Master’s in Nursing Schools in New Jersey

Whether you currently have a Bachelor’s degree or Associate’s degree in nursing, a Master’s degree in this field may be the key to reaching your career goals. An advanced nursing degree can help you develop the skills needed to become a leader, serve patients on a broader scale, and affect the health care industry from an administrative angle. To earn your MSN in New Jersey, simply begin by exploring your options for schools and programs, then request more information from schools. We hope you find that with a little research, you are able to locate the best graduate nursing study options available.

Featured Programs:

Working With Your MSN in New Jersey

Many Master’s-level nursing jobs are in high demand. The State of New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development maintains a list of in-demand occupations. Jobs topping the list include health services managers, nursing instructors, registered nurses, and licensed practical nurses. Nurse educators will likely be needed to meet the need for registered and licensed practical nurses, while nursing leadership graduates may take on health services management roles.

The New Jersey State Nurses Association have developed guidelines for advanced practice nurses (APNs), and the APN’s are independently certified providers. A statutorily–mandated joint protocol has been designed with collaborating physicians, allowing graduate prepared nurses to practice primary care.

An Acute Care Nurse Practitioner is an interesting, yet challenging career. Working with acutely ill patients includes those with serious infections and injuries. You would be analyzing patient histories, symptoms and diagnostic information.

A Health Systems Administration is also a very responsible position. Your duties may include conducting fiscal operations, which includes accounting and budgets. You would also direct and supervise the activities of the nursing staff at your facility, and may implement programs and services that oversee staff training. This type of a job would be most commonly found in the hospital, nursing home or healthcare clinic.

Earning your graduate degree may advance your career, and it can enhance the respect of your peers. Contact the NJ MSN programs below to learn more.

Nursing Schools in New Jersey

Rutgers University-New Brunswick
New Brunswick, NJ

What You Can Expect From Your MSN Program

As a registered nurse, you’ve likely seen the crucial role that nurses play in New Jersey health care. If you are ready to take your passion for nursing and your knowledge to the next level with an advanced degree, you are likely thinking about earning your MSN in New Jersey. Pursuing a Master’s degree in nursing can give you the freedom to look into different aspects of nursing and take on more responsibility, and can have a significant impact on the profession itself.

Take a look at the different MSN programs in New Jersey listed on our site, and contact the schools that interest you to learn more.

New Jersey may be one of the best states in terms of support for advanced practice nurses. There are organizations and support systems in place for nurses in many different careers paths. The Consortium of New Jersey Nurse Educators helps nurse instructors find more effective and practical ways to help students learn. Members of the New Jersey Association of Public Health Nurse Administrators can attend events that bring together nurse administrators for leadership training and advancement of New Jersey health care. The New Jersey Association of Nurse Anesthetists and the Forum of Nurses in Advanced Practice are popular resources for nurses in advanced practice.

Going into advanced practice may be a good decision for New Jersey MSN candidates. Over the coming years, NJ.com expects New Jersey’s primary care shortage to get worse. Nurse practitioners can provide lots of the same medical services as doctors, making them a more affordable and accessible option for employers and patients. Going this route also frees you up to work in a variety of settings. Clinical Advisor tells the story of Deborah Winters, a New Jersey nurse practitioner that took her skills to Africa to fight HIV.

New Jersey’s Department of Labor and Workforce Development paints a positive picture for MSN graduates. Medical and health services managers are expected to be in extremely high demand, possibly creating job opportunities for nurse administration graduates. In addition, employers and schools may need nurse educators that can teach the next class of nurses.

Completing an MSN program in New Jersey takes, on average, between two and three years. Much depends on whether you work full-time or part-time on your degree and which specialty you choose. Between the different concentration options, MSN programs in New Jersey usually require between 30 and 50 credits hours to complete.

Instructors use program outcomes to assess whether or not you’re meeting the nursing program’s standards. You will likely have to show that you understand an advanced nurse’s role in health care and in society, which should lead to strong leadership skills in and out of a clinical setting. Professionalism is a crucial component of advanced nursing, as is the appropriate management of patient information. Finally, you may be expected to demonstrate your knowledge of evidence-based practice by conducting or reviewing nursing research.

Some of the classes you may take as an MSN candidate include Nursing Science and Research, Advanced Health Assessment, Advanced Pharmacology, and Program Evaluation in Nursing Education. You may be able to choose elective courses that are in line with your career goals and previous education.

Each type of New Jersey MSN degree has clinical or practicum requirements. Whether you complete your hours in a clinical setting, an academic setting, or an administrative setting, you’ll spend several hundred hours applying your training.

If you attend a graduate nursing program in New Jersey, you may have several different scholarships and grants you can apply for. Applying for as many grants as possible can help you minimize school debt and start building valuable connections in the nursing community. New Jersey Nursing Students offers an annual scholarship to students. The New Jersey Nursing Initiative not only offers scholarship funds, it pairs nursing students up with experienced nursing professionals. Scholarships are also available through the New Jersey League for Nursing.

Regardless of the route you choose, earning a master’s in nursing in New Jersey can position you for a variety of different rewarding nursing careers. Take some time to review your options, and be sure to contact the NJ schools that offer MSN degrees for program information.

New Jersey RN to MSN Bridge Programs

Education is a huge priority in New England, which may be part of the reason you’re considering furthering your nursing education. As a registered nurse, you have likely seen the important role that nurses play in health care organizations all over the state. Completing an RN-to-MSN program and becoming a graduate-level nurse can give you the freedom to conduct nursing research, assist women through childbirth, provide anesthetic services, teach student nurses, and more.

RN-to-MSN programs in New Jersey are fairly rigorous, so you should plan on attending class full-time to complete your degree. Some degree programs do allow you to complete your coursework online, giving you more flexibility in your work schedule. The entire program requires about 90 credits of BSN and MSN courses.

Part of becoming a graduate-level nurse is choosing which specialty best suits your long-term goals. If you like working with patients and want to explore your options in that area, you may want to become a nurse practitioner, nurse midwife, or nurse anesthetist. Nurse education is another career path that allows you to teach undergraduate nursing students. In the administrative field, you may wish to go into nurse administration, nursing research, or nurse leadership.

Regardless of the career path you choose, you may need to take the same core courses as other MSN students in New Jersey. These courses include Nursing Leadership in a Global Community, Health Policy, Evidence-Based Practice, and Nursing Informatics. You may take courses to help you become more skilled in advanced patient care, like Advanced Health Assessment and Advanced Pharmacology. If you choose nursing education, it’s likely that your curriculum will include classes like Curriculum Theory and Instructional Strategies in Nursing Education.

Practicum and clinical hours are a crucial aspect of your graduate-level nursing education. Those who go into a clinical specialty may spend their time in different practice settings, while those who choose administrative routes may explore other health care settings.

One of the benefits of continuing your education in New Jersey is the wide amount of scholarship and grant funds set up for advanced nursing students. By applying early and often for scholarships, you can give yourself the best possible chance of success. The New Jersey League for Nursing awards more than $11,000 in nursing scholarships each year. Through the New Jersey State Nurses Association, you can apply for the Institute for Nursing Scholarship or the Valerie E. Yahn Scholarship. The New Jersey Nursing Initiative has a Nurse Scholars program that rewards those who work hard to advance the field of nursing.

Since you already work as a registered nurse, you may know a little bit about the licensing process in New Jersey. You will need to provide your transcripts and proof of your graduation to the New Jersey Board of Nursing. They will allow you to submit your application and take your advanced practice licensing exam, at which point you can receive the right to practice at an advanced level.

Though completing an RN-to-MSN program does require considerable time and work, it can be well worth the effort. As you improve your own career prospects and contribute to health care, you can use your education to better the lives of patients all over New Jersey.

New Jersey Direct Entry MSN

With projections of a health care crisis on the horizon, New Jersey leaders have welcomed initiatives to train and recruit nurses for the state’s nursing colleges, hospitals, and other medical facilities. A multi-million dollar campaign was launched in 2009 to address nursing faculty shortages, and similar efforts are underway to educate nursing leaders who can meet the state’s future needs.

One idea that shows promise for bringing new nurses into the fold is the direct entry master’s program. These programs allow college graduates from non-nursing disciplines to make the transition to a nursing career. If you already hold a degree in a field other than nursing, you may be able to apply some of your previous credits to a Master’s in Nursing program through an accelerated MSN program in NJ.

Take some time to look through the direct entry Masters in Nursing programs listed on our site and request more information from the programs you are interested in.

Many outside forces are likely to influence these trends, including the addition of a generation of aging baby-boomers and newly insured patients into the health care system. The average age of the state’s nursing faculty was 55, leading some to wonder whether there will be enough teachers to train new RNs. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing reports that more than 2400 nursing applicants were turned away from New Jersey colleges, in part because of faculty shortfalls. By earning your Master’s in Nursing, you can help alleviate these shortfalls.

If you don’t have an undergraduate nursing degree, you can still pursue your nursing career in New Jersey at nursing schools like Seton Hall University. The school offers a fast track to a new profession for non-nurses through its Master’s Entry – Clinical Nurse Leader Program. The full-time program is held on campus and takes two years to complete. It is New Jersey’s first direct-entry master’s program.

To qualify for admission, you should have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college and a minimum grade-point average of 3.2 on prior college courses. You also will need to submit a personal statement about your career objectives and two recommendations. You must earn at least a “C” in prerequisite classes in human anatomy, microbiology, chemistry, developmental psychology, statistics, ethics and economics.

Once enrolled, your 80-credit curriculum will include topics such as pathophysiology, pharmacology, health assessment, clinical role development, and ethical issues in nursing. The program runs through two summer academic sessions. During the final semester, you will be immersed in clinical experiences at hospitals and community agencies to prepare you for the job world. When you graduate, you should be prepared to take the national RN licensing examination as well as the clinical nurse leader certification exam.

The College of Nursing at Seton Hall offers more than $75,000 in nursing scholarships or grants, with varying requirements depending on the award. These scholarships range from $500 to $3000. The school also details a variety of awards with special conditions.

You might also consider investigating federal programs such as the Nurse Corps Loan Repayment Program. If you work at certain critical shortage facilities after graduation, you may be able to have some of your student loans forgiven. By joining the program, eligible RNs can have up to 60 percent of unpaid nursing loans forgiven in the first two years of service and another 25 percent in a third year. For more details about how the program works, visit the Health Resources and Services Administration website.

New Jersey CRNA Programs

As a registered nurse, you’ve likely gained valuable health care experience in a variety of specialties and settings. This may have exposed you to the variety of advanced nursing professions that are available to nurses who are willing to take the next step in their education. If you are interested in nursing research, advanced patient care, and pharmacology, nurse anesthesia may be the right nursing specialty for you. With a Bachelor’s degree in nursing, you already have much of the background and basic training you need to get started.

To become a nurse anesthetist, you need an advanced degree in nursing. You may choose from a Master’s degree or a doctoral degree, depending upon which options are available to you. This degree can give you experience and theoretical knowledge in many aspects of nurse anesthesia. With the clinical experience you gain in this type of program, you may be able to provide specialized care to patients all over New Jersey.

Becoming a nurse anesthetist in New Jersey may significantly increase your scope of practice and increase the number of procedures you can carry out in your nursing career. You may administer oral and IV medications, administer injections, or put patients under general anesthesia. If you’re interested in learning more about what this career entails and what you can study, contact the schools that offer CRNA programs in New Jersey now.

Admissions and Curriculum for CRNA Programs in New Jersey

To start working toward a rewarding career in anesthesia, you have to meet the stringent educational requirements of this field. To qualify for acceptance to a CRNA program, you need a Bachelor’s degree in nursing. This degree must have been obtained at an accredited school, and furthermore, you should have kept a 3.0 GPA or higher while earning this degree. Most schools in New Jersey require at least one year of full-time nursing experience. Some schools go further and require at least one year of experience in a critical care or emergency care setting. Preparing ahead of time to meet these requirements can help you increase your chances of acceptance.

You need to take Master’s-level courses in many different areas of nursing to get the skills and knowledge required for an advanced nursing career. To start your curriculum, you may take essential courses like Theoretical Foundations in Advanced Nursing, Advanced Pharmacology for Nurse Anesthesia, Advanced Health Assessment, and Introduction to Nurse Anesthesia Practice. This prepares you for high-level courses that aggressively build your anesthesia skill set. Courses in this category include Nurse Anesthesia Practice, Gross Anatomical Dissection, Biophysics for Nurse Anesthesia, Nurse Anesthesia Clinical Internship, and Health Policy & Finance. Though many of your courses may take place in the classroom, clinical experience is also a huge part of this degree. Throughout your two to four years in school, plan on obtaining at least 550 hours of clinical experience.

You may begin applying for financial aid after you have been officially accepted to a nurse anesthesia program. The New Jersey State Nurses Association runs the Nursing Scholarship Program, which provides funds for graduate-level nursing students. Scholarships of at least $2,000 each are provided by the New Jersey Hospital Association to graduate students. Consider also contacting the New Jersey League for Nursing, which offers scholarships to New Jersey residents.

Working as a Nurse Anesthetist in New Jersey

Getting your advanced degree is the first step to becoming a nurse anesthetist. You may then begin the process of becoming licensed in the state of New Jersey. The National Board of Certification & Recertification for Nurse Anesthetists offers certification at the national level. You must accomplish this before getting licensure in New Jersey. Once you have become a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist, you must recertify every two years. Your state license comes from the State of New Jersey Board of Nursing. You must submit proof of your passing exam score, your school transcript, and your completed advanced practice application. This allows you to practice in the state of New Jersey.

Nurse anesthesia can be an excellent field for nurses that want to change the field of health care in New Jersey. Your education may encourage other nurses to advance their knowledge and understanding of evidence-based care. As a nurse anesthetist, your extensive knowledge of care standards may help you become a leader in the nursing community of New Jersey. As you begin your career, consider joining the New Jersey Association of Nurse Anesthetists to network with other nursing professionals and learn about continuing education opportunities in your area.

Now that you know more about the field of nurse anesthesia, you may be ready to advance your education. Use our schools list to contact CRNA schools in New Jersey, so you can get details about applying to and completing a CRNA program.

Clinical Nurse Leader Degrees in New Jersey

No matter which medical specialty you work in or which type of health facility you work in, the importance of strong leadership cannot be ignored. Managers and leaders can ensure that employees follow policies, work to their full potential, and keep patients in mind at all times.

As a nurse leader, you may play a direct role in the smooth functioning of a hospital or clinic department. Your experience may be used in policy discussions—New Jersey nurse leaders have vocally supported a law that would tighten staffing restrictions in hospitals throughout the state (NJ.com).

The future of nursing is changing constantly, and a nursing leadership degree may put you at the forefront of it. Experts note that more nurses are moving from the bedside to the boardroom, where they serve in executive and administrative positions (NJ.com).

If you’re excited to explore your future in nurse management, this is the time to learn more. Contact Master’s in nurse leadership programs in New Jersey for more information.

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How Can I Become a Clinical Nurse Leader in New Jersey?

Becoming a Clinical Nurse Leader is a fairly long and involved process, but it pays off when you secure one of the newest and most sought-after credentials in the nursing industry. To prepare for a career in nurse leadership, you have to be fully competent in management, research, policy, and advanced clinical care.

To build your skill base, you may earn 35 credits over a period of four semesters. Clinical work is often required in this program, but clinical requirements tend to be far more relaxed than they are in registered nursing programs. On average, New Jersey programs involve 400 hours of clinical experience.

The curriculum for the program you choose should outline exactly what you need to learn to pass the Clinical Nurse Leadership licensing exam. Of course, class names and specific course sequences are unique to each school.

However, you may find courses like these in your CNL curriculum:

Clinical Inquiry for Evidence-Based Practice
Social Determinants of Health
Quality and Safety in Health Care
Leadership Across the Continuum
Information Technology for Evidence-Based Practice
Clinical Leadership Role
Advanced Clinical Pharmacology

Upon completion of your curriculum, you should have accomplished many program outcomes. In New Jersey, schools often expect students to be competent in care coordination, transition of care, facilitation of interdisciplinary health care, and system assessment by the time they graduate.

Since this is a clinical nursing role, a registered nursing degree is required. The New Jersey Board of Nursing requires license renewal every two years, at which time you must pay a fee of $120 and provide proof of 30 hours of continuing education.

After you graduate, you may apply for CNL licensure through the AACN. They administer a comprehensive nurse leadership exam. A passing score on this exam allows you to become certified. Your certification only needs to be renewed every five years at that point.

What Does a Clinical Nurse Leader Do?

You should be extremely familiar with Clinical Nurse Leadership competencies by the time you graduate, since these competencies shape your education and your clinical experience. These guidelines may also shape the work you do as a nurse leader. Keep in mind, however, that specific duties are set by each employer and department.

As a Clinical Nurse Leader, you are part of an interdisciplinary care team. Rather than simply being part of a registered nursing team, you may head up care initiatives for your patients. At many facilities, this involves creating patient care plans, staying on top of nursing evidence, and creating procedures and policies that are aligned with current research.

Since this is a leadership role, you must be accountable for the outcomes and care decisions that are made for your patients. You can accept this level of responsibility because of your graduate education and specialized certification.

Staying active in the nursing community and the nursing leadership community is beneficial to your career and to the nursing industry in general. On top of other nursing association memberships, consider joining the Organization of Nurse Leaders of New Jersey.

Your leadership skills could shape the future of nursing in your chosen health care facility. Learn more about your educational path by contacting Master’s in nurse leadership programs in New Jersey.

New Jersey Research Nursing Graduate Programs

One of the most important aspects of the nursing field is constant growth. It’s not enough to do things well when they’re the same techniques that were used last year. Rather, nursing professionals must always be striving to learn more, become more efficient, and improve patient outcomes. Although all nursing professionals contribute to this goal, nurse researchers are at the core of these efforts.

New Jersey research nurses do not just improve the state of nursing in New Jersey. Their findings are picked up by other states and used to improve health care throughout the country. Research nurses conduct research on where care is most needed, how health care outcomes can be improved, and how health care providers can improve their standards.

If you’re looking for a new way to use your nursing experience and your Bachelor’s degree in nursing, it may be time to consider a career in clinical research. Keep reading to learn about research nursing graduate programs in New Jersey.

New Jersey Graduate Degree Programs in Nursing Research

Before you can qualify for admission to a nursing research program, you must have a Bachelor’s degree in nursing. Most schools have strict academic requirements, so a GPA of 3.0 or higher is required. A GPA of 3.5 or higher is ideal. Furthermore, due to the expectations of programs at this level, some experience in the field of nursing is required. The amount of experience you need varies from school to school, so make sure to compare programs.

If you plan on earning a Master’s degree in nursing research, you should be able to graduate in about two years if you attend full-time. If you would rather earn a PhD, you may spend up to seven years in school.

In addition to taking courses on research procedures and goals, you may also take classes and teaching techniques, nursing leadership, and nursing collaboration. Although your focus may be research during your career, you must also be ready to serve as a leader and educator to nurses in New Jersey. Some of the courses you may take as a student include Professional Scholarship in Nursing Practice, Theories and Conceptual Foundations of Nursing Practice, Research in Nursing, Clinical Leadership in Nursing, and Advanced Pharmacotherapeutics.

You may receive financial aid from a variety of sources, including state government agencies, federal government agencies, your school, and nursing associations. The New Jersey State Nurses Association funds multiple scholarships for nursing students each academic year.

The Role of Clinical Nurse Researchers in New Jersey

Once you have your nursing research degree under your belt, you can utilize it in many different settings. Since you’ve already worked as a registered nurse, you may be able to seek out a research position with your current employer. Other settings that employ clinical researchers include colleges, universities, specialty clinics, and research firms. One of the largest research institutions in New Jersey is the Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey.

The future of nursing depends on professionals who are willing to push the envelope and explore new avenues. If you are ready to join that group, contact nurse research graduate programs in New Jersey.

New Jersey Certified Nurse Midwife

In a highly populated area like New Jersey, medical care can be extremely hard to come by. Doctors often have long waiting lists, and when you do get an appointment, you may wait for hours only to spend a few minutes with your care provider. To provide more options to women of all ages in New Jersey, more and more clinics and hospitals are turning to certified nurse midwives. Certified nurse midwives provide an important range of services, from contraceptive care and physical exams to pregnancy and childbirth support.

Contact the New Jersey midwife programs listed below to learn more about your options for getting started in this essential and rewarding nursing career.

As a certified nurse midwife (CNM), you may work in a variety of settings in New Jersey. Many nurse midwives work in hospitals, but many also provide services at birth center births and homebirths. Since nurse midwifery is an affordable option for both patients and healthcare organizations, you may find that the demand is very high in New Jersey.

If you are ready to take on a specialized nursing role and support women through life’s changes, keep reading to learn more about certified nursing programs in New Jersey.

Becoming a Certified Nurse Midwife in New Jersey

Once you become a nurse midwife, you may be the main care provider for a variety of women. Because of the responsibility that comes along with this role, you must complete a comprehensive graduate-level nursing program before you receive your license.

Full-time programs in New Jersey tend to last between two and three years, although there are part-time options available. The majority of programs require a bachelor’s degree in nursing with a 3.0 GPA or higher.

CNM programs in New Jersey are typically divided up into two main parts. In the first part of your education, you learn about well woman care, prenatal care, and the care of childbearing families. In the second half of your program, you delve more into professional development, labor and delivery, and newborn care. In total, you should spend more than 1,000 hours working with patients and gaining clinical skills.

Given the wide range of skills covered in this program, it is clear that you must take many different courses to fulfill your educational requirements. Courses that may be part of your curriculum include Advanced Health Assessment, Advanced Pharmacology, Antepartum Complications and Conditions, Family Nursing Theory, Intrapartum Management, Pediatric Physiological Management, and Complex Health Conditions.

Since the need for nurse midwives is growing in New Jersey, you may be able to apply for many different types of financial aid once you are accepted to a program. The New Jersey League for Nursing is an excellent resource for nursing scholarships. The New Jersey State Nurses Association and New Jersey Nursing Students also award a number of advanced nursing scholarships each year.

Working as a Certified Nurse Midwife in New Jersey

Before you can begin working as a nurse midwife in New Jersey, you must obtain your advanced nursing certification from the New Jersey Board of Nursing. You can take your certification exam through the American Midwifery Certification Board. Once you have proof of your certification sent to the Board of Nursing, you can apply for your advanced nursing license in New Jersey.

If you want to use your nursing skills and experience to reach a new patient demographic, get started now by contacting certified nurse midwife programs in New Jersey listed on our site.

New Jersey Clinical Nurse Specialist Programs

If you wish to become an advanced practice registered nurse in New Jersey, then earning your master’s degree in a specialized nursing field can help you start a successful career as a clinical nurse specialist. As a clinical nurse specialist (CNS), you may directly work with patients in a specific sector of the medical industry, or you can choose to provide indirect care, working with staff and other nurses to improve patients’ quality of care.

If this interests you, contact the New Jersey nursing schools that offer CNS programs from the list below to request more information.

As a CNS, you may apply for employment in a leadership role, advising other nursing staff or advocating policies. Specializing in clinical nursing may provide employment opportunities in a:

Population of patients, including women’s health, geriatrics, or pediatrics
Specific setting, including critical care or the emergency room
Specific disease, including cancer and diabetes
Specific type of care, including rehabilitation or psychiatric
Specific health condition, including burns, stress, or pain

Because of the unique role clinical nurse specialists play in the delivery of high-quality nursing care, you need to be able to adapt to a variety of medical settings, providing expert council to care providers (AACN).

To better prepare for career advancement, you should contemplate earning a Master of Science in Nursing with an emphasis on clinical nursing. To make an informed decision, check out available clinical nurse programs near you.

Becoming a Clinical Nurse Specialist in New Jersey

Once you have earned your Bachelor of Science in Nursing, you may enroll in tan MSN program, which requires a two-year commitment in online or on-campus courses. Clinical training provides hands-on experience in the medical field, preparing you for employment opportunities upon graduation. You may take courses in:

Ethics for nurse leaders
Advanced management principles and practice
Healthcare policy
Informatics

If you are planning on entering a research role as clinical nurse specialist in New Jersey, then you will need to earn a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree, which takes about two to three years to finish. This degree not only provides career advancement opportunities but also proves you are an expert in your field of specialization. Doctoral degree programs may require you to complete coursework in healthcare policy and leadership. For more information on a specific clinical nurse specialist program, contact one of the schools listed on our site today.

If you need financial assistance to help cover your college costs, then you may be able to take advantage of a loan repayment program, such as the National Health Service Corps and the Nurse Corps loan repayment programs. You may also be eligible for a scholarship through the National Health Service Corps, Nurse Corps Scholarship program, or Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students.

Other loan options may include:

Primary care loans
Nursing student loans
Health profession student loans

Working as a Clinical Nurse Specialist in New Jersey

Once you have earned your license, you will need to renew the certificate every five years, submitting your renewal application up to a year before your certificate expires. Renewing your certificate proves that you are competent in current procedures related to your field.

To start your new career as a clinical nurse specialist, contact a school near you today.

New Jersey Public Health Graduate Programs

Being a registered nurse in New Jersey gives you an eagle’s eye view of the health problems that plague your city and New Jersey as a whole. Though the main goal of your career is to treat individual patients as they need care, you may long to use your skills to create a healthier and safer New Jersey.

If that sounds like you, then it’s time to learn about the field of public health nursing and how you may be able to contribute to it. Public health nursing involves learning about environmental hazards, dangerous habits, and infectious diseases that may negatively impact the people of New Jersey. From there, you use that information to create workable action plans. Keep reading to find out more about public health nursing graduate programs in New Jersey and how you can get involved in this field.

Featured Programs:

Master’s Degree Programs in Public Health Nursing in NJ

In general, public health nursing is a fairly competitive field, which is something to keep in mind as you go through the application process. You may want to get information from multiple schools to increase your chances of ending up at a school you enjoy. To be accepted to a public health program, you need to have a current RN license and a Bachelor’s degree in nursing. Schools may look at GPA, work experience, and references while making their decisions.

As a graduate student in this field, you have to delve deep into the field of nursing to find the skills that make a great public health nurse. To that end, you should take courses in research, community interventions, public health threats, and leadership in nursing. In your curriculum, you may find courses like Evidence-Based Practice, Healthy Policy and Politics, Community Health Nursing, Environmental Health Nursing, Population-Based Nursing Outcomes, and Philosophical Foundations of Advanced Nursing.

These courses all have their own clinical requirements. In the entirety of your program, you should anticipate completing over 400 hours in public health settings.

Since you are already a working nurse, you may be in a great position when it comes to financial aid. You should already have association memberships and connections that can help you learn about local opportunities. For example, the New Jersey State Nurses Association awards a variety of nursing scholarships every year.

The Role of Public Health Nurses in New Jersey

Quite a bit goes into a career in public health nursing. Your time as a registered nurse should have developed your multitasking and prioritizing skills, as they will serve you well in this career choice. On top of running programs, analyzing data, working with other public health nurses, and handling public inquiries, it may be up to you to secure funding for projects you want to accomplish. In New Jersey, 10 community groups recently received $2 million in grants to strengthen their public health programs.

Take your nursing education to the next level today by reaching out to public health nursing programs in New Jersey.

Graduate Nursing Programs in Healthcare Policy in New Jersey

One of the benefits of working in the field of nursing is the experience it gives you in different industries. Even without legislative experience, your work has likely made you well aware of policy changes and advances in New Jersey. After all, these decisions are ones that affect your entire career. Particularly in recent years, the world of healthcare has changed, and evolving policies are behind it.

It can be difficult to find professionals to contribute to the world of healthcare policy. Professional politicians and legislators may not have the healthcare experience needed to make policies that actually lead to positive change, while nurses and doctors may not have the political experience necessary to contribute to legislation. As a registered nurse, you can help solve both of these problems by furthering your education with a Master’s degree in health policy.

New Jersey is in the middle of changing many crucial healthcare policies. Measures being considered to improve mental health include the creation of a dedicated psychiatric emergency room, triage depression screenings, and housing programs to give homeless people the chance to focus on mental health recovery (NJ.com).

If you’re excited about the idea of improving public health in New Jersey, explore graduate healthcare policy programs in New Jersey.

Master’s Degree Programs in Healthcare Policy in New Jersey

Generally, health policy programs have demanding admissions requirements. If you think you may want to pursue this degree, check out admissions requirements right away so you can work to meet the educational and experience requirements set out by local schools.

You do need a Bachelor’s degree, and a Bachelor’s degree in nursing may give you a greater chance of acceptance. In terms of work experience, some schools do not expect any relevant work experience, while other schools require up to five years in the medical industry. High grades at the undergraduate level are expected, and you may also need to pass courses like microeconomics and biostatistics.

When you begin your education, plan on earning between 36 and 42 credits. Courses that are often included in health policy programs include:

Health Systems and Policy
Healthcare Economics
Health Ethics and Law
Biostatistics
Policy and Practice in Health
Health Systems and Healthcare Policy
Policy Research Methods
Managing Healthcare Delivery
Public Health Management and Practice
Data for Health Services and Policy

Completing the required courses should give you the extensive knowledge and critical thinking skills you need to thrive in policy. Schools may test your understanding in many areas, including the organization of healthcare systems and agencies, insurance policies and procedures, population health theories, health coverage initiatives, and the protection of vulnerable populations.

Throughout your training, ensure that your nursing license is valid through the New Jersey Board of Nursing. Renewal applications are due every two years.

How Do Nurses Impact Healthcare Policy in New Jersey?

Once you start working in this part of the healthcare industry, you may collaborate with professionals from many different industries and associations to accomplish your goals.

Groups like the New Jersey Healthcare Quality Institute work toward the specific goal of improving health outcomes by implementing evidence-based policies. Nonprofit groups like the New Jersey State Nurses Association have been involved in policy creation for many years.

Recently, this association supported a safe staffing law, a death certification bill, the Safety Needle Act, the Safe Patient Handling Act, and the Violence in Healthcare Facilities Act. The more time you spend learning about policy, the more you’ll discover different ways that you can influence change in this industry and ally with specific groups to support your stances.

Working in policy gives you an active role in the future of New Jersey healthcare. Take the first step and request information from graduate healthcare policy programs in New Jersey.