Master’s in Nursing Schools in Missouri

There are many in-demand health care careers in Missouri, and a Master’s degree in Nursing can prepare you for many of them. If you’ve built a body of nursing knowledge from your education and work experience, consider earning a Master’s degree from one of the many nursing schools in Missouri. You can find Missouri nursing programs on our site, and we recommend requesting information about those graduate programs that interest you to learn more.

Featured Programs:

Working With Your MSN in Missouri

In Missouri, the Tennessean notes that many local activists are trying to expand the scope of practice for advanced practice nurses. As it stands, nurse practitioners and other advanced practice nurses must work within 30 miles of a supervising physician. However, due to a nationwide shortage of primary care doctors, legislators may be more motivated to allow advanced practice nurses to practice independently. The Missouri Department of Health & Senior Services claims that a variety of Missouri cities are designated Health Professional Shortage Areas.

Upon looking at the job outlook for various health care professions, it’s clear that Master’s-level nurses are very important in Missouri. The Missouri Economic Research and Information Center reports that health services managers and registered nurses are two of the most in-demand health care careers. Overall, the agency reports that the demand for health care professionals is at 24%. They are only able to fill about one-third of available positions.

Once you obtain your MSN in Missouri, you may have several different options for career moves. We have listed a couple of options below, and you can contact schools with MSN programs in MO to learn about other nursing careers.

Family Nurse Practitioners (FNPs) diagnose a patient’s symptoms, health history and diagnostic tests in order to treat illnesses, infections or injuries. The ages of their patients range from adolescence to senior citizens. The FNP Master’s program prepares you to work in clinical settings that include clinics, long-term care facilities, physicians offices or hospitals.

Case management is another graduate nursing degree that prepares you to deliver more personalized services to patients. You have the opportunity to design nursing care for a clinical or community-based group, and you would function in a leadership capacity. The goal of your position is to improve healthcare as a whole by managing all aspects of care delivery.

Getting your graduate nursing degree may provide you with the career that will fit your goals, and it aid the nursing profession as a whole. Reach out to the schools below to learn more.

Nursing Schools in Missouri

University of Missouri-Columbia
Columbia, MO
Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO

What You Can Expect From Your MSN Program

Ask any patient leaving a hospital or clinic who made a difference in their stay and the majority of patients will likely say that their nurse had the biggest effect. If you’ve been working as a nurse for some time, you know the impact you can have on not just one patient, but on healthcare as a whole. If so, you may be interested in exploring how you can further your career options to increase your impact even more. Luckily, a Master’s degree in nursing gives you the foundation needed for many other careers in nursing, like research, education, and leadership.

As you begin to explore your educational options in Missouri, you may want to start networking with local professional groups. The Missouri Association of Nurse Anesthetists is a popular group for aspiring nurse anesthetists. It may help you learn about the scope of practice in this state, discover research and legislation in the field, and connect with professionals in nurse anesthesia. The Advanced Practice Nurses of the Ozarks unites advanced practice nurses from different specialties, including primary care, pediatric care, clinical leadership, and mental health.

If you want to have a greater scope of practice while working with patients, you may wish to consider becoming a nurse practitioner. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch notes that many advocacy groups in Missouri are trying to expand practice rights for nurse practitioners. In doing so, they hope to increase residents’ access to appropriate and affordable health care.

The Missouri Economic Research and Information Center notes that health care is a great field to be in right now. In fact, health care is the top employing industry in all of Missouri. Nursing falls on the list of top 10 jobs in the state. This growth reflects a need for instructors, leaders, and practitioners.

MSN programs in Missouri address a number of goals. Your instructors aim to continue developing your critical thinking skills and helping you use those skills for better clinical decision making. Leadership is another major goal for MSN programs; you should get comfortable acting as a leader in familiar and unfamiliar situations as needed. You may be assessed on your ability to read nursing research and figure out how it should be applied to your clinical practice.

Your curriculum is centered around your specific career goals and which learning path you select. If you want to become a clinical nurse leader, which may involve leading staff and creating care plans for patients, you can take courses like Clinical Outcomes Management, Advanced Health Assessment, and Nursing Informatics. In a nurse practitioner track, you may participate in courses like Primary Care of Women, Primary Care of Children, Assessment of Patients in Health and Illness, and Gerontology Primary Care.

Clinical work takes what you learn in the classroom and puts it to the test in a real work setting. Clinical specialties may require over 600 hours of practical work, while specialties like nursing administration or nurse leadership may have considerably fewer clinical requirements.

Once you have been accepted to the MSN program of your choice, you can start applying for financial aid. Applying early and staying on top of your options can help you minimize your student debt. The Missouri Department of Health & Senior Services promotes advanced nursing degrees through nursing student loans that can be repaid through service. The Missouri League for Nursing awards scholarships that are worth up to $2,500. Students at many Missouri schools may apply for scholarships through the Missouri Nurses Foundation.

Take some time to request information on MSN programs in Missouri from the schools listed on our site. Once you review all of you options for earning your graduate nursing degree in MO, you should be prepared to move ahead with your professional nursing career goals and aspirations.

Missouri RN to MSN Bridge Programs

As a registered nurse, there are many ways that you can further your education and improve your reach in the world of health care. Missouri has many prominent health care centers that serve millions of patients each year. By earning an MSN through an RN-to-MSN bridge program, you can take on more responsibility in your nursing career.

Completing an RN-to-MSN bridge program can be quite a commitment, since you must earn a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in one degree program. Most RN-to-MSN programs last about three years. The first year of the program focuses on your bachelor’s degree courses, while the last two years include master’s-level courses.

While you are working toward your BSN, you take general education courses to fulfill the requirements for a bachelor’s degree. You also take slightly higher-level nursing courses that build on your associate’s degree education. These courses may focus on more in-depth nursing concepts like leadership, obstetrics and gynecology, surgery, and oncology.

Once you get to the master’s degree portion of your degree, you choose a specialty. The specialties you can choose from vary between schools, so make sure that the school you choose has your specialty of choice. Options you may be able to choose from include nurse practitioner, nurse anesthetist, nurse midwife, nurse administrator, nurse educator, and nurse researcher.

The core courses you take as an MSN student may include:

Informatics for Advanced Nursing Roles
Quality and Safety in Advanced Nursing
Policy in Advanced Nursing
System Leadership in Advanced Nursing
Evidence-Based Practice

Most programs also require high-level coursework in Advanced Pharmacology, Advanced Health Assessment, and Advanced Pathophysiology.

Clinical requirements may be very intense for RN-to-MSN bridge programs, since you have to meet the clinical requirements for a bachelor’s degree and an MSN degree. You may only need to get a few hundred clinical hours to get your bachelor’s degree. However, depending on your specialty selection, you may have to earn over 700 clinical hours to get your Master’s of Science in Nursing Degree. Clinical specialties have more aggressive clinical requirements than administrative or education degree paths.

Taking the extra step to earn an MSN may qualify you for a wide range of scholarship, loan repayment, and grant programs. The Missouri Nurses Foundation Scholarship awards five $500 scholarships every two years. The Marsha’s Angels Scholarship Fund provides for those who are obtaining a nursing degree. The average award is $2,000. Through the Missouri Department of Health & Senior Services, you may be able to get a low-interest or forgivable loan of up to $5,000. Scholarships of $750 each are available through the Missouri Public Health Association.

Since you’re already a registered nurse, you may be familiar with the Missouri Board of Nursing. The Board of Nursing has extensive requirements for nurses going into advanced practice. On top of keeping your registered nursing license active, you must earn and maintain an advanced practice license. This process requires you to complete testing in your area of study and register as an advanced practice nurse.

Though earning an MSN can take you several years of education, going through the hard work required for this degree can have a great impact on our career and your life. Not only can you increase your earning potential and explore more career options, you may be able to contribute to great change within the nursing field and influence coming generations of nurses.

If you are ready to commit to furthering your education, request information from schools on our site to find the best program for you and your career goals!

Missouri Direct Entry MSN

The Southeast Missourian reports a shortage of nurses in Missouri, particularly in hospitals, just as is seen nationwide. The problem is not that no one wants to become a nurse, but that qualified applicants are being turned away due to a lack of Nurse Educators. The paper reports that a task force of representatives from area hospitals, businesses and colleges developed an advisory committee to analyze the nursing shortage and increase the capacity for more nursing programs.

One of the results of this committee is a group of colleges and universities with expanding nursing programs. Colleges in Southeast Missouri have been successful in creating bridge programs for increasing the number of nurses. As a result, if you are thinking of changing careers and becoming a nurse, there are now direct entry Master’s in Nursing programs that you can attend to enter the profession.

Take a moment to request information from the schools on our site to learn more about your options for earning your accelerated MSN degree in the state of Missouri.

One of the universities with an Accelerated Generalist Masters of Science in Nursing (AGMSN) is Saint Louis University, School of Nursing. This is a 21 month program specifically designed for individuals who have earned a baccalaureate degree but are not registered nurses. This Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL) role was developed by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing in collaboration with the nursing practice leaders and educators.

This clinical leadership role focuses on outcomes measurement, quality improvement, risk assessment and inter-professional communication, which uses evidence-based practice as a core principle. Graduates of this program are eligible for the NCLEX-RN and certification by taking the CNL exam.

The admission requirements include:

A baccalaureate degree from a nationally accredited college or University
Official transcripts from every college or university attended
Undergraduate GPA of 3.2 or greater
Completion of the following prerequisite courses within the past five years; Microbiology, Human Anatomy and Physiology (6-8 credit hours) and Inferential Statistics.
Two letters of recommendation from recent supervisors, community leaders or former faculty
A personal statement which delineates your background, leadership potential and anticipated nursing career trajectory immediately after graduation plus 5 years post–graduation as well as why you have decided upon this trajectory
Resume

The curriculum of a direct entry MSN program will have a good number of similarities regardless of the specialty you choose. Some courses are offered online and others require attendance at the University without an option ford distance study. Some of the most common courses that are found in an accelerated CNL programs are outlined below. Keep in mind, your program may vary slightly, according to the focus you choose.

Pharmacology and Nursing Practice
Advanced Health Assessment for the Generalist Nurse
Advanced Pathophysiology
Nursing Strategies for Health Promotion
Nursing Strategies in Physiological Health Alterations
Nursing Strategies in Psychosocial Health Alterations
Evidence-based Practice for the Advanced Generalist Nurse
Health Care Systems and Policy
Clinical Studies I, II, III
Ethics in Nursing and Health Care (online)
Advanced Clinical Studies (plus IPE Team Seminar)
Clinical Nursing Leadership for Advance Generalist

Option 1:

Case Management 1 Elective (first half)
Case Management 2 (second half)

Option 2:

Elective (2-3 credits)
Elective (optional 2-3 credits)

After graduation it is a good idea to take the certification examination offered by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. If you take the exam the first time at a school of nursing the cost is $345, but if you take the exam at a testing center the cost is $410. This is a computer-based, three-hour exam that recognizes nurses who demonstrate professional standards and knowledge by passing this exam. The certification may help you get the type of position that you desire, as employers will note this achievement on your part.

The Saint Louis University suggests that all students visit the Office of Student Financial Services for information on financial aid and scholarships. Graduate nursing scholarships are available to eligible students. There is a large number of scholarships listed on their website. If you are in a low income bracket be sure to fill out the FAFSA application available in their office, which is a federal grant program.

The Missouri Department of Higher Education has awarded numerous universities money for grants or scholarships. The U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration has scholarships available for disadvantaged students that want to get a graduate degree in nursing. They also have a loan repayment program for students of willing to work in Health Professional Shortage Areas for two years in exchange for $50,000. In addition, there are low interest loans over available.

If you have a bachelor’s degree but are ready to change your current career, an accelerated MSN program may be the key your future. You will likely have a sense of satisfaction after graduation, and you may find yourself in the rewarding career that you deserve. Contact the Missouri nursing schools on our site to learn more about this option.

Missouri CRNA Programs

You may have found great career satisfaction and a field you love in registered nursing. Whether you enjoy working in a fast-paced environment, being at the front lines of patient care, or using your scientific training in health care, you may want to advance your career while staying in the nursing field. If so, you may be an excellent candidate for a nurse anesthesia program in Mississippi.

Nurse anesthetists are Advanced Practice Registered Nurses that are experts in the subjects of pharmacology, pain relief, anesthesiology, and patient care. This field has been growing in demand and importance as of late, due to the increasing demands of the health care industry. While nurse anesthetists are a crucial part of health care all over the country, they are particularly essential in states with large rural populations like Missouri. The American Association of Nurse Anesthetists notes that nurse anesthetists are the only anesthesiology providers in many rural communities throughout America.

To become a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist, you must be willing to complete a Master’s degree in nurse anesthesia. This training can take your nursing skills to the next level and provide you with highly-specialized training. Ready to learn more? Contact the schools on our site to find out more about CRNA programs in Missouri.

Admissions and Curriculum for CRNA Programs in Missouri

Nurse anesthesia programs tend to be academically rigorous, demanding many classroom hours and clinical hours. Earning this degree requires you to use all of your clinical skills and theoretical knowledge to thoroughly examine the various aspects of pain relief. Since this program is so extensive, it usually requires approximately 30 to 48 months of full-time study. If you plan on working full-time while earning your Master’s degree, consider looking for a part-time program in Missouri. You may begin with classroom courses, which prepare you for the clinical work that lies ahead and help you become competent in anesthesia terms and procedures. The second part of your degree involves getting out into the health care field and gaining over 550 hours of nurse anesthesia experience.

If you know that you may be interested in this career path, it’s helpful to start preparing as early as possible. A strong GPA at the undergraduate level is often required, as is work experience in an emergency care setting. Typically, at least one year of work experience is a necessity for admission to a CRNA program.

Your curriculum may begin preparing you for this specialty with courses like Pathophysiology Across the Life Span, Basic Principles of Anesthesia, Chemistry and Physics of Anesthesia, and Applied Physiology & Pathophysiology.

As you work through your degree, you may take advanced classes like Advanced Principles of Anesthesia, Research for Evidence-Based Practice, Policy Organization in Health Care, and CRNA Role Seminar.

A variety of scholarships, grants, and loan repayment programs may help you make your education more affordable. The Missouri Department of Health & Senior Services offers the Health Professional Nursing Student Loan program, which helps you repay your loans in exchange for service in Missouri. Scholarships are also available through the Missouri League for Nursing. Every two years, the Missouri Nurses Foundation awards scholarships to academically successful students.

Working as a Nurse Anesthetist in Missouri

Like any other nursing specialty, nurse anesthesia is regulated on many different levels. Preparing for licensure and certification prior to completing your degree can help you start working in your chosen career as quickly as possible. As you near graduation time, apply to take the certification exam offered by the National Board of Certification & Recertification for Nurse Anesthetists. They allow you to take the exam after ensuring that you have worked with at least 550 patients and completed a Master’s degree at an approved school. Once you pass their exam and become a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist, you can apply for licensure through the Missouri Board of Nursing. To keep your license at the state level, you have to maintain certification through the NBCRNA.

Becoming a nurse anesthetist can help you contribute more fully to patient care in Missouri’s nursing community. Furthermore, your advanced education may add to the breadth of nursing scholarship and research in Missouri. The care you offer may give patients the chance to get affordable and appropriate pain relief. To have a greater impact as a CRNA, you may wish to join the Missouri Association of Nurse Anesthetists. Doing so may offer you access to advocacy support, networking events, and training events.

The next stage of your nursing career begins with a Master’s degree. Contact CRNA schools in Missouri to take the next step.

Clinical Nurse Leader Degrees in Missouri

Regardless of what part of Missouri you work in, you may have noticed signs of a growing nursing shortage in this state. Longer shifts, less assistance on the floor, and an increased amount of inexperienced nurses are just some of the signs that the demand for nurses is growing more quickly than the amount of nurses in Missouri (Columbia Missourian).

Experts note that the shortage is caused by a variety of reasons, and so the solutions must come from many different sources. An increased nurse leadership presence is one solution that could make a huge difference, since nurse leaders can be a source of support for new nurses, improve the training process, and reduce burnout among nursing staff.

In fact, there are many ways that you can improve the nursing industry by becoming a Clinical Nurse Leader.

If you have been on the lookout for a way to advance your career, reach out to nursing leadership graduate programs in Missouri to learn more.

How Can I Become a Clinical Nurse Leader in Missouri?

The first step to becoming a nurse leader is making sure that you meet the qualifications for your chosen program. Most schools require a Bachelor’s degree in nursing. Some programs accept applicants with non-nursing Bachelor’s degrees, but they may require you to complete a set of nursing courses prior to your program. RN to MSN programs are transitional plans of study that are designed for Associate’s-level nurses.

You may find that some schools require a specific amount of nursing experience. Typically, schools with experience requirements look for at least one year of full-time nursing work. The more experience you have, the more you may understand diverse patient needs, the role of leadership in nursing, and the overall goals of the health care industry.

Curriculum requirements are unique at each school. The courses listed below are commonly required at Missouri schools:

Evidence-Based Nursing Practice
Public Health and Sociocultural Issues
Nursing and Health Policy
Organizations and Human Resource Management in Nursing
Research Basis for Advanced Nursing
Theoretical Basis for Advanced Nursing

When you evaluate different programs, spend some time looking at each school’s competencies, learning goals, and learning outcomes. The role of Clinical Nurse Leader is focused mainly on clinical care, so you may want to select a program that emphasizes the importance of hands-on clinical work. You may find program competencies that address leadership in different health care environments, problem-solving skills and clinical environments, diverse health care needs in different populations, and the role of nursing research.

Throughout your career, you may work primarily or exclusively in clinical settings. This indicates that you must maintain your registered nursing license at all times. The Missouri Board of Nursing requires all license renewal applications to be submitted by April 30 in odd numbered years.

Seeking certification as a Clinical Nurse Leader may qualify you for additional opportunities or training programs. According to the AACN, you must pass a comprehensive exam and background check before becoming certified. To keep your license, simply complete 50 continuing education units every five years and renew your license every five years.

What Does a Clinical Nurse Leader Do?

By the time you graduate with a Master’s degree in nurse leadership, you should be completely confident in your ability to tackle any management or leadership responsibilities. Since you have already worked as a registered nurse, you should be an integrated part of the Missouri nursing community. However, you can prepare for the next stage of your career by joining the Missouri Organization of Nurse Leaders. You can shorten the learning curve of your new role by learning from experienced nurse executives, staying current on nursing legislation, and attending relevant events in your area. Making this extra effort can help you transition smoothly into a management role.

At various stages of your career, you may be responsible for different tasks that fall into your scope of practice. In the AACN’s definition of Clinical Nurse Leader, the importance of thinking critically about patient care is heavily emphasized. When working with patients, you must be able to anticipate and minimize risks, be accountable for any outcomes that occur on your watch, collect and store data on patient care and outcomes, and follow nursing research.

A career in nurse leadership can help you find new fulfillment as a nurse. Take the first step and start comparing graduate nursing leadership programs in Missouri.

Missouri Research Nursing Graduate Programs

Every nursing professional in the state of Missouri plays an important role in the successful treatment of patients and management of diagnoses. Working as a registered nurse may have given you the opportunity to develop your clinical reasoning skills, learn about what patients want from their nursing care, and get a good view of what the nursing community in Missouri is like. With this knowledge, you may be ready to take your nursing career to the next level and use your knowledge to expand the body of nursing research available in Missouri.

Once you have a strong understanding of how and why research is conducted, you may be able to contribute your skills to many different facilities around the state. Quite a few health care organizations and educational institutions have growing nurse research departments, including Missouri Baptist Medical Center. If you are ready to explore your options on the academic side of nursing, get started now by contacting research nursing graduate programs in Missouri.

Featured Programs:

Missouri Graduate Degree Programs in Nursing Research

As a Bachelor’s-level nurse, you should already have a fairly strong understanding of different nursing specialties and advanced nursing theories. This knowledge is an important part of your graduate-level education in research nursing. Clinical experience is equally as important. Most schools in Missouri require incoming students to have at least one year of full-time nursing experience, although some schools require quite a bit more.

Over the course of two to three years, you can earn between 30 and 40 credits as a research nursing student. Your curriculum should include theory courses, clinical experience courses, and lab-based courses.

As you examine the curriculum for your chosen nursing program, you may start to understand exactly what you can learn in a nursing research program. Courses that you may be expected to take include Quantitative Research Methods, Qualitative Research Methods, Research and Grantsmanship, Research Design and Statistics, Ethical and Legal Issues in Research, and Conceptual Foundations of Clinical Research.

While earning your degree, you may get the chance to work under skilled researchers in different specialties. Use this time in your education to discover what type of research you would like to conduct and what your goals are when it comes to your research.

Missouri nursing students have access to many types of financial aid, which may help you with the extensive costs of a graduate degree. The Missouri League for Nursing awards scholarships to graduate students on an annual basis.

The Role of Clinical Nurse Researchers in Missouri

When you dedicate your career to the field of clinical research, you are joining in a field that is growing rapidly in Missouri. One major goal of local nursing organizations is to increase the amount of nurses with graduate degrees and PhDs. You may divide your time between applying for research grants, designing research, and assisting with studies conducted by other nurse researchers.

You have worked very hard to become a successful registered nurse. You can use your hard work to change the world of nursing. Find out more by requesting information from research nursing schools in Missouri.

Missouri Certified Nurse Midwife

Women’s health care is an area of growing importance in medicine, particularly during the reproductive years when women’s bodies tend to go through many major changes. Many women prefer to see health care providers that are dedicated to reproductive health, rather than seeing a general practitioner.

By becoming a certified nurse midwife, you can help women with birth control, serve as a primary care provider during pregnancy and giving birth, and help patients navigate the menopausal years.

In states where birth control and pregnancy termination are major issues, like Missouri, certified nurse midwives are an essential part of the health care system. They may prescribe medications and help women control their own reproductive health.

During pregnancy and delivery, certified nurse midwives often give expectant mothers options in regards to their care. St. Louis has seen an increase in CNM-staffed hospital births, which may cost less for patients and minimize the interventions they experience during labor.

If you’re ready to serve women during some of the most important parts of their lives, contact certified nurse midwifery programs in Missouri for more information!

Becoming a Certified Nurse Midwife in Missouri

Certified nurse midwives meet a wide range of health care needs for Missouri women. Because of this, you must get a thorough and multifaceted education to be qualified for CNM licensure. It begins with a bachelor’s degree in nursing. Many Missouri schools require several years of registered nursing experience before they’ll admit you to a CNM program. If you have an associate’s degree in nursing, you may still be able to enroll in a CNM program if there are RN-to-MSN schools in your area.

Earning an advanced nursing degree that prepares you for a career in nurse midwifery may take two to three years of study. This includes quite a bit of clinical work, as you must be able to competently handle a variety of situations after graduation. Throughout your clinical hours, you may work with pregnant mothers, laboring women, women who use CNMs for their gynecological or primary care, and those who are going through menopause or other life changes.

To prepare for the multiple responsibilities you may take on as a CNM, you may be required to take general advanced nursing courses in addition to specific nurse midwifery courses. Courses that may be part of your curriculum include Advanced Health Assessment, Advanced Pathophysiology, Care of Women in the Antenatal Period, Nurse-Midwifery in the Neonate, Primary Care of Women, Care of Women Integration, and Primary Care of Women Through the Lifespan.

You may qualify for a variety of scholarships and grants as an advanced nursing student. The Missouri Nurses Foundation funds scholarships in odd-numbered years. The Missouri Department of Health offers forgivable Health Professional Nursing Student loans that are worth up to $5,000.

Working as a Certified Nurse Midwife in Missouri

After you complete your education, you must go through a fairly rigorous licensing process. The first step involves taking a thorough licensing exam through the American Midwifery Certification Board and earning your certification. From there, you can apply for an advanced license through the Missouri Board of Nursing.

This career could be an excellent choice for you if you’re interested in caring for women throughout the lifespan. Find out more today by reaching out to certified nurse midwifery schools in Missouri.

Missouri Clinical Nurse Specialist Programs

Whether you are a licensed practical nurse or a registered nurse, becoming a clinical nurse specialist may open up numerous career opportunities in Missouri. As a certified CNS, you play a crucial role in the nursing industry by solving patients’ problems and making primary healthcare decisions for medical facilities (Discover Nursing).

In order to become a certified clinical nurse specialist, you will need to:

Earn your Master of Science in Nursing
Pass the National Nurses Licensing exam
Pass the Certified Nurse Specialist exam

When researching potential nursing programs, you should enroll in a college that has obtained the proper accreditation through the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. Accredited CNS programs ensure you are knowledgeable in current procedures, policies, and equipment, preparing you for your licensing exam after graduation.

Contact the CNS programs in Missouri listed below to learn more about how you can expand your scope of practice while strengthening the nursing profession in Missouri today.

Becoming a Clinical Nurse Specialist in Missouri

Before you are able to enroll in a graduate program in Missouri, you must first complete the required prerequisites, which include earning your bachelor’s degree and RN license, completing an approved statistics course, writing a personal statement, providing letters of recommendation, and completing the Graduate Record exam.

MSN degree programs generally take two years of full-time educational training at a traditional campus or through online courses. Classroom instruction covers a variety of subjects, including clinical teaching and practice, consulting, and researching. Coursework may also cover topics on:

Health assessment
Research methods
Physiology

If your career aspirations include ascertaining a position in a research or policy advocacy role, then you may wish to earn a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree. Be prepared to complete an additional two to three years of classroom instruction, which may cover topics on health economics, advanced nursing policy, and data management.

Both MSN and DNP programs require you to complete a clinical practicum at a medical facility, with most colleges requiring you to fulfill 500 clinical hours before graduation. Clinical training provides necessary hands-on experience to prepare you for work in a high-stress environment, allowing you to help patients under medical supervision. Start your educational journey by researching MSN and DNP programs near you today.

If you wish to participate in bringing specialty care to underserved areas in Missouri, then you may be able to take advantage of certain loan, scholarship, and loan repayment programs that are offered by the federal government. The U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration offers a variety of financial assistance programs that may help cover your college costs, allowing you to focus on finishing your MSN degree quickly. Financial assistance may include:

Working as a Clinical Nurse Specialist in Missouri

Among the top-paying states in the United States for registered nurses, Missouri employs approximately 67,250 nurses, including clinical nurse specialists, at medical offices and hospitals (BLS). Even though clinical nurse specialists are in high demand throughout the country, you need to earn your degree and license to increase your marketability in Missouri.

Studies show that experts are predicting an employment growth of 19 percent for the nursing industry as a whole, potentially increasing your employment opportunities in Missouri. As a CNS in Missouri, you may find employment opportunities in:

Home care systems
Hospitals
Medical labs
Outpatient facilities
Research facilities

Once you have obtained your nursing licensing, you will need to earn the CNS certificate by taking the qualifying exam for your nursing specialty, such as psychiatric-mental health or gerontology. You can take the CNS exam through a governing healthcare body like the American Nurses Credentialing Center. The ANCC gauges you on your ability to provide excellent healthcare services, helping you advance your career.

Learn more about career opportunities as a clinical nurse specialist by checking out accredited colleges in Missouri today.

Missouri Public Health Graduate Programs

Though individual patient care is a crucial part of the nursing industry, working in public health can help people and communities make long-lasting changes to health patterns. Public health professionals may tackle diverse problems like drug addiction, teen pregnancy, malnutrition, and sexually transmitted diseases. What you take on as a public health nurse simply depends on where you work and what the prevailing health problems are in your community.

In Missouri, legislators realize that public health is a crucial part of lowering health care costs and improving the quality of life for residents. The Council for Public Health Nursing, a division of the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, aims to improve health by educating and empowering public health nurses throughout the state.

Find out how you can use your education in this field by contacting public health nursing graduate programs in Missouri.

Master’s Degree Programs in Public Health Nursing in Missouri

Public health can be a very demanding and fast-paced field, so you may find that Missouri schools have many requirements for their public health nursing programs. A Bachelor’s degree in nursing is required, and on top of that, you must have maintained a GPA of 3.0 or higher as an undergraduate student. It is also important to have work experience as a nurse, since the majority of schools require at least one year of full-time nursing work.

Once you have met the expectations of your chosen school, it is time to figure out what you learn as a public health student. Over the course of two to three years, you may take over one dozen courses that delve into different areas of public health. Some of the courses you may enroll in include Biomedical and Health Informatics, Advanced Practice in Community Health Systems, Assessment and Collaboration with Communities and Systems, Program Planning for Health Systems, and Nursing Inquiry to Support Evidence-Based Practice.

It is clear that you must be ready to act as a leader when you become a public health nurse, since the public will likely look to you as a trusted expert when there are public health threats. You should develop your confidence as a public health figure during your clinical hours. This part of your education focuses on learning from established public health professionals and becoming competent in the different tasks required in this position.

In Missouri, the state government awards several grants and scholarships to nursing students. The Health Professional Nursing Student Loan is worth up to $5,000. The loan is forgivable if you work in Missouri after graduation.

The Role of Public Health Nurses in Missouri

Flexibility is an important part of working as a public health nurse, so it is important to be ready to tackle any public health challenge that may arise during your career. This may involve advocating for residents and for public health measures that may not be well-received by lawmakers. For example, Missouri public health nurses and professionals fought hard to keep the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards on the books in Missouri.

Public health is a huge priority in Missouri. Take advantage of this opportunity by requesting information from public health nursing programs in Missouri.

Graduate Nursing Programs in Healthcare Policy in Missouri

How does the healthcare industry change? How have doctors moved from using leeches to cure illness to using evidence-based, data-driven procedures? In almost every example of growth in the industry, progress can be traced back to healthcare policy. Healthcare policies empower nurses to fulfill their duties and provide the best care they can to patients.

As you move through your nursing career, you may decide that you are ready to take the next step. If you are passionate about influencing the nursing field as a whole, look into earning a Master’s degree in healthcare policy. Doing so may allow you to take on a more academic role in nursing.

Featured Programs:

Master’s Degree Programs in Healthcare Policy in Missouri

Taking your nursing education to the next level with a Master’s degree can strengthen your career in many different ways. As you study healthcare policy in Missouri, you may build your critical thinking skills and learn about the problems facing the healthcare industry at large.

By applying your knowledge of nursing to the legislative education your receive, you can create a body of knowledge that is perfectly suited for a policy career.

Master’s programs in healthcare policy differ in their credit requirements, but most programs in Missouri range from 39 to 45 credits. Plan on spending four to six semesters completing your classroom and practical training requirements.

In the classroom, you may take classes like Managerial Epidemiology, Health Economics, Decision Making for Healthcare Organizations, Health Informatics, Healthcare Law, Health Policy and Politics, and US Healthcare System. To get practical experience, you may enroll in a practicum course or complete an internship. Many schools also require a capstone project.

In addition to the standard requirements for graduate school admission, you may need prior undergraduate coursework in statistics and microeconomics.

It’s important to keep your nursing license valid. In fact, working as a nurse throughout school may help you develop your policy insight. The Missouri Board of Nursing mandates that all licenses be renewed by April 30 of every odd-numbered year.

How Do Nurses Impact Healthcare Policy in Missouri?

Through a number of organizations, associations, and institutions, nurses have a voice in healthcare policy. With a Master’s degree, you have an even better platform on which to build your policy career. You may work to change state or federal law. You can also work for a healthcare institution or facility to shape their policies and verify their compliance with laws.

In groups like the Missouri Nurses Association, you can fight for legislation that improves the nursing industry. Current goals of this association include granting full practice authority to APRNs, passing a safe patient handling law, Medicaid expansion, medication synchronization, and granting Schedule II prescriptive authority to APRNs.

Another local group that impacts health policy is the Missouri Foundation for Health. They analyze Missouri health outcomes at the population level and create policies in line with current issues and epidemics.

With hard work and education, you can use your influence in the Missouri nursing community to oversee change in the world of healthcare.

Find out what it takes to become a skilled policymaker by reaching out to Master’s in healthcare policy programs in Missouri.