Master’s in Nursing Schools in Indiana

Your current nursing career likely puts you in touch with hundreds of patients that rely on the high-quality care you provide. With a Master’s degree in nursing, you can play an even more significant role in your organization’s nursing team, expanding your knowledge and skill set to improve healthcare in Indiana.

The field of advanced practice nursing is growing all over the country, and nursing schools in Indiana are responding by offering several educational routes to advanced practice. The American Association of Nurse Practitioners indicates that Indiana NPs have slightly restricted practice rights, a trend that extends to nurse midwives and nurse anesthetists. However, with the help of a leading MD, theIndiana Action Coalition is attempting to expand practice rights for all types of advanced practice nurses.

Featured Programs:

Nursing Programs in Indiana

MSN programs in Indiana tend to have fairly rigorous admissions processes, since you need to have the skills to become a leader in your field. Many programs let you transition from an Associate’s in Nursing or a Bachelor’s degree in another field via an RN to MSN or direct entry MSN program. Whichever level of education you have currently completed, your education and experience should reflect your dedication to enhancing your nursing education.

The early classes of your Master’s degree can give you and your peers a solid basis in advanced nursing, giving you a foundation on which to build with future courses. These classes may include Nursing Theory, Nursing Research, and Data Analysis. If you go the route of nurse practitioner, you may take courses like Advanced Pathophyiology and Advanced Health Assessment. Nursing leadership courses include Nursing Administration Theories and Financial Management. If you go the route of nurse education, plan on taking taking courses like Nursing Curriculum Development and Assessment Techniques.

On top of grants, fellowships, and student loans, scholarships should make up a big part of your financial aid efforts. The Global Scholarship Alliance funds scholarships for students that want to stay in clinical practice. You can also apply for scholarships through the Indiana Center for Nursing, a local organization that funds over $1 million in scholarships every year. The Foundation of the National Student Nurses’ Association awards several nursing scholarships as well.

Regardless of the route or specialty you choose, we applaud you for expanding your nursing education to meet the needs of your patients and peers. Compare the nursing programs in Indiana and then contact the schools you are interested in for program materials.

Working With Your MSN in Indiana

There are many exciting career options for nurses in the state of Indiana who have their MSN. Indiana’s database of workforce data has some promising statistics for nursing professionals in the state. Two of these career options include nurse practitioner and nurse educator.

As a nurse practitioner you will work directly with patients. You can diagnose and treat conditions in a variety of settings, such as doctor’s offices, pediatric clinics, and urgent care centers.

As a nurse educator you can work in a hospital setting helping other nurses to keep up their own training and education, or you can work in a college setting instructing student nurses. Registered nurses, including those in advanced specialties, can also expect solid job growth within this time frame.

If you are interested in earning your MSN or learning more about these nursing careers, contact one of the schools listed on this page.

Nursing Schools in Indiana

Ball State University
Muncie, IN
Kaplan College-Indianapolis
Indianapolis, IN
University of Southern Indiana
Evansville, IN

What You Can Expect From Your MSN Program

The nursing profession may well be one of the most versatile in the entire health care field. Nurses spend hours with patients, keep thorough documentation on illnesses and treatments, collaborate with other health care practitioners, and use their expertise to make the most of a patient’s treatment. Earning an MSN can help you do even more with your training. Perhaps you want to research evidence-based treatment in nursing, teach lower-level nursing students, or spend more time providing individualized care to patients. You can move toward attaining your career goals by attending an MSN in Indiana. Contact the schools that you find on this site to learn more about your options for study.

As an advanced nurse or high-level nursing student, you can also use your training to improve health and safety around Indiana. The Indiana State University Newsroom reports on a recent event that allowed MSN students to train deputies in various life-saving measures and techniques. As an educator or advanced care provider, you can contribute to these measures.

Interested in primary care? Becoming a nurse practitioner may be the next logical step for you. The News Observer notes that nurse practitioners help fill the care gap in this area. They claim that nurse practitioners will likely play a key role in Midwestern health care as the region’s primary care physician shortage worsens over coming years.

You may have to meet several different admissions requirements before you start an MSN program. For traditional graduate nursing programs in Indiana, a BSN is required. It may not be enough to have a BSN; it’s likely that your graduate program will require you to have certain grades to be eligible for admission. Furthermore, you may need nursing work experience to complete coursework at this level. Many Indiana schools require applicants to have at least one year of full-time nursing experience.

Nursing specialties in Indiana range from research specialties to practice specialties like nurse midwifery and nurse anesthesia. There are also administrative options, including nurse leadership and nurse education. All of these programs require courses like Nursing Research Design & Methodology, Advanced Pharmacotherapeutics, Advanced Health Assessment, and Diagnostics in Primary Care. Other courses you take may center on your specialty and help you develop your skills in your area of concentration.

Clinical requirements vary between schools and programs, but one thing is certain: you will be spending some of your time in a practical work setting. Whether you’re in the lab honing your research abilities or seeing patients in a clinic, you may spend several hundred hours putting your skills to use.

As a new Indiana MSN student, you may want to look into the huge selection of scholarships available to you. On top of traditional scholarship options, contact your employer! If you’re working as a nurse, your employer may be willing to cover part of your tuition. The Indiana Center for Nursing has a scholarship program, as does the Union Hospital Foundation. Other options include the Spotlight on Nursing Graduate Scholarship and the IndyStar Salute to Nurses Scholarship.

Contact the schools on our site to begin your journey toward an expanded career and new opportunities.

Indiana RN to MSN Bridge Programs

The nursing field is one of the most diverse and fluid professions in the entire country, constantly changing and adapting to changing needs in the health care sector. This is particularly true in Indiana, where a large population makes fast, efficient health care a priority. Nursing consulting is one example of a sector that has taken off in the nursing industry, and it’s taken off in Indiana.

Whether you want to become a nursing consultant, educator, administrator, or health care provider, an RN-to-MSN bridge program may be the answer for you. These programs can take your Associate’s degree and help you get an advanced nursing degree. Read on to learn more about the opportunities presented by this degree program, then request more information from the schools you are interested in learning more about.

You may want to look at the coursework involved in an RN-to-MSN program before you enroll in a program. You have to perform fairly competitively in your courses to compare to your peers and get in-demand clinical placements. Generally, all advanced nursing students take courses like Nursing Research, Leadership for Advanced Practice Nursing, and Nursing Theory. Nurse practitioner students may enroll in courses like Pathophysiology, Primary Health Care of Children, Primary Health Care of Adults, and Clinical Reasoning. In a leadership program, look forward to courses like Economic Analysis of Nursing and Health Systems, Measurement and Data Analysis, and Financial Management in Nursing. Nursing education courses include Teaching of Nursing, Nursing Curriculum, and Evaluation in Nursing.

You may be expected to tackle a number of learning outcomes as an MSN-level student. Instructors may be watching you to make sure you develop clinical proficiency and utilize nursing research in your decisions. They may also want to see that you can take on an appropriate leadership role in a nursing setting.

Practical experience is a fairly crucial part of advanced nursing education. Your clinical experience may be in a clinic or hospital if you are in a clinical track. Nurse education students may get their hours in a school. Nurse administration students can get experience in a variety of settings.

Indiana has an expanding need for nursing professionals, which is why there are so many scholarships, grants, and loan repayment plans for students that pursue an MSN. The Indiana Center for Nursing awards scholarships through several member organizations. Other scholarships, like the 21st Century Scholarship and the Frank O’Bannon Higher Education Award, are school-specific. If you are employed as a nurse, you may be able to look to them for assistance. The Union Hospital Foundation awards a fair number of nursing scholarships.

As a nursing professional, you may earn a fairly competitive salary in Indiana.

The Indiana State Board of Nursing oversees the licensure of registered nurses and advanced practice nurses throughout the state. To become an advanced practice registered nurse, you need to pass a background check and pass an exam in your area of clinical expertise.

While getting your MSN may help you in your career, it can also have great benefits for the nursing community as a whole. The nursing community can benefit from your increased education and training, leading to enhanced health care for all of Indiana. Contact the schools on our site to learn more about which schools may best meet your needs.

Indiana Direct Entry MSN

Whether you’re considering a nursing career because you want to help people, you’ve realized the fulfillment that can come with this career, or you like the positive job outlook, there are several educational options for you to consider in Indiana. If you have a non-nursing Bachelor’s degree, your education may even put you in the right place to start an advanced nursing career. Direct entry MSN programs in Indiana give you the chance to earn a BSN and MSN together, saving you time and money.

You can request information directly from the schools in Indiana that offer Direct Entry programs from our site to learn more about the programs available.

Accelerated direct entry MSN programs in Indiana tend to last between 18 months and three years, depending on which school you attend. No matter which school you decide to attend, though, you should plan on a non-traditional school schedule. Rather than taking every January and summer off, you will likely continue attending class full-time during these periods. After you complete the BSN part of your education, you can take the national licensing exam, the NCLEX-RN, then apply for your RN license and start getting work experience in the field.

Your program may start with basic nursing classes like Pathophysiology, Community Health, Health Assessment, and Nursing Fundamentals. These courses involve you in the nursing field right away with clinical hours. You may start developing your bedside manner and discovering the best ways to communicate with patients and coworkers. Other courses in the first part of your curriculum may touch on leadership, nursing specialties, and health care communication.

When you have successfully completed the first part of your nursing program, you can move onto your MSN courses. This section of your curriculum may include classes like Roles & Ethics for Advanced Practice Nursing, Health Care Finance, Management in Health Care, and Clinic Practicum. Many of the classes you take will be specific to the concentration you choose, like nurse practitioner, nurse education, or nursing leadership.

Once you have been accepted to a nursing program in Indiana, you can begin the financial aid process. Rather than taking on student loans, you may want to start with scholarships and grants, as these funds do not have to be paid back. There are many resources for nursing scholarships in Indiana, from government agencies to private employers. The Indiana Center for Nursing funds scholarships in conjunction with other health care agencies. The Indiana Health Care Association awards numerous scholarships throughout the school year. Since these scholarships can be used for any health care students, MSN students can apply as well. On a national basis, the NURSE Corps Scholarship Program of the U.S. Department Health of Human Services gives scholarships to eligible students in exchange for a work agreement.

Of course, licensing is required for all of these professions. At minimum, the Indiana State Board of Nursing requires you to maintain a registered nursing license throughout the duration of your career. If you go into a clinical specialty like nurse practitioner or nurse midwifery, you must also take advanced exams in your area.

With your MSN in nursing, you can contribute to the high standards of the nursing profession. The field relies on researchers, practitioners, leaders, and educators to set the bar high and ensure that Indiana’s nurses continue to offer excellent care.

Indiana CRNA Programs

Whether you live in one of Indiana’s major cities or one of the state’s many rural areas, your career as a registered nurse has likely exposed you to the importance of proper anesthesia. The American Association of Nurse Anesthetists reports that nurse anesthesia is a safe and effective way to reduce health care expenses and expand patients’ access to necessary pain relief. This may be a particularly good career choice if you live or want to live in a rural part of Indiana. The AANA notes that in many rural parts of the country, CRNAs provide nearly 100% of available anesthetic services.

With your bachelor’s degree in nursing, you likely have much of the leadership and specialty training you need to be ready for a Master’s degree in nurse anesthesia. Master’s programs in nurse anesthesia help you learn how to work independently, make strong clinical decisions, and use your knowledge of pharmacology to best meet each patient’s needs. With this training, you may work in any clinical specialty that uses anesthesia. Major employers include labor & delivery wards, pain clinics, surgical units, and emergency rooms. Find out more about CRNA programs in Indiana by contacting them from our site, if you’re ready to take the next step in your education.

Admissions and Curriculum for CRNA Programs in Indiana

Though admissions requirements for Indiana CRNA programs can be fairly stringent, they are often not more than you should already meet by completing a BSN and gaining some work experience. You need a GPA of at least 3.0 from your BSN, which tends to be required for graduation from a nursing program anyway. Work experience requirements vary from school to school. Generally, you need at least one year of full-time nursing experience in a relevant setting, such as acute care, emergency care, trauma care, or surgical care.

As you work through your CRNA program, you may tackle many highly specialized learning goals. By the time you graduate, you should be able to complete a full pre-operative assessment and report on a patient. This should allow you to develop a thorough anesthesia plan for the patient that takes into account their specific needs. You must also be able to meet important safety standards at every step of the anesthesia process. Instructors may watch you to see how well you work with a postoperative patient to assess their pain management needs.

Your curriculum may include many courses that are designed to help you meet these learning goals. You may start with courses like Conceptual Basis for Advanced Nursing Practice, Advanced Pharmacology Across the Life Span, and Chemistry & Physics for Nurse Anesthesia Practice. More advanced courses include Research Methods for Nurse Anesthesia, Pharmacology of Anesthetics & Accessory Drugs, Physiologic Variables for Nurse Anesthesia Practice, and Advanced Principles for Nurse Anesthesia Practice.

Over the course of your two to three years spent in school, plan on gaining over 550 hours of clinical experience. Your clinical hours should take place in a variety of settings and get you involved at various levels, giving you the skills you need to confidently work with patients after graduation.

You may be able to apply for several different scholarships and grants as a CRNA student. The Indiana Center for Nursing funds numerous scholarships at the graduate level. The Indiana Commission for Higher Education funds a nursing scholarship for graduate and undergraduate students. Certain employers, like Union Hospital, also have scholarships for advanced nursing students.

Working as a Nurse Anesthetist in Indiana

Throughout the course of your master’s degree in nursing, you should plan on keeping your Indiana nursing license current. You need a registered nursing license to complete your advanced clinical practice. In addition, maintaining an RN license through the Indiana State Board of Nursing can prepare you for the process of earning a nurse anesthetist license. After you successfully graduate from a nurse anesthesia program and get your Master’s degree, you can apply to earn your certification from the National Board of Certification & Recertification for Nurse Anesthetists. They can certify you after you have passed their rigorous licensing exam. As a nationally certified nurse anesthetist, you can apply for your nurse anesthetist license in Indiana. To keep your license valid, you must complete 40 hours of continuing education each year.

Job growth for nurse anesthetists in Indiana may exceed job growth rates across the country. For Indiana, O*Net reports an anticipated job growth rate of 29 percent, which is about 4 percent higher than the national average.

For most nursing professionals, a career switch to nurse anesthesia may naturally lead to an increase in earning potential.

If you feel called to the field of nursing and you want to use this calling to make a difference in the health care community of Indiana, nurse anesthesia may be the specialty for you. With your advanced training and body of skills, you can help ensure that patients receive excellent care and lend your voice to the standards of evidence-based care in Indiana.

Ready to move forward in your nursing career? Nurse anesthesia schools in Indiana may be waiting for you. Use our comprehensive list of local CRNA schools to find the right program for your needs.

Nurses bring special expertise to every job they take on by helping people feel calm in uncomfortable situations, communicating clearly and effectively, and making appropriate split-second decisions. All of these traits make nurses a natural choice for the field of criminal justice, where swift decisions made by professionals can change the outcomes of trials and lay the foundation for a lifetime of trauma or healing.

Forensic nursing is a field that spans many specialized areas of criminal justice, including sexual assault, child abuse, elder abuse, and domestic violence. Forensic nurse examiners in Indiana care for victims of crime while ensuring that evidence is properly collected for use in legal settings.

As a registered nurse, find out if this is the right way for you to make the most of your skills. Learn how to become a forensic nurse by contacting Indiana schools.

Master’s Degree Programs in Forensic Nursing in Indiana

It’s important to be fairly experienced as a nurse before you venture into forensic nursing in Indiana. You have to function well in all healthcare settings and crises, as the patients you’ll see will likely need your strength.

Featured Programs:

Legal Nurse Consulting Courses

Legal Nurse Consulting
Tort Law for Legal Nurse Consultants
Medical Research and Writing for Legal Nurse Consultants
Legal Nurse Consultant Case Study

A forensic nurse program takes closer to two full years of study. Over this time, you may earn up to 40 credits. Clinical work is an essential component of this program, as you must be comfortable working independently and taking the reins in difficult healthcare situations.

You may opt to pursue licensure after completing your degree. If you go the legal nurse consulting route, you may become a Certified Legal Nurse Consultant through the American Association of Legal Nurse Consultants.

The American College of Forensic Examiners Institute certifies forensic nurses. To become a Certified Forensic Nurse, you need at least three years of full-time nursing experience and you must commit to 30 CEUs every three years.

The Commission for Forensic Nursing Certification is the certifying agency for Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners and Advanced Forensic Nurses. Before applying for either of these certifications, plan on getting a substantial amount of work experience in your chosen field.

The Role of Forensic Nurses in Indiana

Your general, overall duties remain much the same when you become a forensic nurse. Your priority is attending to the wounds of patients and ensuring their mental well-being. However, forensic nursing takes it one step further by adding in criminal justice responsibilities. You are a link between criminal justice and healthcare, so you must collect evidence, cooperate with law enforcement officers, and ensure that victims are given their rights.

When you get started in this specialty, you may join the Forensic Committee of the Indiana Emergency Nurses Association. This group connects forensic nursing professionals, provides insight into medical legal issues, and prevents violence in healthcare work environments.

With a Master’s degree, you can develop the skills and knowledge needed to help vulnerable patients. Take a look at this list of forensic nurse programs here and contact schools to find out more.

Clinical Nurse Leader Degrees in Indiana

The field of health care is undoubtedly an exciting place to work. After all, it changes constantly to adapt to new research and patient experiences. Whether you work as a registered nurse in one of Indiana’s suburban areas or a major metropolitan area, you have the chance to save and improve lives every single day.

When you start getting confident in your nursing skills and your ability to make good clinical decisions, you may want to start exploring new ways to use your nursing license. One popular option is nurse leadership. Nurse leadership puts you in a place where you can tackle some of the biggest issues in nursing.

Indiana has struggled with low health care grades throughout the state, indicating that there is quite a bit of room for improvement in Indiana hospitals (Indy Star). Higher standards and better guidance are two main parts of addressing low health care grades.

Are you ready to jump back into the academic world and learn more about nursing? Use our list of Master’s in clinical nurse leadership programs in Indiana to get started.

How Can I Become a Clinical Nurse Leader in Indiana?

Selecting a graduate nurse leadership program that meshes well with your experience, education, and career goals is one way to set yourself up for success in your graduate education. Most programs are intended for those who already have a Bachelor’s degree in nursing, but there are options for students with an Associate’s degree in nursing or an unrelated Bachelor’s degree.

To earn a Master’s degree in nursing leadership, you’ll likely need to complete at least 36 credits over the course of four semesters. Some schools have more rigorous requirements, so take your time comparing programs.

To offer you a well-rounded education that prepares you for the demands of nurse management, your school may require you to take these and other courses:

Healthcare Informatics for Advanced Nursing Practice
Evidence-Based Practice for Advanced Nursing
Financial Management in Nursing and Health Care Organizations
Human Resources Management in Nursing
Nursing Leadership and Management
Nursing Leadership in Health Care Systems

Each school assesses students through their personal, professional, and educational growth. To determine whether or not you are ready to serve as a nurse leader in Indiana, your school may set specific learning goals that they expect you to accomplish.

These are some of the most common requirements of CNL programs in Indiana:

Utilize critical thinking skills in complex situations
Know appropriate ways to use leadership and management principles in a variety of settings
Understand cultural diversity of nursing
Integrate ethical and legal standards into your standard of practice
Further the field through research in management and leadership

Once you have earned your Master’s degree, you can begin the licensing process. Since you already work as a registered nurse, you should be familiar with this process. The Indiana State Board of Nursing requires license renewal by the last day of October in odd-numbered years. If you want to become certified as a Clinical Nurse Leader, you must go through the AACN. This involves passing a three-hour exam and renewing your license every five years.

What Does a Clinical Nurse Leader Do?

When you begin working as a leader, manager, or executive in the nursing industry, you take on an entire set of new responsibilities and tasks. Team leadership is at the core of this field, since building up a strong nursing team improves outcomes and care across all patient populations.

Research and policy also play a significant role in nurse leadership. It is likely that you’ll be expected to stay up-to-date on nursing research and policies. The information you gather should be used to improve the work of your department and ensure that your facility is utilizing evidence-based care standards.

What sets the role of CNL apart from other nurse administration roles is that its main focus is clinical care. Since you work with patients and develop plans for their care, you maintain the skills that allow you to educate new nurses.

Stepping into a leadership role can be a big transition. Attending events through a group like the Indiana Organization of Nurse Executives can help you feel more comfortable with your new position.

If you are ready to take on the challenges of nurse leadership, request information from graduate nurse leadership programs in Indiana.

Indiana Research Nursing Graduate Programs

One of the benefits of working in the field of nursing is the fact that it exists everywhere. Whether you live in one of Indiana’s urban areas or one of its smaller rural areas, your skills as a registered nurse are extremely valuable. Furthermore, you may be able to use your nursing skills to explore a new career path for yourself and take your contributions to this industry to the next level.

Nursing research is a growing part of Indiana’s health care industry. In a time when care providers, executives, and policymakers are trying to improve results while reducing costs, research is one of the most valuable tools in the business. Indiana has quite a few opportunities for nurse researchers who want to thrive. Every year, the Northwest Indiana Nursing Research Consortium hosts an annual conference that brings together researchers from all over the region to discuss important issues in health care.

If you are ready to find out how you can change the world through research, learn more about research nursing graduate programs in Indiana.

Indiana Graduate Degree Programs in Nursing Research

Before you can embark on a research career, you must have a Master’s degree in nursing that focuses on nursing research. These programs in Indiana address a number of learning goals. They aim to teach you about the research process while fully involving you in it, help you think critically about the field of nursing, and empower you to design and carry out research that has an impact on the health care community. Some of these programs also look at how research and teaching work together, preparing you for a career in teaching or research.

Over the course of two to three years, you should earn at least 30 credits as a full-time graduate student. During this time, you may study nursing theory, research procedures, modern health care issues, and the role of research in this industry. These topics are covered in courses like Nursing Science and Theory Development, Synthesis in Nursing, Qualitative Research, Quantitative Research, Experimental Design, and Leadership in Nursing Research.

As a student, you get the chance to work with experienced researchers on real clinical studies. Your role in these studies should increase over time, allowing you to become more confident in a research setting. By the time you graduate, you may have several hundred hours of clinical work completed.

If you are worried about the costs associated with the graduate program, look into financial aid programs. The Indiana Center for Nursing funds several graduate-level scholarships.

The Role of Clinical Nurse Researchers in Indiana

When you get close to the end of your degree, you should start exploring job opportunities throughout the state. Many hospitals and clinics have research departments. If you are already working as a registered nurse, you may be able to use your seniority to find a research position with your current employer. Other options include pharmaceutical companies, medical supply companies, and universities.

Staying involved in what other researchers are doing can help you become a leader in your community. The Indiana Organization of Nurse Executives supports nursing research in many different ways, so you may want to join and connect with other high-level nursing professionals.

Going into a specialized nursing field may improve your earning prospects and your job outlook.

You could be responsible for the next big breakthrough in the nursing industry. Find out what options you have by contacting nursing research programs in Indiana.

Indiana Certified Nurse Midwife Programs

To become a certified nurse midwife (CNM) in Indiana, you must get your graduate degree from a nationally accredited college, have an unrestricted Indiana RN license or other compact license and pass the national certification from the American College of Nurse-Midwives in order to receive an Indiana Midwife license.

Nurse Midwives in Indiana must complete the application for prescriptive authority as an advanced practice nurse, and you must submit proof of having successfully completing a graduate level pharmacology course consisting of a minimum of two semesters.

To learn more about the curriculum and requirements for becoming a nurse midwife in Indiana, contact the schools listed on our site and request program details.

Certified Nurse Midwife Programs in Indiana

As a nurse midwife, you will be prepared to provide care to women throughout their life span. A nurse midwife provides personalized, evidence-based care for women from puberty to menopause. You will perform physical examinations, prescribe medications, which may include contraceptive methods, give prenatal care, labor and birth care and also health education and counseling to women of any age.

If you are interested in becoming a Nurse Midwife, take the time to contact the schools in Indiana with nurse midwife programs today to learn more.

The accredited midwifery programs in Indiana include the University of Indianapolis and two online programs, which include Georgetown University and Frontier Nursing University.

Becoming a Certified Nurse Midwife in Indiana

The admission requirements for a certified nurse midwife program typically include:

Official transcripts of all previous college work from an accredited program with a GPA of 3.0 is required
Three recommendations addressing academic ability, work experience, professional nursing contributions and potential for success in graduate school. Two of the three recommendations must be from individuals with a minimum of an MSN
Current resume
An original 500 word double-spaced essay addressing your career goals in the motivation to seek a graduate degree
Valid RN license, and you must have in Indiana nursing license prior to clinical courses in Indiana

The Nurse–Midwifery program is usually around 55 credit hours, with over 1000 total clinical hours, which may be completed on a full or part-time basis.

The curriculum may include any or all of the following courses:

Pathophysiology
Applied Pharmacology
Applied Statistics
Theoretical Frameworks for Advance Nursing Practice
Nursing Research Design & Methodology
Issues and Policies in Health Care
Roles/Ethics
Advanced Health Assessment
Antepartum Care
Primary Care of Adults Across the Lifespan
Primary Care of Women Across the Lifespan
Midwifery Care I, II
Residency
Evidence-based Practice Project

Once you complete graduation, it is time to take your certification exam, which is given by the American Midwifery Certification Board. This certification is nationally recognized in all states, and it certifies you have met predetermined criteria for safety in your practice. The cost of the exam is $500.

If you need financial aid complete a FAFSA application, which is a federal grant program based on your income. There is a Nurse Corps Loan Repayment Program which requires two years of service working at a Critical Shortage Facility for two years to receive 60 percent of your total qualifying nursing education loan balance.

Working as a Certified Nurse Midwife in Indiana

Nurse Midwives work in hospitals, doctors’ offices, clinics, public health care, and there are approximately 1 percent of births that happen at home. Nurse Midwives usually care for patients with low risk pregnancies. This type of career allows for a satisfactory amount of independence, and it certainly requires being sensitive to the needs of your patients.

Getting your Nurse Midwifery license may give you a career that is satisfying, and it may increase your income. It can certainly help the nursing profession as a whole. Contact midwifery schools today to learn more.

Indiana Clinical Nurse Specialist

Working in the field of nursing doesn’t just give you a career. It helps you find your calling, puts you in a position to help countless people every single day, and gives you the opportunity to change the field of health care.

If you’re ready to further your education and find out what your nursing experience can do for your career, you may be a great place to look into clinical nurse specialist programs in Indiana. Contact those listed on our site for program details.

Clinical nurse specialists (CNS) take on a variety of job tasks as part of their advanced practice. For example, a recently-opened hospice center uses clinical nurse specialists to help people move through the last stage of life with comfort and dignity.

Becoming a clinical nurse specialist may give you the freedom to work more independently, set hospital and clinical practices and guidelines, and become a leader in your place of employment. Reach out to clinical nurse specialist programs in Indiana to find out more about this career path.

Becoming a Clinical Nurse Specialist in Indiana

Before you get started in a clinical nurse specialist program, you should ensure that you meet the high admissions standards of these programs. Since this is a graduate program, you need a Bachelor’s degree in nursing to be accepted. You should have performed fairly well in your nursing program and have an undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0. It’s also important to investigate the clinical requirements of your program.

Some programs require at least one year of full-time nursing experience, while others look at how many hours you have worked as a nurse. There are a few schools that require 2,000 registered nursing hours prior to enrollment.

Once you’ve met these requirements and you get accepted to your program of choice, you can prepare for your education. Most CNS students spend two to three years in school completing their required 30 to 45 credits. These programs tend to involve several hundred clinical hours, most of which are with your chosen population. For example, if you focus on oncology, you should spend most of your time working with cancer patients.

Many classes help you reach your academic and professional goals. Courses that may be part of your degree include Statistics for Health Care Professionals, Clinical Decision Making, Research for Advanced Practice Nurses, Applied Pharmacology, and Health Care Policy & Politics.

Indiana has numerous organizations and businesses that fund nursing scholarships. The Indiana Health Care Association funds multiple scholarships for advanced nursing students. Through the Indiana Center for Nursing, you may apply for scholarships that are specifically intended for clinical nurse specialists. Indiana One is another local organization with nursing scholarships.

Working as a Clinical Nurse Specialist in Indiana

Upon completing your educational program, you must become licensed as a clinical practical nurse. This involves getting advanced standing for your registered nursing license. The Indiana State Board of Nursing requires you to pass an advanced clinical exam and go through the background check process before you can get advanced practice rights.

Clinical nurse specialists may enjoy a number of career benefits, so taking this step in your education may really pay off.

Nursing is a field that’s growing by leaps and bounds, so why not take the next step in your education and influence the field as a whole? Learn more now by contacting clinical nurse specialist programs in Indiana.

Indiana Public Health Graduate Programs

The field of nursing is extremely diverse, there is no question about that. While working as a registered nurse, you have likely been involved in patient education, patient treatment, family communication, and administration. Being able to multitask and prioritize makes you a valuable asset to the nursing community of Indiana. If you want to have an even more powerful impact on the health of your patients, you may want to go into the field of public health nursing.

Public health nurses are some of the greatest tools that statewide and countywide health departments have in Indiana. In one public health outreach, nursing students worked with middle school students to help them develop lifelong healthy habits.

Make your mark on the world of public health by contacting public health nursing graduate programs in Indiana.

Master’s Degree Programs in Public Health Nursing in Indiana

Public health is a fairly demanding field, so graduate programs in this area have extensive requirements for applicants. By planning ahead of time, you can ensure that you meet the admissions requirements for your school of choice. You must have a Bachelor’s degree in nursing with a graduating GPA of at least 3.0. On top of that, you need a registered nursing license that is valid in the state of Indiana. Each school sets its own experience requirements, although most schools require between one and five years of RN experience.

Featured Programs:

The Role of Public Health Nurses in Indiana

Once you complete your public health nursing education, you may qualify for employment in a variety of settings. Many public health nurses choose to work for the government, at agencies like the Indiana State Department of Health. Your county or city may have their own public health department as well.

Studying public health can give you the opportunity to contribute to the field of health care in ways you never thought possible. Find out more about your options by checking out public health nursing programs in Indiana.

Graduate Nursing Programs in Healthcare Policy in Indiana

Great nurses, a strong sense of teamwork, and evidence-based care standards are all core aspects of the nursing industry in Indiana. However, healthcare policy guides all of these areas of care. Without strong policies that support nurses, nurses simply cannot work to their full potential.

Nursing policy experts worked with criminal justice experts to develop policies that support mental healthcare, showing the interdisciplinary nature of health policy. Laws developed by legislators may be aimed at improving work conditions, directly strengthening care options for patients, or improving collaboration between healthcare and other industries.

If you’re excited about the opportunity to improve nursing through policy, learn more about education options now. Use our list of healthcare policy graduate programs in Indiana to begin.

Master’s Degree Programs in Healthcare Policy in Indiana

Health policy programs in Indiana tend to be fairly demanding, so you may want to look at admissions requirements across a number of schools before you begin the application process. A Bachelor’s degree is required in most cases, and a Bachelor’s degree in nursing may allow you to graduate more quickly.

In addition, most schools expect an extensive amount of work experience. You may need between one and five years of full-time nursing behind you to be considered for one of these programs.

Once you start your education, anticipate completing about 42 credits over a period of two to three years. As a graduate nursing student in Indiana, you may enroll in health policy courses like those listed here:

Management of Individual and Group Behavior
Health Economics
Healthcare Outcomes and Decision Making
Healthcare Compliance
Public Health and Policy
Health Economics
Healthcare Information Systems

Health policy programs have clear goals and expectations. Not only do these goals help instructors assess your performance and growth, they assist you in finding areas of weakness and areas in which you need to improve. Spend some time studying the learning outcomes of your chosen program so that you can exceed them.

By the time you graduate, you may be expected to demonstrate a strong knowledge of the role of politics and policy decisions, effectively use knowledge from various sources in your decisions, blend your nursing experience with your knowledge of policy, and properly analyze nursing research.

The Indiana State Board of Nursing can help you keep your license renewed while you are completing your degree and throughout your career. Renewal applications are due by the last day of October in every odd-numbered year.

How Do Nurses Impact Healthcare Policy in Indiana?

In most Indiana hospitals and clinics, nurses provide the majority of care to patients. This means that, as a registered nurse, you have insights and experience that many legislators and policy creators cannot access. It is important for you to be a strong advocate for the nursing industry, listen to the concerns of nurses, and use your policy experience to strengthen the field of nursing and improve the care that patients enjoy.

As part of the nursing community, you may already be in a position to learn about legislative priorities in Indiana. In the past year, the Indiana State Nurses Association has contributed to legislation concerning the delegation of nursing tasks, funding for mental health conditions, and funding sources for trauma care.

Your career may take you into many different agencies and organizations. One of the largest healthcare policy organizations in Indiana is the Indiana Center for Health Policy.

Whether your goal is to increase awareness and improve outcomes for specific causes, align with the nursing industry and its priorities, or improve healthcare accessibility, your education is where it begins.

Compare options with our list of graduate healthcare policy programs in Indiana here.

Hospice Nursing in Indiana

Advanced training in a nursing specialty may give you the skills and knowledge you need to take on a primary care role with your patients. Hospice is a nursing specialty that requires empathy, an understanding of patients’ rights and wishes, and the ability to maintain your calm in fast-paced or stressful situations. By providing support to family members and providing palliative care to dying patients, you can help them maintain their dignity and spend the final days of their lives as they choose.

Whether you decide to become a nurse practitioner or clinical nurse specialist, you can learn about the unique needs of hospice patients in Indiana and discover how to meet them. You may find support for your work in groups like the Indiana Association for Home and Hospice Care.

This is the time to advance your nursing education and find out how you can get started in a new specialty.

Check out palliative care nursing Indiana programs and request more information here.

Master’s Degree Programs in Hospice/Palliative Care Nursing in Indiana

In Indiana, a Master’s degree in nursing requires the completion of 30 to 50 credits. This takes most full-time students between two and three years. The amount of credits you take is dependent on which school you select and whether you become a nurse practitioner or clinical nurse specialist. In either option, you can choose to focus on hospice nursing care. You take all required hospice courses after learning how to function at the nurse practitioner or clinical nurse specialist level and demonstrating your ability to use clinical judgment in independent care situations.

Palliative and Hospice Care Coursework

Foundations of Palliative Care
Care for the Caregiver
Ethical Dilemmas in Palliative Care
Palliative Care Management

In your lecture courses, you build your critical thinking skills and learn about the ethics of hospice care. Your clinical hours give you the experience you need to provide competent, evidence-based care. At the Master’s degree level, you need at least 500 hours of clinical work to become a nurse practitioner or clinical nurse specialist. Many schools require more than 500 hours in order to allow students plenty of time with their target population and hospice patients.

As a hospice care student, consider applying for specialized nursing scholarships. The Hospice & Palliative Nurses Foundation awards $2,000 scholarships to selected graduate applicants each year.

Upon completing your training, you must work for one to two years before applying for palliative care certification. The Hospice & Palliative Credentialing Center requires 500 hours of experience in one year or 1,000 hours of experience in two years.

The Role of Hospice/Palliative Care Nurses in Indiana

Indiana hospice nurse practitioners and clinical nurse specialists fill an extremely important role in healthcare. Dozens of facilities offer hospice care to patients all over the state. This includes large employers like Hospice of the Calumet Area, IU Health Hospice, Premier Hospice and Home Health, and Heartland Hospice Services.

In addition to meeting the care needs of your patients, you may be an important part in their family’s care. Family members often struggle with the need for hospice care and need extra help to understand what is happening. Overall, your core duties may include pain management, symptom management, family support, and providing on-call availability.

Are you ready to become a certified hospice and palliative nurse? This is the time to compare your options and take your education further.

Contact palliative care nursing programs.