Master’s in Nursing Schools in North Dakota

North Dakota has a unique layout and population, both of which create an environment in which Master’s-level nurses can succeed. With a Master’s degree in a direct care field, nursing research, or nursing education, you may be able to transform the field of nursing in this state.

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Working With Your MSN in North Dakota

North Dakota is a state with a stable economy and strong job growth. Nurses here have many different options for employment, especially nurses who have earned their MSN degree. These options include jobs as a nurse midwife or a nurse educator.

If you’re planning on going into advanced patient care, you may be able to open your own nurse managed clinic or private practice. In North Dakota, nurse practitioners, nurse anesthetists, and nurse midwives enjoy full scope of practice rights, making the environment ripe for APRNs.

This is particularly beneficial in North Dakota, since one of the main characteristics of the state is the long distance between large cities. Nurse practitioners can offer high-quality, independent care to people who may not otherwise have access to medical services. For example, the Ledger-Enquirer reports that a North Dakota health organization recently opened a mobile clinic near the state’s oil patch. A nurse practitioner may be the head health care practitioner at this clinic.

North Dakota has a diverse ethnic makeup that includes a significant American Indian population. Because of this, The Republic reports that there is a great demand for American Indian nurses throughout the state. A Master’s degree from a North Dakota school may give you the knowledge you need to better serve this population. Furthermore, if you go into nurse education, you can help draw in students and prepare them for a nursing career.

The North Dakota Workforce Intelligence Network notes that advanced practice nurses, including clinical specialists, nurse practitioners, and nurse anesthetists are in high demand throughout the state.

Working as a nurse midwife allows you to help women of childbearing age with pregnancy and gynecological issues. Nurse midwives can perform prenatal testing and deliver babies in a variety of settings.

Nurse educators work in the college setting to help undergraduate nurses earn their degrees. They can also work in hospital settings, ensuring that nurses already working in the field are kept up to date on advancements in the field.

If you want to learn more about obtaining your MSN or either of these careers, contact one of the schools on this page.

What You Can Expect From Your MSN Program

Earning a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) in North Dakota could provide a gateway to new job opportunities in this prosperous Midwestern state. A booming oil industry has allowed the state’s economy to more than double in just over a decade, creating a positive ripple effect in many other business sectors as well. As this growth continues, North Dakota is expected to need many more qualified health care workers in the years to come. An advanced nursing degree could help prepare you to fill one of those jobs.

Three universities currently offer nursing master’s degrees in the state, training students for a variety of high-demand occupations. The schools include the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, the University of Mary in Bismarck, and North Dakota State University in Fargo. Many online learning options are available, so your geographic location doesn’t have to keep you from earning a degree. Take a look at your current choices:

The University of North Dakota offers six areas of concentration, including the fields of adult gerontology nursing, family nurse practitioner, advanced public health nursing, nurse anesthetist, nurse educator, or psychiatric and mental health nurse practitioner. Many distance-learning classes are offered to meet your needs, but you might still have to visit campus for occasional clinical exams, lectures and other activities. Many of the specialized nursing tracks require clinical hours, but it may be possible to complete this work in your hometown. The programs typically can be finished within about two years.
At the University of Mary, you can pursue a master’s degree leading to a career as a nurse administrator, nurse practitioner, or nurse educator. The school also offers a BSN-to-MSN program, an Associate’s Degree-to-MSN program, and a dual degree that combines a MSN with a Master of Business Administration in Health Care Administration. Some programs are offered online, while others can be completed on site in selected cities around the state. Check the school’s website for details about your area of interest.
North Dakota State University teaches students how to train a new generation of health care workers through its MSN in nursing education. As a master’s candidate, you will take advanced nursing classes, do clinical practicum work, and complete a comprehensive study, dissertation, or thesis. The full-time program takes two years to complete, while the part-time track can take about three years of study. Expect to take classes in topics such as advanced health assessment, pathophysiology, and nursing curriculum design.

The Nursing Education Loan Program in North Dakota offers financial relief and repayment incentives for the state’s undergraduate and graduate students. Under the program, you can repay the loans you receive by agreeing to work as a nurse in North Dakota after graduation. The North Dakota Board of Nursing asks loan recipients to verify their employment hours in order to receive the loan credit, which is offered at a rate of one dollar for every hour of work. Check out the details here. Individual colleges also have scholarships available to qualifying students. See your institution’s nursing school website for more details.

Career Options for Master’s Prepared Nurses

To explore your options for earning your Master’s of Science in Nursing, peruse the schools on our site, and contact those that offer the program you are interested in!

North Dakota RN to MSN Bridge Programs

What’s your favorite part of your nursing career? Do you enjoy working with patients, collaborating with other health care professionals, or finding efficient ways to integrate evidence-based care into your career? No matter what you enjoy about nursing, an MSN may help you get more out of your time as a nurse. RN-to-MSN programs in North Dakota are designed for working RNs with Associate’s degrees. By pursuing this degree, you can explore options in advanced care, research, administration, and education.

To become a Master’s-level nurse, you have to get an education in many different aspects of this field. While your education up to this point has focused on practical nursing skills and the abilities you need to work directly with patients. At the graduate degree level, however, you need to be able to think more deeply about larger issues in health care and how nurses fit into these issues. Your curriculum may delve into health care policy, the professional roles of nurses at different educational stages, ethical issues in patient care, and effective collaboration between health care providers.

The specific curriculum you follow is dependent on your choice of nursing specialty. However, it’s likely that you will begin with courses like Theories and Concepts in Advanced Nursing, Advanced Pharmacology, Advanced Pathophysiology, and Advanced Health Assessment. Courses you may take in different specialties include Biomedical Statistics, Evidence for Nursing Practice, and Foundations of Advanced Nursing Practice.

Earning an MSN degree through an RN-to-MSN program generally takes about three years of full-time work. Since some of your courses are meant to satisfy general education requirements or nursing theory requirements, you may be able to complete some of your coursework online. Clinical work is a major part of your education. Many schools in North Dakota require well over 600 hours of clinical work before you’re eligible for graduation.

You may be able to apply for a good variety of nursing scholarships as a North Dakota graduate student. The North Dakota Nurse Practitioner Association awards a $400 scholarship each year to an aspiring nurse practitioner. The Allan B. Engen Nurse Scholarship and the Frank L. Wedge Memorial Scholarship are awarded through the North Dakota Long Term Care Association. If you’re interested in nursing care of the aging population, consider applying for a scholarship through the Touchmark Foundation.

The North Dakota Board of Nursing is the organization responsible for licensing and overseeing advanced nursing personnel. If you are pursuing a nurse practitioner, nurse anesthetist, nurse midwife, or clinical nurse specialist degree, you will need to register as an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse. These requirements go above and beyond standard RN licensing; you must take licensing exams in your chosen specialty and maintain your license through continuing education hours and ongoing practice.

Earning an MSN may be enriching in a number of ways. On top of having a greater impact on your patients’ health, you can explore more career options with this degree. You may also start playing a bigger role in your local nursing field, helping you reach out to other health care professionals. To learn more about how you can further your education in Delaware, simply request information from the schools on our site.

North Dakota Direct Entry MSN

There is a nursing shortage in North Dakota that is expected to grow, particularly in underserved areas. If you have a bachelor’s degree in another field but are interested in becoming a nurse, there are direct entry programs to help you earn a master’s degree in nursing, thereby helping to remedy the situation. You can find accelerated and direct entry Master’s in Nursing programs in North Dakota by looking at those schools listed on our site.

While there are universities in North Dakota that offer graduate nursing degrees, the direct entry program are often online programs and based in other states. Several of the universities with online direct entry programs offer a hybrid program that blends the undergraduate and graduate coursework. This type of program can take sixteen months of nursing-specific classes, which is 64 credit hours that prepares you to take the nursing license examination (NXLEX-RN). You will have accomplished your BSN in 16 months. There are 40 credit hours of advanced courses to earn a MS Administration/Leadership degree, which can be taken full-time or part-time.

The admission requirements for most direct entry MSN programs in North Dakota include:

Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts degree from a regionally accredited college or university
GPA of 3.0 or higher
Three letters of recommendation from professional references, one must be from an academic source
Goal statement regarding interest in nursing and your future plans
Test of English (TOEFL) if English is not your first language
Completion of prerequisites with a minimum GPA of 2.0
Science prerequisites include microbiology, anatomy, physiology and chemistry within the past ten years
Statistics (inferential stats and hypothesis testing), Social/Behavioral Sciences, Developmental Psychology and Nutrition are the other prerequisites

The hybrid courses are available 24 hours a day, and they are specifically designed to be integrated with your clinical practice. The program requires clinical experience in primary care, pediatrics, surgery, geriatrics, oncology and cardiovascular care.

The nursing course semester requires:

Health and Illness Nursing Perspective
Nursing Interventions, Assessment & Community Care
Skills Lab, Nursing Intervention Assessment and Community Care
Pathophysiology for Advance Practice
Nursing with Women and Families
Clinical, Nursing with Women and Families
Health Care Research
Advanced Pharmacology
Nursing care of Adults and a clinical course, I & II
Nursing & Promotion of Mental Health with a clinical course
Intermediate Intervention & Assessment
Skills Lab, Intermediate, Intervention & Assessment
Nursing Care of the Child and clinical course
Managing and Leading in Healthcare
Comprehensive Nursing Practicum
Public Health and Community Nursing and clinical course
Health Informatics

After earning your BSN credits, then you take your nursing license exam (NXLEX-RN) and progress into the graduate portion of your accelerated MSN program. There are several different areas you can focus on within the Master’s portion of this type of program. The graduate curriculum for just one specialty, Nursing Administration/Leadership and Policy, includes the following courses:

Healthcare System & Professional Role
Healthcare Informatics I & II
Program Development & Evaluation
Human Resources & Operations
Healthcare Finance & Marketing
Epidemiology & Population Health
Case Management
Elective
Translating Evidence into Practice
Nursing Administration Practicum I & II
Evidence Based Research Applications
Health Policy & Law

This graduate program requires 43 semester hours and can be completed full-time in one year or part-time in two years. The practicum requires approximately 360 hours, which can occur in a one-on-one environment with a master’s prepared preceptor.

When you have completed your graduate degree you may sit for the credential exam offered by the American Nurses Credentialing Center. There is a Nurse Executive and a Nurse Executive, Advanced exam available. These exams are looked at by employers as a reliable assessment of your clinical knowledge and skills. If you are a member of the American Nurses Association, the cost is $270, and the credential is valid for five years.

If you want additional funding assistance, complete the FAFSA application, which is a federal grant program based on income for tuition support. The government also has low interest loans and loan repayment programs through the Health Resources and Services Administration. There are several programs for the disenfranchised, and there are also merit based scholarships listed on the American Association of Colleges of Nursing website.

If you are interested in entering the field of healthcare, this may by the perfect time to earn your graduate degree online or even on campus in North Dakota. You can complete your courses online at your convenience, and you may find a new position in nursing leadership that offers a great deal of fulfillment. Contact the Direct Entry MSN schools on our page to learn more about your options.

North Dakota CRNA Programs

As a registered nursing professional, you’ve already done a lot to improve the field of health care in North Dakota. Your dedication to patient care and evidence-based practice may have improved the medical care enjoyed by many of North Dakota’s residents. With your skill and education, you may wonder how you can advance your nursing career and take on more responsibility in the field of health care.

Nurse anesthesia is a growing specialty in registered nursing. Nurse anesthetists fill many of the same practice roles as anesthesiologists, providing pain relief for patients with straightforward cases and needs. Some of the patients you may serve in this specialty include those from labor & delivery, surgery, trauma care, and pain relief. To succeed as a nurse anesthetist, you need a comprehensive education in pharmacology, anesthetic procedures, and ethical patient care standards in advanced nursing.

If you’re ready to take your career further and become a leader in nursing, you may be a great fit for a nurse anesthesia program in North Dakota. As a CRNA, you may improve patient access to pain relief, particularly in one of the state’s many rural areas. To learn more about this degree option and figure out if this is the right career path for you, learn more about CRNA programs in North Dakota.

Admissions and Curriculum for CRNA Programs in North Dakota

When you decide to become a nurse anesthetist, you need to make sure you’re a good fit for a CRNA program in North Dakota. To start, you must have a Bachelor’s degree in nursing from an accredited school. Furthermore, you must have a valid registered nursing license. The right type of work experience is a requirement for most CRNA programs. You should have a minimum of one to three years of full-time work experience in a critical care, trauma, or emergency care setting. Meeting these requirements can help you get accepted to a nurse anesthesia program.

Starting out in a CRNA program means dedicating yourself to a program that requires, on average, 50 credits of advanced nursing courses. Early in your program, you may take courses like Theoretical Foundations and Role Development for the Advanced Practice Nurse, Research for Advanced Practice Nurses, and Advanced Pathophysiology. As you move through your curriculum, you may also take a variety of pharmacology courses. With these courses, you may develop a strong understanding of the pharmacology behind anesthetic agents. Courses that give you advanced experience in nurse anesthesia may include Principles of Anesthesia, Perioperative Technology & Instrumentation, Pharmacology for Anesthesia Practice, and Gross Anatomy for Nurse Anesthesia. Quite a few of these courses have clinical components. By the time you graduate from an MSN program, you may have finished over 550 hours of practical clinical experience.

Each year that you’re in nursing school, you may wish to spend some time applying for advanced nursing scholarships. These scholarships can help you offset the costs that often come with a graduate degree in nursing. The Dakota Medical Foundation offers scholarships of up to $10,000 for advanced nursing students. Through the North Dakota Center for Nursing, you may be able to apply for a variety of statewide and nationwide scholarships. Some scholarships are school-specific, including the Hazel B. Berve Scholarship and the Robert C. Campbell Scholarship.

Working as a Nurse Anesthetist in North Dakota

To complete the process of becoming a nurse anesthetist, you must begin by contacting the National Board of Certification & Recertification for Nurse Anesthetists. After you pass their national certification exam, you can become a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist. From there, you may apply for advanced licensure through the North Dakota Board of Nursing. With proof of your education, proof of your passing exam score, and a completed application, you may apply to make your registered nursing license an advanced practice license.

After you have completed the process of earning your license and certification, you may wish to join the North Dakota Association of Nurse Anesthetists. Through this group, you may get the chance to take advantage of numerous professional opportunities. You may find out about employment opportunities, complete your continuing education requirements each year, and network with other nurse anesthetists. You may also be able to learn more about what is expected of CRNAs in this state.

The field of nurse anesthesia is reaching new heights, and by acting now, you can become part of it. Contact CRNA schools in North Dakota to get started.

North Dakota Clinical Nurse Leader

When you earn your first nursing license and get involved in the nursing industry, you quickly discover one of the biggest advantages of this field: when you get some experience under your belt, you can advance your nursing career in dozens of ways.

If you are trying to find the right way to take the next step in your North Dakota nursing career, consider the benefits of nurse leadership.

The role of nurses is evolving rapidly in North Dakota. Care options are increasing throughout the state, primarily in historically underserved rural areas (Grand Forks Herald). With advanced practice nurses taking on larger roles in patient care, Clinical Nurse Leaders who can work independently in clinical settings are extremely valuable to health care institutions.

To take on more responsibility in the nursing industry, you must be willing to further your education. Find out what Master’s degree options you have by contacting graduate nurse leadership programs in North Dakota.

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How Can I Become a Clinical Nurse Leader in North Dakota?

Although there are multiple nurse leadership programs to consider, admissions requirements tend to be fairly similar from school to school. You must have a Bachelor’s degree in nursing. However, if you only have an Associate’s degree in nursing, you may meet this requirement by enrolling in an RN to MSN program.

While traditional programs require an average of 36 credits, RN to MSN programs require closer to 60 credits. If you have a Bachelor’s degree in a non-nursing field, you may be able to meet all licensure requirements by attending an accelerated MSN program.

To take charge in a clinical setting, you should be comfortable with many areas of nursing leadership.

To reach this goal, plan on taking courses like those listed below:

Ethical and Legal Issues in Advanced Nursing
Evidence for Nursing Practice
Nurse Leadership Theories and Practice
Management in Nursing
Advanced Clinical Nursing Skills
Health Promotion
Role Development in Advanced Nursing

These courses should help you confidently meet or exceed the learning outcomes of your program. Typically, colleges and universities measure progress in several different areas. You may be expected to succeed in staff management techniques and theories, independent patient care, evidence-based care and protocols, and legal issues in nursing.

The vast majority of nurse leadership programs require you to get some clinical experience at the graduate level. To meet this requirement, you must be licensed and insured as a registered nurse. The North Dakota Board of Nursing requires license renewal by the last day of every odd-numbered year.

The final step to becoming a Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL) is passing the certification test, which is administered by the AACN. Once your exam scores and applications are processed, you earn the title of Clinical Nurse Leader. Each renewal cycle is five years, and you must complete 50 units of continuing education during each cycle.

What Does a North Dakota Clinical Nurse Leader Do?

The role of Clinical Nurse Leader is extremely specific in its scope of practice, which is outlined by the AACN. However, when you start working, you may take on different job titles like nurse manager, nurse leader, or nurse executive. Because of this, your duties may differ between jobs or even from day-to-day.

Your scope of practice permits you to take on many new responsibilities. You may design and coordinate care, evaluate the performance of other nurses, take accountability for care outcomes, evaluate risks and benefits for any procedure, design and execute research, and lead nursing teams.

To meet the needs of your institutional facility, you may work a variety of shifts, including nights, weekends, and holidays. This allows you to stay more actively engaged in clinical care and work more closely with other nurses.

To be accepted as a leader, you must be a vocal part of the nursing community. Experts recommend staying involved in local nursing associations and advocacy groups, such as the North Dakota Center for Nursing. This group advocates for nurses of all educational levels through policy initiatives, research, nurse advocacy, mentorship programs, training and networking events, and legislative updates.

Nursing care is expanding to include many new job titles and responsibilities. Take advantage of this growth and request information from Master’s in nurse leadership programs in North Dakota.

North Dakota Nursing Research Graduate Programs

The legislature in North Dakota is proposing two major changes that could impact the nursing profession. The purpose is to elevate advanced practice nursing by improving healthcare delivery, and they plan to do this by implementing North Dakota licensing bodies.

North Dakota is also working to build inter-professional collaboration in education and in practice to ensure high quality patient-centered care. This is difficult in this rural state, as much of the population that could benefit from quality improvements are dispersed among four American Indian Reservations along with a new influx of industrial workers due to a thriving economy.

To help nurses fulfill the roles necessary to provide the state’s residents with optimal health care services, the North Dakota Action Coalition is in the process of developing mentoring/coaching programs, as well as planning a statewide leadership summit. The Mary Harold Schaefer leaders are providing leadership resources to remodel leadership development for all nurses, from student nurses to front-line nurses, community nurses to advanced practice nurses.

Consider the advantages of getting your Master’s degree in research as you will be taking classes that are designed to develop your knowledge of the diverse population in North Dakota, case management, and your will to become a leader for other nurses in your profession.

If you want to help design and implement the systems that can improve health and healthcare in North Dakota, earning a graduate research degree in nursing can be a great way to do it. Contact the schools below to learn more about your options for study.

North Dakota Graduate Degree Programs in Nursing Research

There are several graduate programs for nurses in North Dakota from on-campus programs to online degrees. Many of these programs strive to influence the world through research, graduate-level education and advanced nursing practice innovations.

The standard admission requirements for a graduate nursing degree in ND may include:

Baccalaureate degree in nursing
Statistics course
Minimum GPA of 3.0
Current ND RN license
Resume
One year of experience as a registered nurse is preferable
Successful interview

The Association of Clinical Research Professionals are contributing to clinical research, while driving site efficiency, establishing professionals, defying standards and responsible clinical research. You can join this society, and you can become ACRP certified, which is a formal recognition of clinical research professionals. One of the facilities is located at the Essential West Health South University in Fargo, ND.

Visit the Financial Aid Office if you need financial assistance, as the University of North Dakota has a list of federal programs for graduate students on their website. FAFSA and UND are federal grant programs that are based on your income. In addition, there are several programs that can provide funding for those students that prefer to study abroad.

The Role of Clinical Nurse Researchers in North Dakota

The American Nurses Association has an advisory committee that provides recommendations on the direction of research on nursing, social, biomedical and behavioral issues. There is a variety of paths a clinical research nurse may choose for a new career. Research is done is hospitals, universities and in various private industries. Getting your graduate degree can help open the door to new opportunities, as you also work to improve the health of the population of ND.

North Dakota Certified Nurse Midwife

With a bachelor’s degree in nursing, you may have had the chance to work in a variety of specialties, see thousands of patients while working in clinics and hospitals, and find out what your long-term career goals are. In North Dakota, advanced nursing professionals play an important role in health care, due to the shortage of physicians throughout the state.

To learn more about how you can become a nurse midwife in North Dakota and bring essential services to women across the state, contact the schools listed below.

When you become a certified nurse midwife (CNM), you may be able to serve female patients in many different ways. You may prescribe medications, perform well woman exams, and assist women through childbirth and pregnancy. Nurse midwives in North Dakota may work in hospitals, birth centers, and clinics. If you have a professional interest in pregnancy and childbirth, learn more about certified nurse midwife programs in North Dakota and start advancing your nursing career today.

Becoming a Certified Nurse Midwife in North Dakota

As you work toward a master’s degree in nurse midwifery, you may tackle a wide variety of learning goals. By the time you complete your 40 to 50 credits, you may understand the various stages of pregnancy and delivery, understand clinical evidence in midwifery, know how to build professional relationships with your clients, promote continuity of care, and feel comfortable serving patients in a culturally competent manner.

Generally, CNM programs require two to three years of full-time study. Some schools offer part-time programs for working nurses. By the time you graduate, you should be able to work with women of various ages, childbearing families, and newborns.

Your curriculum may include a strong variety of advanced nursing courses. Courses that may be part of your curriculum include Antepartum Care of Essentially Normal Women, Promoting Optimal Systems for Health Care Delivery, Nurse-Midwifery Integration, Models & Theories to Promote Optimal Health Outcomes, Analytic Approaches for Advanced Practice, and Postpartum & Newborn Care.

As you work through the courses in your program, you may get extensive clinical practice. In total, programs typically require 1,000 or more hours of clinical work. These hours give you the chance to put your theoretical knowledge to work, develop your bedside manner, and understand the processes of pregnancy and birth.

After you have been accepted to a CNM program, you can apply for nursing scholarships in North Dakota. These scholarships may help you build professional connections, earn money for school, and avoid student loans. Sanford Health is one of many local employers that awards scholarships to graduate nursing students. They also have a loan forgiveness program. There are several nursing scholarships available through the Trinity Health Foundation. The North Dakota Center for Nursing has several financial aid options to consider.

Working as a Certified Nurse Midwife in North Dakota

In the state of North Dakota, you must obtain national certification and licensure to work with patients. National certification is earned through the American Midwifery Certification Board. They require you to pass a thorough midwifery exam before you can earn your certification. With this certificate, you can apply for your North Dakota license via the North Dakota Board of Nursing.

Are you ready to expand your scope of practice and delve into the field of nursing? Check out our school listings and contact certified nurse midwife programs in North Dakota now to learn more about your options.

North Dakota Clinical Nurse Specialist Programs

With underserved areas across North Dakota having a high demand for healthcare professionals, you may wish to consider furthering your nursing career by becoming a certified clinical nurse specialist (CNS). According to recent studies, you will be able to provide specialty care to individuals at a lower cost than healthcare physicians (Discover Nursing). As a clinical nurse specialist, you may need to perform a variety of job duties, such as:

Managing nursing staff
Providing consultations
Teaching new practices
Performing clinical practice
Researching policies

To learn more about entering this advanced nursing profession, contact the nursing schools in North Dakota with CNS programs listed below today.

Becoming a Clinical Nurse Specialist in North Dakota

In order to become a clinical nurse specialist, you will need to earn your Master of Science in Nursing with a focus in a nursing specialty, such as psychiatric-mental or gerontological health. In order to increase your chances of passing your licensing exam, you will need to attend an accredited college that has been approved through a governing body like the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing. Check out accredited CNS programs near you today.

Like most graduate programs, a Master of Science in Nursing requires you to provide proof that you have completed the applicable prerequisites, which include earning your bachelor’s degree, completing a statistics course, holding an RN license, providing a personal statement, passing the Graduate Record examination, and providing letters of recommendation.

Upon approval of your enrollment application, you will need to complete classroom instruction and a clinical practicum before you can graduate with your MSN degree. CNS programs generally take about two years to complete and can cover a wide range of topics, such as informatics and data management. During the program, you will be able to specialize in one of the following nursing sectors:

Acute care
Adult care
Cardiovascular care
Infectious disease
Home health
Neonatal care
Occupational health
Oncology
Parent-child care
Perinatal care
Public health
Rehabilitation
School health
Women’s health

To enter a research or policy advocacy role, you will likely need a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree, requiring an additional three years of educational training. The DNP program entails taking courses in clinical data management and advanced nursing policies.

Once you complete all the nursing courses for your MSN or DNP degree, you need to fulfill 500 hours of clinical training. Clinical practicums allow you to gain the necessary hands-on experience under the supervision of a qualified professional.

The U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration provides numerous scholarships, loan repayment, and loan programs to encourage you to find employment in underserved areas throughout the state. You may take advantage of the Nurse Corps Scholarship Program, which allows you to obtain educational funds and a living stipend in exchange for working a minimum of two years at a healthcare facility that has a shortage of nurses.

You may also qualify for the Nursing Student Loans program, which is a need-based, competitive program that requires you to apply for aid at a participating school.

Working as a Clinical Nurse Specialist in North Dakota

Being a nationally renowned certification organization, the American Nurses Credentialing Center allows you to hone your skills in a specific area of expertise, including:

Adult health
Adult-gerontology
Adult psychiatric-mental health
Child/Adolescent psychiatric-mental health
Gerontological
Home health
Pediatric
Public/Community health

Once you have earned you CNS certificate, the ANCC requires you to renew it every five years to ensure you remain up to date with nursing standards. Further your nursing career in North Dakota by choosing a CNS program today.

North Dakota Public Health Nursing Grad Programs

If your goal is to help create a healthy community and enter a leadership role in North Dakota’s medical industry, then you should consider enrolling in a Master of Science in Nursing program that has a focus in public health. Public health nursing allows you to promote public safety and health while preventing disabilities and diseases, and as a public health nurse, you will be able to serve in various critical roles at the local and federal levels. Unique relationships and clinical knowledge permit you to assist with healthcare policy design and implementation, allowing you to work with underserved populations.

You may find yourself performing a variety of nursing interventions:

Vaccinating individuals
Conducting research
Providing educational classes
Setting safety standards
Developing nutritional programs

No matter the leadership or management role, you will need to further your education by earning your MSN degree. North Dakota has various RN to MSN programs, but you should enroll in a program that has achieved proper accreditation through the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. Being the national accreditation agency, the CCNE approves nursing programs that have maintained course integrity and quality. Research accredited MSN programs near you today.

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Master’s Degree Programs in Public Health Nursing in North Dakota

Graduate schools in North Dakota have certain criteria that must be met before you can enroll in any public health nursing program. Eligibility requirements vary with each school, but most require you to provide your nursing transcripts, a copy of your RN license, and a copy of your CPR credential. Prerequisite coursework may include:

Biology
Statistics
Pathophysiology

When you enroll in a master’s degree program in public health nursing, be prepared to spend two to three years in school. As a student, you will need to take in-class courses as well as complete the required clinical practicum. Most MSN programs require at least 500 hours of clinical experience to gain the necessary hands-on experience to lead a team and perform scientific research successfully. Core and specialty subjects may include:

Philosophical, theoretical, and ethical basis for nursing
Statistical literacy and reasoning in nursing research
Public health nursing leadership and management
Program development and evaluation in healthcare

If you are struggling financially with going back to school, the government and other medical institutes offer a variety of scholarships that may help pay for your tuition and housing costs. The U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration provides loans and scholarships in exchange for working in an underserved area for a designated time frame. The FAFSA may also provide additional funds to help pay for college. Start your new career as a public health nurse by enrolling in a master’s program today.

North Dakota Graduate Nursing Programs in Healthcare Policy

It takes a certain type of knowledge and passion to work in the field of healthcare policy. The policies made by legislators and administrators in this field are hugely influential, often impacting medical policy, not just locally, but in other states as well. If you’ve noticed problems in healthcare in North Dakota, you may be wondering how you can make systemic improvements. A degree in healthcare policy is a great start.

North Dakota has succeeded in several public health measures, indicating the importance of health policy creators (Inforum). Across the United States, North Dakota is the only state that spends enough on tobacco prevention as recommended by the CDC. Making changes like this one requires an extensive knowledge of cultural influences, healthcare finance, and public policy.

If you’re ready to take your nursing career to the next level, why wait? Find out more about graduate healthcare policy programs in North Dakota now by contacting the schools on our site.

Master’s Degree Programs in Healthcare Policy in North Dakota

Earning a Master’s degree in healthcare policy involves using your nursing experience and knowledge to build a strong knowledge base of politics, health administration, legislation, and management. Even if your interests lie solely in health policy, you may find that programs in North Dakota tend to blend this field with management and administration, which may benefit you in the future.

You should anticipate spending between four and five semesters in school earning a Master’s degree, as you must cover basic policy theory and topics before moving onto graduate-level topics. Most programs require between 36 and 42 credits, often including an internship and a capstone project.

You may build your knowledge of healthcare policy by taking the following courses:

Research Methods
Political and Public Policy Analysis
Legislative and Executive Processes
Public Policy in Healthcare
Administrative Ethics in the Public Sector
Public Personnel Administration
Administrative Law

These classes address very specific goals at each school. The overall aim of your curriculum is to provide you with the administrative and legislative skills you need to influence change in a variety of healthcare settings. These courses may cover policy at an institutional level, state healthcare policy, federal healthcare policy, and the ethics used to determine and change policies.

To maintain your title as a nurse, make sure you keep your nursing license valid with the North Dakota Board of Nursing. They require all licenses to be renewed by the last day of every odd-numbered year.

How Do Nurses Impact Healthcare Policy in North Dakota?

If you’ve never been involved in legislature or policy creation, you may be wondering how you can affect healthcare policy as a nurse. The good news is that nurses have a long history of successfully influencing healthcare policy for the benefit of healthcare workers and patients.

The North Dakota Nurses Association has contributed to legislation in many different areas of interest, including a pilot program for community paramedics, expanding nursing roles, monitoring nursing roles and scope of practice, improving access to mental health services, and an increase in the number of school nurses in North Dakota.

You may also influence state policy by getting involved with government agencies and departments. The Rural Health Reform Policy Research Center plays a big role in the North Dakota healthcare system, as it serves people who may get overlooked by the system as a whole.

There is no question that working in policy can be challenging, but it can also be extremely rewarding. Furthermore, getting involved in this aspect of nursing gives you a great opportunity to make the future of healthcare brighter for North Dakota nurses and patients.

Start preparing for your new career now by contacting graduate healthcare policy programs in North Dakota.