Master’s in Nursing Schools in Oklahoma

Are you considering a career in health care that can help you serve your community and provide evidence-based care? A Master’s degree in nursing may be the degree you’re looking for. It has many different specialties, so you can choose a degree path that can help you reach your goals.

Featured Programs:

Working With Your MSN in Oklahoma

One of the advantages of starting a career in an advanced nursing field is the amount of support available in Oklahoma. For example, the Oklahoma Action Coalition is constantly working to improve the state of nursing education and practice in Oklahoma. This is important, since nurse practitioners and other advanced practice nurses have a limited scope of practice rights in this state. The Oklahoma Action Coalition and other group hope to change this in the coming years.

Nursing education is a field that has lots of exciting opportunities for Master’s-level nurses. With so many different degree options for aspiring nurses, nurse educators must be flexible and able to serve different types of students. A degree in nurse education may prepare you to teach clinical skills, bedside manner, and nursing safety.

Nurse practitioners in Oklahoma fill a very important need. The Oklahoma Policy Institute notes that Oklahoma has a severe primary care physician shortage. In fact, Oklahoma ranks 49th in terms of access to primary care providers. News 9 reports that most Oklahoma shortages are in rural areas.

As an advanced practice psychiatric nurse, you can work with patients of all ages to diagnose and treat mental illnesses and psychiatric conditions. You can also prescribe medications.

If you enjoy computers and technology, but also enjoy your career as an RN, you might enjoy a career as a nurse informatics specialist. In this career, you can combine your clinical nursing knowledge and real-world experience with technology to create and implement new ways of documenting and storing clinical healthcare data.

To find out more about obtaining your MSN degree or these careers, contact any of the schools listed on this page.

Nursing Schools in Oklahoma

Oklahoma State University-Main Campus
Stillwater, OK

What You Can Expect From Your MSN Program

One of the advantages of starting a career in an advanced nursing field is the amount of support available in Oklahoma. For example, the Oklahoma Action Coalition is constantly working to improve the state of nursing education and practice in Oklahoma. This is important, since nurse practitioners and other advanced practice nurses have a limited scope of practice in this state. The Oklahoma Action Coalition and other group hope to change this in the coming years.

Your course schedule will depend on what school you attend. While a select few schools have full-time MSN programs, most programs are designed to be completed on a part-time basis.

Courses required in most master’s degree programs include Background for Nursing Practice, Systems Leadership in Nursing, Quality Improvement in Nursing, and Evidence-Based Practice. A nurse educator track may include courses like Testing and Evaluation in Nursing, while a nursing leadership program may require you to take classes like Leadership in Health Care Systems. Nurse practitioner programs tend to cover various populations with classes like Primary Health Care for Women and Primary Health Care for Children.

Oklahoma RN to MSN Bridge Programs

Regardless of how long you’ve worked as a registered nurse, you probably have a good idea of how many different roles make up the nursing profession. Beyond registered nurses, who work with patients under the oversight of doctors, there are those who provide advanced care to patients, who conduct research in the nursing field, who lead other nurses and health care professionals, and who teach nurses at the undergraduate level.

If you’re interested in any of these career paths, we recommend contacting RN-to-MSN bridge programs in Oklahoma to determine the best next step in your career.

Though there are many ways to use an MSN degree, you must choose one degree path before you start your classes. It’s important to look at your skills and interests to choose a specialty that best suits your career goals. If you are a good teacher, nurse education may be the right field for you. Clinical specialties, such as nurse midwife and nurse practitioner, let you spend most of your time in patient care. In administrative tracks, you learn the skills you need to manage and direct health care facilities.

As part of your transition program, you have to take undergraduate courses to finish up your BSN. Courses that may be required in Oklahoma include Health Assessment, Nursing Leadership, and Community Health Nursing. Often, these courses can be completed online.

When you have your BSN, you can start your Master’s-level nursing courses. The classes you take in your first semester of school are designed to make you think critically about health care policy, the role of nurses in health care, and ethics in this field. Required courses may include Nursing Informatics, Ethics and Health Care Policy, and Theoretical Foundations of Advanced Nursing.

Later courses in your curriculum may focus both on theoretical understanding and practical clinical skills. In total, you can plan on completing over 600 hours of clinical work by the time you graduate. Use this time to build further connections in the nursing world and begin finding possible post-graduation employment opportunities.

There are many different financial aid options for nursing students in Oklahoma. Student loans may be an option, but you may want to consider other opportunities first in order to minimize your student debt. The Nursing Student Assistance Program provides students with loans, which can then be repaid through nursing service in Oklahoma. Local health care employers may also have scholarships for employees or community members. At Mercy Oklahoma, nurses can apply for scholarships and graduate incentives to further their education. The Association of Oklahoma Nurse Practitioners supports aspiring nurse practitioners through scholarships and available preceptors.

The Oklahoma Board of Nursing has different licensing requirements for advanced practice nurses than for registered nurses. To start, you must keep your RN license valid at all times. However, you must also keep a valid advanced practice license, which gives you the freedom to carry out an expanded list of duties. This process can be lengthy, as you must pass numerous exams before receiving your license.

As a graduate-level nurse, your skills and education can have a major influence on your career fulfillment, your workplace, and the nursing field in general. You may improve health care in your community and act as an example to nurses around you.

To continue moving forward in your nursing career, compare the Bridge Programs near you to make the best decision.

Oklahoma Direct Entry MSN

According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing there are nine AACN member schools in Oklahoma. There is also a nursing shortage in Oklahoma, partially due to a shortage of Nurse Educators, so the field of nursing offers a degree of job security that few other careers can. If you are Bachelor’s educated, and now want to enter the field of nursing, you may want to consider entering at the graduate level. Direct Entry Master’s in Nursing programs in Oklahoma can help you do just that.

Most direct entry or accelerated Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) programs, like the one offered at Southern Nazarene University’s allow to attend full-time, part-time and may even offer courses online.

The Southern Nazarene University has a new option for students who desire to get their MSN who have bachelor’s degrees in fields other than nursing. Meeting with a graduate nursing coordinator is necessary in order to develop an individualized plan for completing the entrance requirements through a portfolio process. For example, if you have a Bachelor of Science in Biology you would need a minimum of 30 more credit hours from the nursing program, which would give you a second baccalaureate’s degree.

The individualized plan would include several of the courses offered in a typical BSN program, such as Health Assessment, Anatomy and Physiology, Microbiology, Pharmacology and Foundations of Nursing.

The MSN program consists of two tracks; nursing education and nursing leadership. In the sequential curriculum there are 18 credits of CORE content, followed by 15 credits of specialty courses. Each course may be completed in six weeks, but it requires intensive study.

The admission criteria:

Minimum undergraduate cumulative GPA of 3.0
Students with GPAs below that 3.0 are reviewed for possible conditional admittance
Baccalaureate degree from a nationally accredited program
Documentation of basic computer skills
Completion of a basic statistics course
Brief statement of professional goals
Three letters of recommendation speaking to applicant’s qualifications to pursue graduate education
Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) score of 550 or higher (traditional version) or 213 or higher (computer version) for foreign educated speaking

The curriculum for all graduate nursing students includes the following Core Courses:

Theoretical Foundations of Nursing
Nursing Research
Profession as Ministry
Trends and Issues in Healthcare Policy
Capstone Experience
Illness Reduction and Management
Nursing Informatics

These 24 credit hours are required for all master’s level nursing students. Another 15 credit hours are required and depend upon your chosen specialty.

Nursing Leadership specialty courses:

Leadership Practicum
Organizational Behavior in Healthcare
Human Resources Management and Administration
Financial Management in Health Care
Clinical Focus

Students and Clinical Focus our individualized and designed to meet the needs of the student. The Capstone Experience is a six credit hour course that requires completion and presentation of a research study developed and designed by the student that enhances their career goals.

There is an onlineDirect Entry MSN program in Nursing Administration Northeastern University. This program is offered full-time and part-time. Following the completion of the pre-licensure segment of the program you will earn a BSN degree prior to the MSN.

The pre-licensure segment of the program last for 16 months, which includes a sequential combination of undergraduate and graduate level courses to prepare students to take the NCLEX-RN exam upon completion of 64 program semester hours. Once you have earned your RN license you must acquire full-time work experience over two semesters before returning to complete your graduate work.

After you have acquired your MSN, you are eligible to take the National Certification Exam in the area of your advanced specialty nursing practice. That these examinations are competency-based, which provides a valid assessment of your clinical knowledge and skills. These types of positions in management are very satisfying, and the nurse must make decisions, be creative and responsible.

Many universities have financial aid available in the form of scholarships or grants. If you live in a low income bracket complete a FAFSA application, which may be found in the Financial Aid office of your university. This is a government grant program. At Northeastern University you may be eligible for federal financial aid if you are enrolled in at least six semester hours per term, are a U.S. citizen, have not been convicted of any drug related crimes in the past year and if you have maintained satisfactory academic progress.

Oklahoma has several tuition aid grants that determine eligibility by the results of the FAFSA and by residency requirements. This funding is directly applied to your tuition and does not have to be repaid. They also have an Oklahoma Tuition Equalization Grant, which is $2000 per year that is also dependent upon income. The Oklahoma Promise (OHLAP) pays approximately $110 per credit hour to those students who met the requirements as stated by the Oklahoma State Regents.

If you have a bachelor’s degree but are not satisfied with the direction of your career, this could be the perfect time for you to return to school for a graduate degree in nursing. There are numerous opportunities in the field of nursing, and you may find a position that fulfills your career goals with an increase in your income.

Use our school listings to find the perfect program near you by requesting information now!

Oklahoma CRNA Programs

As a working registered nurse, you may realize that there are many ways that you can advance your nursing career and better serve the people of Oklahoma. If you like working with patients every day, you may be interested in a career in nurse anesthesia. Nurse anesthetists are a crucial part of health care in Oklahoma, especially as you move farther away from the state’s major cities.

If you have a Bachelor’s degree in nursing, you may already be on your way to a rewarding career in nurse anesthesia. To work as a nurse anesthetist, you must have quite a bit of experience working with patients of different needs. Furthermore, you should be ready to serve as a leader in the nursing field and be an example to other nurses in your department.

Getting started in a nurse anesthesia program in Oklahoma may be the key to your new career path. A program in this field can help you build a strong network of contacts, including anesthesiologists, general medical practitioners, nurse practitioners, and nursing researchers. You can learn from some of the top anesthesiology professionals in the industry by attending a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist school in OK. Take the first step in your chosen career path by contacting CRNA schools in Oklahoma directly from our site to learn more.

Admissions and Curriculum for CRNA Programs in Oklahoma

Before you begin applying for admission to nurse anesthesia programs in Oklahoma, it’s important to figure out which type of program is best for your educational needs. A master’s degree program typically only requires two to three years of full-time study, while a doctoral program may last up to six years. In a Master’s-level program, you may complete roughly 40 to 50 credits at the graduate level. Doctoral students often need to earn more than 70 credits to graduate. Admissions requirements tend to be fairly similar at both degree levels. A Bachelor’s degree in nursing is required, and you should have earned a GPA of 3.0 or higher while completing your undergraduate degree. Few schools allow you to begin your graduate degree right after earning your undergraduate degree; in fact, you may need up to three years of work experience to qualify for admission to a CRNA program.

As you proceed through your nurse anesthesia program, you may complete courses in several different areas of nursing. Some of the basic classes you may take include Nurse Anesthesia Simulation Lab, Advanced Health Assessment Across the Lifespan, Anatomy and Physiology for Nurse Anesthesia, and Advanced Pathophysiology. Higher-level courses in your degree may include Fundamentals of Statistics for Clinicians, Methods of Nurse Anesthesia Practice, Principles for Cardiothoracic Nurse Anesthesia, and Clinical Correlational Conferences. Many of your courses are divided into two components: a clinical component and a theoretical component. In your study of theory, you may stay primarily in the classroom. Clinical experience totaling over 550 hours may take you into many different settings in a hospital.

Scholarships and grants may be great resources for new graduate students, particularly if you already have student debt and you wish to avoid adding to it. Mercy Oklahoma is one of many local employers that has scholarship programs. Through the St. Anthony Foundation, you may apply for the nursing scholarship. At the state level, the Nursing Student Assistance Program may provide you with financial aid.

Working as a Nurse Anesthetist in Oklahoma

To enjoy the benefits of a nurse anesthesia career, you must meet national certification standards and statewide licensing standards. It all begins at the National Board of Certification & Recertification in Nurse Anesthesia. They put you through a comprehensive certification exam that tests all of your knowledge in the field of nurse anesthesia. You can then send your passing test scores to the Oklahoma Board of Nursing to start the process of becoming a licensed nurse anesthetist. Once they add advanced practice status to your RN license, you can work independently in the state of Oklahoma.

Through the Oklahoma Association of Nurse Anesthetists, nurse anesthetists at all levels of education and experience can take advantage of numerous membership benefits. You may get the chance to attend nurse training events or networking events. You may also be the first to learn about new career opportunities at employers throughout the state. This group also holds an annual conference for nurse anesthesia professionals.

Now that you know more about the field of nurse anesthesia, you may be ready to take the next step in your career. Contact nurse anesthesia schools in Oklahoma to learn more about how to begin.

Oklahoma Clinical Nurse Leader

Health care in the Midwest meets very specific needs. The people of Oklahoma need care that is relevant to their financial limitations, their geographic location, and their lifestyles. While working as a registered nurse, you have likely developed a strong understanding of what Oklahoma residents need and what they expect from their health care providers.

The structure of this industry is changing considerably. Some Oklahoma hospitals have recently made the decision to discontinue inpatient care, a decision that may save money and require care providers to adjust their care offerings accordingly (Becker’s Hospital Review).

Becoming a Clinical Nurse Leader is one way to enhance the local health care community. Not only can you serve as a leader in clinical settings, you can be an example for the nursing community at large.

If you’re ready to learn more about leadership roles in this field, contact graduate nurse leadership programs in Oklahoma for more information.

How Can I Become a Clinical Nurse Leader in Oklahoma?

To start studying nurse leadership at the graduate level, you first need a Bachelor’s degree and a valid nursing license. If you have an Associate’s degree in nursing, you may meet the educational requirement by applying to RN to MSN programs.

You can meet the experience requirements by maintaining your license through the Oklahoma Board of Nursing. This simply involves renewing your license every two years by the last day of your birth month. Renewal only occurs in even-numbered years.

Completing a Master’s degree in nursing leadership involves the completion of 33 to 39 credits, depending on which school you choose. While this type of degree covers many of the same topics that you explore at the undergraduate level, it delves into them in new ways.

To become an effective leader, you may explore cultural competency in nursing, intellectual exploration of nursing research, economic aspects of health care, and advancement of the nursing community as a whole. To reach these goals, you may complete some clinical hours. Some schools require as few as 100 hours, while others expect you to go through several clinical rotations.

Some of the courses you may find in your curriculum include Advanced Health Assessment, Advanced Pathophysiology, Health Care Informatics, Evaluation in Nursing, Evidence-Based Practice, and Organizational & Systems Leadership.

You may have to prove your growth as a nurse before you are allowed to graduate. Some Oklahoma schools have a competency examination at the end of the program, while others look at student growth through a capstone project.

The final step to becoming a nurse leader in Oklahoma is becoming certified as a Clinical Nurse Leader. Certification is regulated by the AACN. This agency checks your educational qualifications, administers a rigorous exam, and awards certification that is valid for five years.

What Does a Clinical Nurse Leader Do in Oklahoma?

Stepping into any new role can be quite a challenge, particularly if you are accustomed to working as a registered nurse. However, the experience you get in your nurse leadership program should help you discover what area employers expect of nurse leaders and nurse managers.

You may also learn about this role by getting in touch with other nurse leaders. The Oklahoma Organization of Nurse Executives is the largest nurse management association in Oklahoma. You may even consider joining as a student so that you can begin building your professional network before you enter the workforce.

The competencies you develop as a graduate student are the same as what the AACN expects of Clinical Nurse Leaders. Primarily, the role of the CNL is in clinical care. Although your new duties may include management, administration, and research, you must still spend most of your time working with patients to be considered a Clinical Nurse Leader.

Some of the largest priorities associated with this title include interdisciplinary communication and integration, collection and analysis of care outcomes, risk anticipation for individual patients, evaluation of care outcomes, and team collaboration. These tasks may manifest in many different ways, depending on your work setting and the needs of your facility.

The more diverse the nursing community becomes, the more important it is for new and experienced nurses to have leaders they trust. This improves the work experience for nurses and medical outcomes for patients.

Check out your options now by contacting Master’s in nursing leadership programs in Oklahoma.

Oklahoma Research Nursing Graduate Programs

If you wish to have a positive impact in the medical field at a local and state level, then entering a graduate nursing degree program in Oklahoma is vital to furthering your career aspirations.

Research nursing programs teach you how to utilize evidence-based care to help promote quality health results for communities throughout the state. As a nurse researcher, you will be able to shape direct care policies for organizations by teaching about research, using research in nursing practice and conducting independent research of your own.

To become a licensed nurse researcher in Oklahoma, you should enroll in an accredited nursing graduate program. Being a nationally renowned accrediting agency, the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education contributes to improving the public’s healthcare by ensuring the nursing program’s integrity. Most accredited colleges offer Master of Science in Nursing and Doctorate of Nursing Practice degrees.

Click on a college to learn more about nursing research programs near you today.

Featured Programs:

Oklahoma Graduate Degree Programs in Nursing Research

Before you are eligible for enrollment in any graduate degree program, you need to first fulfill certain prerequisites, including earning your Bachelor of Science in Nursing and passing the registered nurse certification exam, which is offered by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing.

Taking about two to three years of full-time educational training, master’s degree programs focus on successfully preparing you to:

Evaluate medical research findings
Develop evidence-based guidelines
Identify systems’ problems
Collaborate with research scientists

You may also enroll in a doctoral program, which requires up to three years of full-time coursework. Doctoral programs focus mainly on practices or research, depending on your career path. As a student, you will learn about the highest levels of nursing practice, scientific knowledge translation for complex medical interventions, leadership skills, independent research launching, and research collaboration. Upon completion of the degree program, you will need to enter a clinical practicum, which requires a minimum of 500 hours of clinical experience. You will be able to take a hands-on approach to medical research under proper supervision.

No matter the degree program, you may qualify for financial aid by applying for a grant, loan, or scholarship. The U.S. Department of Education offers the FAFSA for tuition reimbursement for low-income students. You may also apply for different scholarships and loan opportunities offered through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. Depending on the college, you may qualify for an existing scholarship based off of your current grade point average or career program.

The Role of Clinical Nurse Researchers in Oklahoma

To advance your career and potentially earn more, you should pass the certification exam offered through the American Nurses Credentialing Center. The ANCC allows you to focus your nursing skills in a specific sector of the medical industry. Specialty certifications include genetics, gerontology, forensic nursing, and general nursing practice. With the proper credentials, fellowships, and work experience, you may find employment opportunities as a:

Clinical research coordinator
Natural science manager
Medical policy advocate

Start your new career path in research nursing today by applying to an accredited nursing research program in Oklahoma.

Oklahoma Certified Nurse Midwife

With a bachelor’s degree in nursing, you may have enjoyed the opportunity to work in many different specialties and nursing fields. If you enjoy working in labor and delivery or you feel particularly drawn to women’s health issues, you may be ready to take on a certified nurse midwifery program.

Take a look at the nurse midwife programs in Oklahoma that are listed below, then request information from those you want to learn more about.

Certified nurse midwives (CNMs) can fill many different roles, from primary care providers to birth and labor attendant. Nurse midwives use the latest evidence related to women’s health issues, pregnancy, and childbirth to guide their care decisions.

As a CNM, you can work with women throughout the course of their pregnancy and labor. In fact, patient outcomes for CNM-treated patients are as good as they are for OB-treated patients. Your skills can be put to use in multiple settings, including hospital care, birth center care, and even homebirths.

If this sounds like the next step in your nursing career, get started by contacting certified nurse midwife programs in Oklahoma.

Becoming a Certified Nurse Midwife in Oklahoma

Before you can get accepted to a certified nurse midwifery program in Oklahoma, you must meet the strict admissions requirements of graduate nursing programs. Most CNM schools in Oklahoma require the completion of a bachelor’s degree in nursing. In most cases, you must have a GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale. Nursing experience is often required. You may only need one year of full-time nursing experience, but some schools require more experience.

Early in your CNM program, you may take core nursing courses like Advanced Concepts in Pathophysiology, Evidence-Based Practice in Advanced Practice Nursing, Advanced Health Assessment, Biostatistics, Advanced Concepts in Pharmacology, and Health Care Ethics.

Once you move on to the higher-level courses of your curriculum, you may take classes like Primary Care of Women, Reproductive Health Care, Foundations of Health Systems and Policy, and Labor & Birth. While meeting the requirements of your CNM curriculum, you should complete hundreds of clinical hours. Most programs involve more than 1,000 hours of clinical work.

Oklahoma employers, nursing schools, and associations fund numerous scholarships for advanced nursing students. The PMTC Nursing Student Assistance Program awards between 250 and 300 scholarships each year. You may also want to go to the St. Anthony Foundation for scholarships. Mercy Oklahoma is one of the Oklahoma employers with a strong scholarship program.

Working as a Certified Nurse Midwife in Oklahoma

As you get ready to complete your certified nurse midwifery program, you can obtain your national certification through the American Midwifery Certification Board. This process requires you to pass a nurse midwifery exam, provide proof of your clinical hours, and submit your transcripts. You can then have your certification sent to the Oklahoma Board of Nursing. Once they verify your current registered nursing license, they can upgrade your nursing license to advanced status.

If you are ready to serve women as they go through their childbearing years and deal with women’s health care issues, you may be the next great nurse midwife of Oklahoma. Learn more by contacting the certified nurse midwife programs in Oklahoma that are listed below.

Oklahoma Clinical Nurse Specialist

If your desire is to enter a nurse leadership role in the medical industry, then enrolling in an accredited RN to MSN program is essential to becoming a clinical nurse specialist in Oklahoma. As a clinical nurse specialist (CNS), you may need to provide direct or indirect care, and a Master of Science in Nursing allows you to gain the necessary expertise and techniques to help with:

Nurse administration
Nurse management
Patient care

Depending on your degree level and job position, you may advise other nurses, conduct research, or advocate medical policies. In order to increase your employment marketability and potential salary, you should enroll in an accredited MSN program through a governing healthcare institution like the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing. The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education also accredits MSN programs in OK.

If a career as certified clinical nurse specialist interests you, request detailed information by clicking on the CNS programs at Oklahoma schools listed below. Once you have information to compare schools, you can select the graduate nursing programs that is right for you.

Becoming a Clinical Nurse Specialist in Oklahoma

The advanced practice nursing community in Oklahoma requires you to hold a Master of Nursing in Science, specializing in a certain field like school health or acute care. Because MSN degrees utilize undergraduate coursework as educational building blocks, online and campus programs insist on the completion of certain educational and licensing prerequisites before you are eligible for enrollment.

Prerequisites may include:

An accredited associate’s or bachelor’s degree in nursing
A statistics course
The Graduate Record Examination
An active RN license
A personal statement
Letters of recommendation

Taking approximately two years of full-time courses, MSN programs train you in your desired nursing specialty. Most colleges focus on management and leadership courses, such as healthcare policies and leadership ethics. You will learn how moral and ethical reasoning affects advanced nursing as well as how healthcare information systems enhance patient care. Master degree programs include the completion of 500 hours of clinical practicum, requiring you to treat patients under medical supervision. Part of your job will be to teach and mentor other nurses, so educational training may include curriculum development and implementation as well as instructional theory, design, and delivery.

Research and advisory roles in Oklahoma’s advanced nursing community require a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree, which takes an additional two to three years of study. Although a doctorate is not needed to work as a certified clinical nurse specialist, it offers additional opportunities to further your career. DNP programs cover healthcare policy, health economics, and clinical data management. Research accredited MSN and DNP programs today by contacting the schools on our site for more information.

Depending on your finances, you may be eligible for financial assistance through a federal agency, such as the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. From scholarships to loan programs, the Health Resources and Services Administration offers a variety of ways to help pay for your master’s degree or doctorate.

Financial assistance options may include the:

National Health Service Corps scholarship
Nurse Corps Loan Repayment program
Nursing Student Loan program

Working as a Clinical Nurse Specialist in Oklahoma

As a potential candidate for the clinical nurse specialist community, you need to make sure you have ascertained your license before you can legally work in Oklahoma.Because Oklahoma holds a lower average annual salary than other states, earning your certification in a nursing specialty may increase your chances of a higher wage and career advancement. You can sit for the CNS examination that is offered by the American Nurses Credentialing Center. The examination will test you over one of the following specializations:

Diabetes management-advanced nursing
Child and adult psychiatric-mental health
Pediatric nursing
Home and public health
Gerontology

Start your career as a clinical nurse specialist in Oklahoma by enrolling in an accredited RN to MSN program today.

Oklahoma Public Health Nursing Graduate Programs

More education can open doors for more opportunity no matter what career you’re considering. Beginning the search for a graduate program in public health nursing can be a challenging but rewarding experience in Oklahoma. As a nurse, you have a wide variety of options available to you when considering the pursuit of higher education. Oklahoma is home to several universities with a variety of MSN programs. These universities function as traditional brick and mortar colleges, but there are a wide variety of online programs to accommodate the working professional who needs a more flexible schedule. As a practicing nurse, you have many different educational opportunities that can elevate your professional status and provide tangible advantages for you as well. Contact the Oklahoma schools with public health programs to learn more.

Master’s Degree Programs in Public Health Nursing in Oklahoma

If you are searching for a graduate degree program in public health nursing in Oklahoma, you have come to the right place. You can contact schools directly from our site to get program details today.

While nursing is an extremely dynamic career with countless rewards and professional opportunities, continuing your nursing education can further your professional status as well as your ability to act as an advocate and a leader in the health care industry.

Public health nursing degree programs will enable you to continue working directly with patients as well as extending into research and public administration. Master’s degree public health nurses are able to assist with the planning and execution of public health programs. Most graduate programs in public health nursing are designed so that a practicing nurse is able to complete the curricula within two to three years, depending on experience and previous coursework.

Public health nursing programs in Oklahoma may include competency tracks in areas such as diversity, health administration and policies, environmental health, public administration, communications, health sciences, common social issues and epidemiology. There are a wide variety of options available for financing your education including scholarships and grants offered from American Association of Colleges of Nursing, for example, available here. Many companies offer tuition repayment programs for nurses who study and then continue to practice with them for a period of time.

For those who prefer a traditional college campus, Oklahoma offers universities with unique and challenging educational programs. However, many practicing nurses prefer the flexibility of online, non-traditional learning or a combination of both online/traditional education. Nursing programs have grown in the last decade to over 200 existing programs.

The Role of Public Health Nurses in Oklahoma

Nurses play a significant role in health care, providing critical patient care with professionalism and integrity. As a public health nurse in Oklahoma, you will be able to continue this role but you will also be afforded the ability to advocate for the patients that you care so much about. As a master’s level public health nurse, you will be able to work directly with other agencies and lawmakers to plan and deliver much-needed prevention programs as well as treatment options for entire communities. By strengthening your place in the profession with higher education, you can strengthen the profession of nursing as a whole. Don’t wait any longer to find out more about this exciting and rewarding opportunity.

Oklahoma Graduate Nursing Programs in Healthcare Policy

Poor health doesn’t happen in a vacuum. People who suffer from chronic health conditions are often affected by various environmental factors, including diet, environment, policies, poverty, and socioeconomic status. You likely see the effects of these lifestyle factors in your everyday work as a registered nurse.

With ongoing education and training, you may be in a great position to change these factors.

Public health professionals and policy creators have been exploring health influences for many years. The Oklahoma Health Equity Campaign has uncovered many issues in public housing that lead to overall poor health, including lead, floodwater, carbon monoxide, and cockroaches (NewsOK).

If you’re ready to make your voice heard and contribute to stronger healthcare efforts in Oklahoma, your journey starts with a Master’s degree. You can find out more by checking out graduate healthcare policy programs in Oklahoma below.

Featured Programs:

Master’s Degree Programs in Healthcare Policy in Oklahoma

Healthcare policy is quite a bit different from most other graduate nursing programs. While it does utilize your nursing knowledge and experience, it also requires you to gain extensive experience in entirely different industries. For that reason, you may spend more time learning a healthcare policy Master’s degree than another Master’s degree in nursing.

In Oklahoma, most programs involve at least 40 credits. However, by the time you reach graduation, you should have the hands-on experience that you need to work successfully in both nursing and in healthcare policy.

Each program in Oklahoma is slightly different in its curriculum and goals, due to the influences of different professors and administrators. You may want to talk with professors at many different institutions to find one that fits in well with your existing experience and your long-term goals. Learning outcomes are a great way to assess each college.

Your program may include learning goals like those listed here:

Understand the legal and ethical principles used in health policy
Apply the principles of program planning and development to public health
Properly use health and performance improvement concepts
Solve policy problems in ways that meet the ethical, financial, and legal needs of an institution

The courses you take should be in line with the specific goals that are created by your program. Some of the courses that are commonly required in health policy programs include Biostatistics Methods, Principles of Epidemiology, Integrated Public Health Practice, US Healthcare System, Health Economics, Organizational Theory and Behavior, Health Policy and Politics, and Healthcare Quality Management.

A nursing license is required to keep working in any nursing capacity. Per the Oklahoma Board of Nursing, you must renew your license by the last day of your birth month in even-numbered years.

How Do Nurses Impact Healthcare Policy in Oklahoma?

Forming close professional ties with nursing groups and healthcare organizations during graduate school can help you get involved in policy while you are still earning your degree. You may want to become involved in the legislative committee of the Oklahoma Nurses Association. They focus on priorities like prevention of violence in healthcare settings, increasing the role of nurses in policy creation, and expanding funding for healthcare and health promotion across the state.

Government agencies are common places of employment for those who work in health policy. The Oklahoma Healthcare Authority is one of the most important legislative voices in Oklahoma healthcare. You may want to choose your internship or practicum course based on what you want to do with your degree.

The policies created now will shape the future of nursing in Oklahoma. Explore your full potential by contacting Master’s in healthcare policy programs in Oklahoma.