.
A degree in nursing research may put you in a position to work for many different employers, including research facilities, laboratories, pharmaceutical companies, medical supplies companies, and hospitals or clinics. One of the best known research facilities, Kaiser Permanente, has a large operation based in Southern California. As you go through your degree, you may wish to network with clinical sites and internship sites to find out about upcoming job opportunities.
Your nursing experience can help you change your life and the lives of millions of California residents. Take the next step in your career today by contacting nursing research programs in California.
California Certified Nurse Midwife Programs
A certified nurse-midwife is a registered nurse who has completed further training in a graduate program. As a profession, nursing is on a dramatic, upward trajectory for available positions, and nursing specialties like midwifery are also in great demand, particularly in states like California.
If you’re looking to advance your career as a nurse, entering a certified nurse midwife program in California is a path to consider. Contact the schools on our site to learn more about your options for study.
A certified nurse midwife (CNM) is different from a lay midwife in that a CNM has completed a master’s or doctoral program and is a licensed nurse. In addition, certified nurse midwife programs traditionally require applicants to already be a registered nurse with the prequisite training and experience.
Midwifery is an ancient profession with a long history of dedicated professionals helping women enter labor and deliver safely. Midwives have been at the bedsides of women for centuries, but the certified nurse midwife is a professional with clinical experience and significant knowledge of women’s health issues. Your training to become a certified nurse midwife will usually provide comprehensive knowledge of women’s reproductive health which means you may offer other services including annual exams, health counseling, and treatment of sexually-transmitted diseases.
Midwives are an incredible asset to any medical facility. A recent article from Peninsula Press, which is associated with Stanford University, says some hospitals in the San Francisco area have midwives available to assist patients 24 hours a day. They provide additional help with volunteer doulas. Midwives help promote natural births, breastfeeding, and work to reduce the likelihood of cesarean section procedures. You’ll want to contact California programs directly to learn more about program requirements and direction.
Becoming a Certified Nurse Midwife in California
As you enter training in your nurse-midwifery program, you’ll learn standard medical processes, but you’ll also learn how midwives approach their profession. Rather than treating childbirth as a medical event, midwives are trained to understand pregnancy and birth as a natural event. Your program should prepare you to become a certified nurse-midwife (CNM) where you’ll complete your training by taking the official exam from the American Midwifery Certification Board (AMCB).
Depending on your current educational level and work experience, you’ll enter a standard 2-year graduate program or a post-master’s certificate program to complete your training to become a certified nurse midwife.
Classes you may take include Women’s Health, Advanced Physiology and Pathophysiology, and Family Theory. In addition to relevant topics in the classroom core, you’ll also take part in extensive clinical preparation during each semester of the program. Your clinical rotation will usually involve an on-call rotation, as well as participation in antepartum clinics.
As you may already know, membership in professional associations is an important part of continuing education in health care professions. You’ll want to look into the resources available from the American College of Nurse-Midwives, as well as the California-specific branch. The California Nurse-Midwives Association offers official licensure in the state, as well as job listings and regular events. In addition, California’s Board of Registered Nursing provides some helpful information on financial aid to help you pay for your program.
Working as a Certified Nurse Midwife in California
As a growing and vibrant profession in health care, nursing has several specialties that boast impressive growth, high salaries, and job satisfaction.
Beyond the financial considerations of the profession, becoming a nurse midwife is one of the best ways you have to improve the lives of women during birth. Pregnant women have turned to midwives for centuries for help during pregnancy. However, despite the medical advancements seen in health care over the last century, the infant mortality rate in the United States has remained higher than the rates in other industrialized nations. An article published by The Washington Post a few years ago ranked the United States below virtually every wealthy nation in the world at 27th place.
The need for trained nurse-midwives who can help to reduce infant mortality rates in the United States is tremendous, and your high salary will likely be just a small part of the true job satisfaction you feel as a nurse midwife. If you want to have a positive impact on the lives of expectant mothers, begin your journey by contacting these midwife programs in California.
California Clinical Nurse Specialist
Why did you originally start a career in the field of nursing? Did you want to save lives, help doctors work more efficiently, or enjoy a career with flexible hours and specialties? No matter what led you to a nursing career, you may be able to expand your scope of practice and do even more of what you love with a clinical nurse specialist (CNS) degree.
Contact the nursing schools in California that offer CNS programs today to learn more about how to get started.
Clinical nurse specialists in California see patients across different specialties, including oncology, pediatrics, acute care, chronic care, and gerontology.
When you become a clinical nurse specialist, you may develop the advanced knowledge you need to help with complex medical issues. For example, nursing research indicates that clinical nurse specialists are very effective at helping young adults who are suffering from cancer. By looking through the different specialties that a CNS can work in, you can figure out where your skills and long-term goals lie.
If you’re invested in your nursing career and ready to move forward, learn more about clinical nurse specialist programs in California by contacting schools today.
Becoming a Clinical Nurse Specialist in California
Before you can begin working as a clinical nurse specialist, you have to meet the stringent educational and licensing requirements of this career path. To qualify for admission to a CNS master’s program, you must have a bachelor’s degree in nursing. Ideally, you should have a GPA of 3.0 or higher. Some schools even require a GPA of 3.5 or higher. In California, the vast majority of schools require you to have at least one full year of nursing experience.
As an advanced nursing student, you may take a wide range of courses that make you a more competent, independent, and specially-trained nursing professional. Your curriculum may start with core courses like Applications of Research in Nursing, Context of Health Care for Advanced Practice Nursing, Reasoning in Nursing Research, and Advanced Pathophysiology in Nursing.
Other courses that may be part of your curriculum include Health Promotion & Disease Prevention, Human and Family Development Through the Lifespan, Advanced Health Assessment and Measurement, and Clinical Pharmacology. Each semester, you’ll likely have to complete a set amount of clinical hours. By the time you graduate with your Master’s degree, you should have accumulated over 500 hours of clinical work. Your instructors may have you take on more and more responsibility as you complete more courses and get closer to the end of your program.
You may be in a great position to apply for several different types of financial aid as an advanced nursing student. The National Health Service Corps awards scholarships to graduates who agree to work in a Health Professional Shortage Area after graduation. Scholarships are also awarded every year by the California Nursing Students’ Association. On a statewide level, you can apply for scholarships through the California Board of Registered Nursing.
Working as a Clinical Nurse Specialist in California
After you finish your clinical nurse specialist degree, it’s time to get certified and licensed to expand your scope of practice. Certification on a national level goes through the ANCC Certification Center. You need to complete a comprehensive exam that is specifically tailored to your area of specialty as a CNS. To be able to practice in the state of California, you need an advanced practice license from the California Board of Registered Nursing.
Like many other positions in the field of nursing, clinical nurse specialists may see a significant increase in job openings in years to come.
Take the next step in your nursing career today. Check out our school listings and contact certified nurse specialist programs in California to learn more.
California Public Health Graduate Programs
Nurses have a great amount of responsibility to the communities they serve and the patents they take care of. As a registered nurse, you know what it is like to use your skills and knowledge to positively impact the lives of others.
The importance of public health nursing is more clear now than it has ever been before. As California moves to enact a law that requires vaccinations for public school students, it’s crucial for public health nurses to make patients and families feel comfortable about these requirements.
If you are interested in using your nursing experience to have a broader impact on your community, keep reading to explore public health nursing graduate programs in California.
Master’s Degree Programs in Public Health Nursing in California
Working in public health requires more than a strong grasp of nursing skills. It also requires you to understand major issues in public health on a statewide and national level, know how to communicate with people of different backgrounds and medical needs, and feel comfortable working with legislators for the benefit of public health initiatives.
Becoming a public health nurse means earning a Master’s degree in nursing. To qualify for acceptance to one of these programs, you must already have a Bachelor’s degree in nursing. Many schools also expect you to have one or more years of nursing experience, as this experience can give you the background and confidence you need to work in the public eye as a nurse.
The courses you take should help you become a leader in your community and put your nursing skills to work in a public health setting. Some of the courses you may take as a public health student include Applications of Research to Practice, Statistical Literacy and Reasoning in Nursing Research, Theory and Practice of Public Health Nursing, Public Health Nursing Leadership & Management, and Epidemiology.
If you are willing to stay in California after graduation, consider student aid options that are available through state agencies and programs. The need for public health nurses is growing rapidly, so you may not have to pay for your schooling out-of-pocket.
The Role of Public Health Nurses in California
The need for nursing professionals is very high in California, so taking this step in your education may benefit you and your community.
However, keep in mind that public health nurses must be licensed through the California Board of Registered Nursing. This additional level of certification may boost your earning potential and help you qualify for employment openings with government and nonprofit agencies.
Public health nurses take on many different responsibilities in California. You may head up programs that focus on vaccination, preventative care, proper nutrition, sleep habits, or other important topics. Depending on your position, you may spend most of your time educating families, providing care, leading programs, or looking into research.
Public health nursing is one way that you can use your nursing education to have a lasting impact on California’s health care industry. Take the next step now by contacting public health graduate nursing programs in California.
Graduate Nursing Programs in Healthcare Policy in California
The healthcare industry of California is like a large puzzle. Every care provider, legislator, administrator, and support staff member plays their own role in the needs of California patients. If you’ve worked extensively as a registered nurse and used your experience to strengthen your knowledge of the nursing field, you may be excited to change the field in an entirely different way: affecting healthcare policy.
Although healthcare policy affects each state and the country as a whole, it is incredibly important to start with a thorough grasp of the healthcare policy issues in California. Each state has its own problems and issues to address, and studying in the state in which you hope to practice can help you prepare to work in the legislative environment of that area.
For example, California has an above average percentage of residents who speak a language other than English the majority of the time (California Healthline). This can make it difficult for residents to understand how to properly take and store their medication, which can have disastrous side effects. A recent program that came out of California legislation is Meducation, which aims to make it easier for those who do not speak English to properly take the medication.
If you are ready for the next challenge in your nursing career, find out if you’re a good fit for the fast-moving world of healthcare policy by checking out graduate programs in healthcare policy in California.
Master’s Degree Programs in Healthcare Policy in California
When you compare healthcare policy to certain other graduate programs, you may find that this program tends to be a bit more time-consuming than other options. This is due to the highly technical nature of healthcare policy. Not only must you know the intricacies of the healthcare field, you must also feel completely comfortable with the legislative aspect of policymaking. The average California program requires you to earn 48 credits. This may take between two and three years.
Your healthcare policy curriculum may be made up of courses like those listed here:
- Epidemiologic Methods
- Health Policy Decision Making
- Microeconomics of Healthcare Policy
- Analytic Methods for Health Policy and Management
- Foundations of Health Policy and Management
- Legal Basis for Health
- Healthcare Finance
Upon graduating, you should feel completely confident analyzing, critiquing, and improving healthcare policy in a variety of ways. Program goals indicate that you should be ready to contribute to research, serve as a leader in nursing, develop complex policies, and account for the ways in which employees and consumers influence policies.
Throughout this time, make sure to keep your nursing license valid through the State of California Board of Registered Nursing. This involves completing 30 hours of continuing education every two years and renewing your license every two years.
Quite a few graduate programs in this area focus on public health nursing. The Board of Registered Nursing allows you to become registered as a public health nurse after you submit proof of your public health training and proof of completion of a child abuse training course.
How Do Nurses Impact Healthcare Policy in California?
California is an extremely large state and its healthcare needs vary from region to region. In your career, you may face the challenge of addressing all of these needs and devoting adequate funding to different projects. According to Directors of Public Health Nursing, prominent areas of policymaking in California include the spread of communicable diseases, maternal and child health, community-specific issues, and sexually transmitted illnesses.
You may also work with nursing organizations. The American Nurses Association of California lists some of its main priorities as safe staffing laws, policies that encourage workforce diversity, and laws that strengthen healthcare reform efforts.
This is truly one of the best ways to significantly impact the field of nursing and shape its future. Put your nursing experience to work in an entirely new way and contact healthcare policy graduate programs in California below.
Hospice Nursing in California
Teamwork, patient communication, an understanding of evidence-based care—the same factors that make a great nurse are the same traits that make an excellent hospice nurse. Hospice nurse practitioners in California have an advanced knowledge of terminal disease and illness, as well as the psychological changes that occur in patients who are approaching death. They bring an extremely personalized level of care to their work, providing patients with whatever they need to feel at peace, understand their diagnosis, and remain comfortable in their final days.
A recent hospice case in California involved an eight-year-old boy who passed away from kidney disease. Prior to his passing, he was made an honorary Marine and was cared for by hospice nurses in his home.
By studying hospice nursing at the graduate level, you may be a source of stability and comfort for patients and family members. Contact local nursing schools to find out how you can pursue palliative care nursing certification.
Master’s Degree Programs in Hospice/Palliative Care Nursing in California
With a Bachelor’s degree in nursing, you can start down the path to advanced hospice nursing certification. It’s important to have some experience in nursing. In particular, working as a Bachelor’s-level registered nurse in hospice care may be valuable to your education. As you earn 30 to 40 credits in advanced nursing practice in hospice settings, you may take courses in various areas of hospice care.
Hospice Nursing Courses in California
- Pediatric Hospice Care
- Patient Consultation in Hospice Care
- Long-Term Hospice Care
- Home Hospice Care
- Outpatient Hospice Care
Clinical rotations are required in any nursing specialty. While studying palliative care, you may complete rotations at inpatient hospice care centers, home care facilities that send nurses to patients’ homes, and state facilities. While working with licensed hospice nurses, you may learn how to carry out the core tasks of hospice nursing. This includes getting a feel for the family’s cultural beliefs and concerns, assessing a patient’s psychological health, determining pain levels, and changing care plans as needed. As the end draws near, you may discover how to comfort patients and prepare families for the grieving process.
For hospice nursing certification, California students may consider the Hospice & Palliative Credentialing Center. The Advanced Certified Hospice and Palliative Nurse option involves earning a Master’s degree, maintaining a Clinical Nurse Specialist or Nurse Practitioner license, and completing at least 500 hours of hospice work in the last 12 months or 1,000 hours in the last 24 months. They verify that you’ve met hospice nurse education requirements before administering your certification.
The Role of Hospice/Palliative Care Nurses in California
You may need to work as a hospice nurse practitioner for an extensive amount of time before applying for hospice nurse certification. However, as long as you have an advanced practice license through the California Board of Registered Nursing, you may still work in palliative settings.
While working toward hospice certification, you may find that while your patient is still your primary focus, you must also serve the families of your patients to have a lasting impact. It is difficult for families to watch loved ones suffer, and even harder to accept the finality of death. As one of the primary care providers of the team, you may offer psychological resources and referrals, educate families on their family members’ diagnoses, or simply listen to them work through their struggles. This specialty can be emotionally draining on nurses as well, so you may get support through groups like the California Hospice and Palliative Care Association. You may refer patients and families to groups like the California Hospice Foundation.
Numerous companies provide palliative services in California. Local employers include VITAS Healthcare, Hospice Care of California, VNA Hospice and Palliative Care, and Companion Health Group.
You can make a difference in people’s lives when it matters most. Death is never easy, but the dedication and kindness of good hospice nurses can at least make it easier. Explore your options today by contacting California hospice nurse programs.