Master’s in Nursing Schools in Wyoming

While all states rely on a smooth-running health care system to administer timely, appropriate care to their residents, it’s even more important in a state like Wyoming. Here, communities are spread out and remote, keeping many people away from the services they need. Nurse researchers, leaders, and practitioners can all have a positive impact on Wyoming’s health care system. If you are ready to become a healthcare leader in your state, check out the graduate nursing programs on our site. Once you have found programs that interest you, request information from those nursing schools to get the details you need to make the best decision for your nursing education.

Featured Programs:

What You Can Expect From Your MSN Program

Wyoming is a beautiful place to live and the least populated state in the nation. However, its lack of residents can sometimes lead to a shortage in healthcare professionals. This makes Wyoming an ideal place for nurses who have obtained their MSN degree to live and work.

Because of progress made by groups like the Wyoming Action Coalition, nurses can enjoy a positive work environment in this state. Nurse practitioners, nurse anesthetists, clinical nurse specialists, and other advanced practice nurses can practice to the full extent of their education. In fact, the Wyoming Business Report notes that Wyoming is ranked seventh in the nation for nurses. This may be due to the low unemployment rate, the rapidly aging population, and nurses per capita.

All of these opportunities may lead to a growing need for nurse educators. As students start to realize the possibilities of a job in nursing, nursing programs are expected to grow. To keep up with the influx of students, nursing schools across the state may need to hire Master’s-level nurse educators.

Wyoming may be a promising location for nurses in advanced practice. The Wyoming Department of Health reports that a number of places in Wyoming are considered Primary Care Shortage Areas. The Democrat and Chronicle notes that states like Wyoming are helping to solve the gap with nurse practitioners and physician’s assistants.

There are several rewarding career options for RNs like you that require a MSN degree in Wyoming, such as a nurse educator and a family nurse practitioner. As a nurse educator, you are needed to teach in clinical settings, for continuing education courses, and even in hospitals.

Family nurse practitioners (NP), are in high demand for general healthcare in Wyoming. They provide general medical care for families and patients of all different ages.

To get started on the path to your MSN degree, contact the schools listed on this page for more information on their programs.

Wyoming RN to MSN Bridge Programs

As a registered nurse in Wyoming, you have likely developed many valuable skills in patient care, peer interaction, health care policy, and nurse training. If you’re interested in taking your career further in any of these areas, you’ll likely need an MSN. Wyoming has several schools with MSN programs, so you may be able to start a new phase in your career in just two years.

CareerInfoNet reports that many graduate-level nursing jobs are in high demand throughout Wyoming. They expect job openings to increase rapidly for nursing instructors, nurse practitioners, nurse anesthetists, and medical services managers. In general, it seems like nursing jobs in all specialties are in demand!

You may be worried about taking on more responsibility in your nursing career or learning your role in this new career path. However, Wyoming has many professional organizations that are designed to unite and guide nurses at the graduate level. The Wyoming Organization of Nurse Leaders provides support to those who go into nursing administration or nursing leadership. The Wyoming Association of Nurse Anesthetists provides CRNAs with updates on state legislature, events that help you further your education, and events that allow you to network with other CRNA professionals. If you’re considering becoming a nurse practitioner, you may wish to join the Wyoming Council for Advanced Practice Nursing. The group hosts an annual conference, offers scholarships, and supports NPs at the legislative level.

As the face of health care changes, nurses need to take on a greater amount of responsibility and training. If you go into nurse education, you can help meet these needs by educating new nurses and offering further training to working nurses. Per the Billings Gazette, nursing instructors help nurses learn how to prepare for emergencies and unexpected situations.

To become a graduate-level nurse, you must first decide which type of nursing specialty you want to pursue. Although all of these choices fall into the field of nursing, they require significantly different types of education. If you enjoy the patient care aspect of your career, you may wish to become a nurse anesthetist, nurse midwife, or nurse practitioner. If you want to explore the administrative aspects of nursing, you may choose from specialties like nursing education, nurse leadership or nursing research. Full-time programs range from two to three years in length, and part-time students may spend up to four years attending a graduate nursing program in Wyoming.

The learning outcomes of your MSN program can help shape your studying, course selection, and assessment. Due to Wyoming’s largely rural population, many nursing schools in this area want MSN graduates to be able to perform advanced practice nursing skills in rural areas. They’ll also look into your ability to combine knowledge from multiple sources to make appropriate care decisions. The final learning outcome in this region is developing leadership skills that can serve you in different health care settings.

Some of the early classes you take as an MSN student may include Application of Theory in Advanced Nursing Practice, Evidence-Based Nursing Practice, and Epidemiology in Rural Health Care. Other courses are dependent on the specialty you choose.

There are quite a few scholarships available for Wyoming nursing students, so you should fully assess all of your options to help you pay for school. Many schools offer a wide range of scholarships, like the Larsen Family Scholarship, the Carolyn Bennett Miknis Nursing Scholarship, and the Marcia L. & William G. Dale Nursing Scholarship. The Wyoming Department of Health offers many resources for grants, scholarships, and loan repayment options. If you plan on becoming a nurse practitioner, the Graduate Advanced Practice Nursing Scholarship is a $500 scholarship for nurse practitioner students.

Contact the Wyoming nursing schools that offer Master’s in Nursing programs today to learn more about your options for study.

Wyoming Direct Entry MSN Programs

Direct entry MSN programs in Wyoming are seeking skilled, motivated individuals who want to take on a second career in the field of nursing. You can take advantage of a unique opportunity to earn an advanced degree in a new field in as little as three years! A master’s degree in nursing could help you land the job opportunity that you have been waiting for.

To become an advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) in the state of Wyoming, a master’s degree is required. Direct entry MSN programs are perfect for non-nurses who hold a bachelor’s degree in another field of study. These programs are designed to prepare you for RN licensure with advanced training in a specialty of your choice. Completing the program typically takes three years, with the first year being devoted to accelerated entry-level nursing coursework and the last two years to master’s-level coursework.

State Board Qualifications and Requirements in Wyoming

When applying to a particular program, you will want to make sure that it meets all of the the Wyoming State Board of Nursing’s qualifications. The Wyoming State Board of Nursing does not personally recognize individual graduate programs; instead, it looks to national accreditation agencies to determine program eligibility. The master’s program you select must be accredited by a nursing-related accreditation organization that is recognized by the United States Department of Education or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.

When you apply for a direct entry MSN program, you should have a specialization in mind. Clinical specialties are simply an area that you would like to focus on. The Wyoming State Board of Nursing recognizes four clinical specialties for advanced practice nurses:

Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA)
Certified Nurse-Midwife (CNM)
Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS)
Certified Registered Nurse Practitioner (CRNP)

Although classes will differ from program to program, advanced practice registered nurses are required to complete the following core courses:

Pathophysiology (all general principles applicable across the human lifespan)
Advanced pharmacology (includes pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and pharmacotherapeutics of broad categories of agents)
Physical evaluation/assessment (includes assessment of all systems of the body, advanced assessment methods, techniques, and concepts)

If you are a student interested in becoming a Certified Registered Nurse Practitioner or Clinical Nurse Specialist in Wyoming, you must additionally specialize in a specific population focus. The population focus within CRNP and CNS specialties are:

Family/individual across lifespan
Adult-gerontology
Neonatal
Pediatrics
Women’s health/gender
Psychiatric – mental health

Prescriptive Authority in Wyoming

Wyoming has one of the most independent prescribing procedures in the United States: no requirement for physician involvement, including controlled substances schedules II through V. To earn prescriptive authority, you must complete at least two semester credit hours, three quarter credit hours, or 30 contact hours of coursework in pharmacology and clinical management of drug therapy or pharmacotherapeutics within the five-year period prior to applying for your APRN licensure. Once you are granted prescriptive authority, you must prescribe all medications in accordance with all applicable state and federal laws.

The Wyoming Healthcare Professional Loan Repayment Program has been put in place to help enhance the recruitment of healthcare professionals in medically underserved areas in Wyoming. For advanced practice registered nurses, this means that they are repaid money spent on student loans up to $10,000 per year for three (3) years for a total up to $30,000. To take part in this benefit, there are a few stipulations that must be met:

Must work full-time in Wyoming
Treat Medicare, Medicaid and Kid Care eligible patients
Use 100% of the funds to repay student loans.

The realm for financial aid is wide. Not only can you receive financial aid through state funding, but you can also apply for federal financial aid as well. More financial aid resources can be found at the American Association of Colleges of Nursing website.

Potential for Higher Earnings in Wyoming

The U.S. Census reports in its study called “The Big Payoff: Educational Attainment and Synthetic Estimates of Work-Life Earnings” that those with a master’s degree earn 2.5 million more over the span of a lifetime than those with a bachelor’s degree.

Investing in an MSN degree can help you move to the next level in your nursing career. Whether a nurse practitioner or a nurse anesthetist, you will learn advanced skills which will allow you to care for patients in many of the same ways doctors do. There is no better time to get involved in advanced practice nursing than now.

Wyoming CRNA Programs

In the days before anesthesia was seen as a human right during invasive medical procedures, people were simply expected to bear the pain of surgery. However, thrashing and involuntary pain responses often made surgery without appropriate anesthesia care much more dangerous and increased the risk of infection and death. With the advent of nurse anesthesia, pain relief became safer, more affordable, and more readily available.

Per the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists, nurse anesthesia came into its own during the Civil War era. Surgeons relied on nurses to provide anesthetic services, due to their extensive knowledge of health care and their ability to communicate well with patients. If you want to use your own nursing knowledge to help care for perioperative patients, contact the CRNA schools in Wyoming to learn more about how to get started.

If you have a bachelor’s degree and you’ve developed your clinical intuition as a registered nurse, you may be a good fit for a nurse anesthesia program in Wyoming. This type of program can expand your clinical experience, help you learn how to become a leader in any employment setting, and teach you the in-depth pharmacology of different pain relief agents.

The field of nurse anesthesia requires an extensive knowledge of nursing interventions, patient communication skills that are second to none, and a steady hand. In this specialty, you may spend several hours with just one patient. As a result, you must be able to use your skills to monitor a patient’s progress and alter their treatment accordingly. Keep reading to learn more about CRNA programs in Wyoming, then contact the schools you are interest in to get detailed program information.

Admissions and Curriculum for CRNA Programs in Wyoming

The first step to becoming a nurse anesthetist is getting accepted to one of the state’s competitive CRNA programs. These programs typically require you to have a Bachelor’s degree in nursing, although an RN-to-MSN program may help you if you have an associate’s degree in nursing. Strong academic performance at the undergraduate level can help you during the admissions process. A GPA of at least 3.0 to 3.5 on a 4.0 scale may be required.

Furthermore, most schools require work experience in a critical care setting. You should anticipate completing at least one year of critical care experience before applying to CRNA programs. The more experience you have in specialties that rely on anesthesiology, the more you may be considered an appealing candidate for CRNA programs.

Once you start your education, you should plan on two to four years of full-time education. Doctoral programs tend to last between four and seven years of full-time study. While earning 40 to 60 credits, you may take courses like Basic Principles of Anesthesia, Applied Physiology, Advanced Pharmacology, Advanced Pathophysiology, Evidence-Based Nursing Practice, Advanced Principles of Nurse Anesthesia, and CRNA Role Seminar.

Clinical experience is woven throughout your curriculum. Upon graduating, you must have at least 550 hours of clinical experience in at least 550 separate procedures. However, many schools have more extensive requirements, permitting you to become even more confident in your skills. In your clinical courses, you may work in varied specialties like surgery, obstetrics, and emergency care.

Wyoming has several scholarship and grant programs that are intended for advanced nursing students and graduates. The Wyoming Department of Health offers loan repayment and scholarship opportunities to students that plan on working in a medically underserved area after graduation. The NURSE Corps Scholarship Program is fairly similar, although you may be able to work in any medically underserved area in the United States after graduation. These opportunities may require you to relocate to remote or rural parts of the country. The Wyoming Nursing Scholarship Endowment also funds scholarships for advanced nursing students.

Working as a Nurse Anesthetist in Wyoming

After you complete your master’s degree or doctoral degree in nurse anesthesia, you must get licensed as a nurse anesthetist. The National Board of Certification & Recertification for Nurse Anesthetists is the first stop. You must take their licensing exam, send in proof of your clinical hours, and submit your transcript. You can then be a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist. This permits you to apply for advanced licensure through the Wyoming State Board of Nursing.

Once you have your national certification and your state license, you can obtain professional liability insurance. This insurance is meant to protect your career and your income in the event of a negative patient outcome. Not only is it required for state practice, most employers have their own requirements for professional liability insurance.
Networking with other advanced nursing professionals should be considered an important part of your career. The Wyoming Association of Nurse Anesthetists is a popular professional resource for nurse anesthetists. Joining may help you stay up-to-date on care standards and find out about new career opportunities in your region.

The future of the nursing field is dependent on nurses that are willing to expand their education and their professional roles. Take the next step by contacting CRNA programs in Wyoming now.

Forensic Nursing in Wyoming

If you look at the news, it’s clear that forensic nursing is an important part of the healthcare industry in the United States. It is particularly important in states like Wyoming, where patients residing in rural areas may not have access to prompt care and physical examinations after a crime occurs. Time is of the essence in these cases, and it’s crucial that healthcare facilities have a substantial amount of trained professionals to collect and transport evidence. This is so important, in fact, that the Wyoming Attorney General has developed a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner Program that makes care equally accessible throughout Wyoming.

Are you ready to learn how to become a forensic nurse? If so, make your move now by contacting forensic nurse programs on the list below.

Master’s Degree Programs in Forensic Nursing in Wyoming

Choosing the right nursing program is an essential part of getting as much as possible out of your education and exploring your full potential. That is why you should consider which career roles in forensic nursing interest you and which degree programs prepare you for those careers. If you are primarily interested in advocating for crime victims and making sure that they have access to sensitive care, look into Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner programs.

If you want to combine your interest in the legal system with your nursing skills, you may feel right at home in a legal nurse consulting program. If you find your interests split between forensic evidence, patient care, and nursing research, a Master’s in forensic nursing could be the optimal choice for you.

Forensic Nursing Graduate Courses

Forensic Science in Healthcare Settings
Blunt Force and Firearm Injuries
Crime Scene Preservation
Death Investigation in Healthcare
Occupational Considerations in Forensic Nursing
Forensic Photography
Forensic Approaches to Domestic Violence
Forensic Approaches to Human Abuse
Forensic Approaches to Mental Health Assessment

By the time you graduate with a Master’s in forensic nursing, you should have at least 30 credits, although you may find that many programs require closer to 40 or 50 credits. In addition, you should have clinical experience in a variety of employment settings.
The final step is certification. Your paperwork goes through the American Association of Legal Nurse Consultants if you plan on becoming a legal nurse consultant. Those who study SANE training or forensic nursing may become SANEs or Advanced Forensic Nurses through the Commission for Forensic Nursing Certification.

The Role of Forensic Nurses in Wyoming

As the healthcare field changes, it’s clear that this may be a great time to make a difference in the field of forensic nursing. Washakie Medical Center is one of many Wyoming clinics and hospitals to recently add a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner Team to its patient services (WyoDaily). These teams ensure that there is always an SANE available, preventing victims from having to wait a long time to get much-needed care after an attack. Forensic nurses may work in similar settings, although they may also qualify for job openings in crime labs and law enforcement agencies. In terms of the average forensic nursing salary, WY is typically in line with United States averages.

Find out where an education in forensic nursing could take you. Get more information now by reaching out to forensic nurse schools.

Wyoming Clinical Nurse Leader Programs

The national nursing shortage is widespread, attracting attention all over the country. However, the problem is more complex than some know. While many parts of the United States do need more registered nurses, the diversity of nursing needs mean that many places can actually benefit from a greater number of graduate-prepared nurses.

Wyoming, in particular, has been hit very hard by the nurse shortage (Wyoming News). Experts note that it isn’t as easy as increasing the number of nursing graduates, as that still leaves facilities with a shortage of experienced nurses who are willing to lead, and does nothing to address the contributing nursing faculty shortage.

Clearly, furthering your nursing education with a Master’s degree can pay off in your nursing career. Additionally, Wyoming is one of many states that is trying to expand its Medicaid program with federal funding (Casper Star-Tribune). Accepting federal money means taking more accountability for outcomes and procedures, which nurse leaders are trained to do.

Nurse leadership is a growing field that needs the experience and clinical decision making skills of nurses like you. Learn more by contacting Master’s in nurse leadership programs in Wyoming.

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How Can I Become a Clinical Nurse Leader in Wyoming?

If you want to become a Clinical Nurse Leader and you’re already a registered nurse, you are well on your way to reaching your goal. The skills you’ve developed in clinical care and the clinical reasoning skills you possess are utilized heavily in CNL programs.

The goal of a Clinical Nurse Leader is to improve care by assessing quality assurance processes, patient satisfaction reports, fiscal reports, and nursing research. Some of the courses you may be required to take as a CNL student include:

Evidence-Informed Decision Making
Leadership Within Health Care Systems
Theoretical Foundations for Nursing Leadership
Becoming a Leader
Science of Quality Improvement and Safety
Advanced Leadership Strategies

Wyoming programs often have a significant amount of time dedicated to rural care and rural studies. In Wyoming, much of the population lives in remote or rural areas, which creates additional health care challenges for nurse leaders to address. Your advisors may assign you to a hospital or clinic near you. Even if you don’t live near a Wyoming college or university, you may be able to earn your CNL degree at a school that offers online courses.

To qualify for certification as a Clinical Nurse Leader, you must have a valid registered nursing license through the Wyoming State Board of Nursing. Once you have your initial license, you must renew it every two years.

Upon completing your Master’s degree, you are close to becoming a Clinical Nurse Leader. The final step is passing the CNL exam administered by the AACN. With valid certification, you can practice as a Clinical Nurse Leader for five years.

What Does a Clinical Nurse Leader Do in Wyoming?

The role of the nurse leader is still taking hold in Wyoming, so you may find that nurse leadership positions vary across the state. In fact, the need for nurse leaders outstrips availability in many areas, leading to the creation of the Wyoming Nurse Leadership Institute. Getting involved in this event and others like it can help you learn what local nursing employers expect from leadership applicants.

The main benefit of CNL certification is the expanded scope of practice you enjoy. With advanced practice rights, you can lead care initiatives for your patients, suggest procedural and policy changes, and advocate for your patients’ best interests.

You may also spend a fair amount of time working with nursing studies and research. In fact, you may be responsible for collecting, compiling, and analyzing data from your facility. The insights you get from research should be used to encourage evidence-based practices throughout your facility.

Since you may oversee care and design protocols for your institution, you may be accountable for outcomes among your patients and department.

If you are passionate about the field of nursing and how it can improve life for Wyoming residents, you could have a huge impact as a nurse leader in this state. Start exploring your educational options by looking at our list of Master’s in nurse leadership programs in Wyoming.

Wyoming Nursing Research Graduate Programs

Shaping healthcare policy in direct care for families, individuals, and communities, the field of nursing research offers a multitude of career opportunities for you in Wyoming’s medical industry. As a licensed clinical nurse researcher, you will promote positive health outcomes through evidence-based care practices. Depending on your expertise, you may shape policies at a state, federal, and local level (Nursing World).

Nursing research focuses on knowledge development for:

Building a scientific foundation for medical practice
Preventing disabilities or diseases
Managing or eliminating illness’ symptoms
Enhancing end-of-life or palliative care

Before you can find employment as a nurse researcher in Wyoming, you will first need to obtain a Master of Science in Nursing degree with a specialty focus. To make sure you are properly prepared for the required licensing exam, you should enroll in a graduate program that is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.

Check out accredited nursing research programs near you by contacting the schools on our site.

Wyoming Graduate Degree Programs in Nursing Research

As a student in a nursing research program, you will be able to choose between a Master of Science in Nursing degree and a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree. Master’s degrees generally take between two and three years of educational training, and doctoral degrees can take another two to three years.

Any graduate nursing degree program in Wyoming typically requires the fulfillment of the following prerequisites:

Bachelor of Science in Nursing
Unencumbered Registered Nurse license

During the master’s degree program, you will learn how to evaluate various research findings and implement those findings into evidence-based care guidelines. Classroom instructors will teach you not only to identify and study systems’ problems but also to initiate new research with other scientists.

Coursework in a graduate nursing research program may include:

Nursing research
Health assessment
Bioethics and health policy
Research and theory in advanced practice nursing

Doctoral programs allow you to advance your career to a leadership position, and you can focus directly on healthcare practice or general nursing research. You will learn how to implement complex clinical interventions, translate scientific knowledge, and focus on research evaluation and usage instead of the conducting of research. With a nursing research focus, you will work on pursuing intellectual inquiry and conducting independent research.

Coursework may cover the following topics:

Advanced pathogenesis
Translation research
Organizational leadership
Informatics

If you are looking for financial assistance through a healthcare institute, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing provides a number of scholarships that may meet your monetary needs. You can also take advantage of the numerous loans and scholarships provided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Most federal scholarships and loans are tailored to encourage you to work a few years in an underserved community in exchange for financial assistance.

Click on a graduate degree program today to learn more about financial assistance options.

The Role of Clinical Nurse Researchers in Wyoming

You will need to make sure to ascertain any applicable certifications in your field. You can increase your marketability and prove that you are an expert in nursing research by sitting for a specialty exam issued by American Nurses Credentialing Center. With a master’s degree or doctorate, you may find employment as a clinical nurse coordinator at a:

Hospital
Research facility
Medical lab
Government agency

Wyoming Certified Nurse Midwife Programs

Medical care is important at all points of a person’s life, but it’s especially important when a woman is pregnant, laboring, or giving birth. Without proper prenatal care and observation, pregnancy and childbirth can quickly become dangerous conditions. This is a particularly significant concern in Wyoming, where women may live a fair distance from their closest care providers. If you’re ready to use your nursing education to improve the care received by pregnant women, you may be ready to become a nurse midwife in Wyoming.

Contact the schools offering certified nurse midwife (CNM) programs in Wyoming to learn more about your options for study.

Nurse midwives fill an important health care niche around the country. As highly trained nursing professionals, they use the same evidence-based care standards used by doctors and other licensed medical professionals. However, because of their scope of practice, they can help women navigate pregnancy and childbirth in a more natural manner. In many cases, CNMs go on to open their own birthing centers and see patients independently, transferring care to an OB/GYN when needed.

Find out more about midwifery programs in Wyoming now, and consider contacting out of state schools as well, in order to review all of your options for expanding your nursing education.

Becoming a Certified Nurse Midwife in Wyoming

As you evaluate different CNM programs in Wyoming, ensure that you’re ready to tackle the wide variety of learning goals presented by these programs. Not only must you be willing to learn about pregnancy, labor, and childbirth, you should be interested in other facets of women’s health care. This includes contraception, family planning, primary health care, menopause, and puberty.

If you have a Bachelor’s degree in nursing, at least one year of full-time nursing experience, and a strong passion for all aspects of women’s health care, then you can begin applying to CNM programs in Wyoming and surrounding states.

These programs often include about 40 credits of advanced nursing coursework. In the early stages of your training, you may take core nursing courses like Research for Evidence-Based Practice, Theoretical Foundations for Advanced Practice, Pharmacotherapeutics for Advanced Practice, and Advanced Nursing Assessment.

Nurse midwifery courses that you may be required to take include Antepartum Midwifery Care, Postpartum Midwifery Care, Labor & Childbirth, and Complications in Labor & Delivery. These courses involve a wide range of clinical experiences, totaling roughly 500 hours of clinical work.

One of the benefits of going into this field is the wide variety of scholarships that are available to nurse midwife students. The Wyoming Office of Rural Health awards financial aid to aspiring nurse midwife who commit to serving a rural area after graduation. An annual scholarship of $500 is available through the Wyoming Council of Advanced Practice Nurses. CNMs who want to work in a medically underserved area after graduation may apply to the NURSE Corps Scholarship Program.

Working as a Certified Nurse Midwife in Wyoming

Before you can start representing yourself as a nurse midwife and seeing clients, you must get your national certification by passing an exam administered by the American Midwifery Certification Board. Completing this step allows you to apply for statewide licensure through the Wyoming State Board of Nursing. This turns your RN license into an APRN license and allows you to expand your scope of practice.

Ready to change the field of nursing with your education and passion? Reach out to certified nurse midwife programs in Wyoming now to get started.

Wyoming Clinical Nurse Specialist Programs

In response to changing federal health care standards and legislation, the field of nursing has adapted to respond rapidly to a growing number of patients and diverse medical needs. Through this transition, the demand for different specialists and professionals has increased considerably.

If you are a registered nurse with a Bachelor’s degree in nursing, you may find that becoming a clinical nurse specialist gives you the chance to further your career and do more for Wyoming patients.

The role of the clinical nurse specialist in Wyoming is important in two ways. First, clinical nurse specialists can fill all of the normal practice roles of a registered nurse, so they can still ease the statewide nursing shortage. In addition, the specialized training that clinical nurse specialists have allows them to fill many of the same roles as physicians in a range of specialties. Given the fact that Wyoming’s doctor shortage is expected to worsen in severity for the next five years, this makes clinical nurse specialists a huge asset to the state.

Becoming a Clinical Nurse Specialist in Wyoming

Any advanced nursing degree requires dedication, strong academic performance, and clinical experience, but requirements are particularly strict for CNS programs. In a clinical nurse specialist program, you focus on one specific area of nursing. You may concentrate on care in a specific setting, such as nursing home care, home care, or emergency room care. Another option is specializing in a particular part of the body and the pathology related to it. However, since this is a Master’s-level or PhD-level degree, you must have several years of nursing experience behind you and a history of excellent grades in your nursing courses.

Courses included in your curriculum may vary, depending on which specialty you choose. You can expect your courses to touch on research, ethics, care standards, procedures and assessments, and theory. Courses that are often included in CNS programs include Pediatric Variations of Health Assessment and Measurement, Adult Variations of Health Assessment and Measurement, Physiological Basis of Advanced Practice Nursing, Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, and Pharmacology in Advanced Practice Nursing.

In addition to your standard classroom courses, you’ll need to spend an extensive amount of time gaining clinical experience. No matter how much time you have spent working as a registered nurse, you need to get several hundred hours of CNS experience to be ready to take on the additional responsibilities and tasks that come with this job title.

You may qualify for different financial aid programs as an advanced nursing student. The Wyoming Office of Rural Health and Wyoming Council for Advanced Practice Nursing both award scholarships to graduate nursing students.

Working as a Clinical Nurse Specialist in Wyoming

The good news is that the outlook is extremely bright for clinical nurse specialists. According to CNN, job openings in this field may increase 26% by 2023

Before you can begin working as a CNS in Wyoming, you’ll need to become licensed as an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse through the Wyoming State Board of Nursing. This involves maintaining your current nursing license and passing a national certification exam in your chosen specialty area. You can then gain advanced practice rights in Wyoming.

Once you are allowed to work as a clinical nurse specialist in Wyoming, you may seek employment options in many different places. Rural parts of Wyoming tend to have the greatest demand for nursing professionals. Work settings may include hospitals, clinics, research institutions, and nursing schools.

The future of the nursing field is bright, so why not use this time to further your career? Learn more now by contacting clinical nurse specialist programs in Wyoming.

Wyoming Public Health Graduate Programs

Public Health Nursing (PHN) is a program of the Wyoming Department of Health. Their mission is to achieve a healthier and safer state by preventing disease and injury, promoting a healthy lifestyle and protecting community health. Alongside public health nurses, they have implemented evidence-based measures to address the more important health status indicators in Wyoming. They promote leadership, creativity, and they collaborate with other healthcare professionals to find solutions for any health risk or chronic illnesses.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is building a Culture of Health in communities across the country that has two goals. This leadership development program is working to develop a group of senior level Public Health Nurse Leaders, so they have the skill to be leaders in the community in order to improve the health of the population. Furthermore, they work with existing state coalitions, such as the Future of nursing: Campaign for Action.

This is a very exciting time to get your master’s degree in public health, as there is a shortage of primary care physicians and more opportunities for graduate level public health nurses. Request information from schools to learn more.

Master’s Degree Programs in Public Health Nursing in Wyoming

The number of universities with graduate public health degrees in limited in Wyoming. The University of Wyoming has a Family Nurse Practitioner program on their campus. There are two accredited online programs with master’s programs in public health nursing, which are Grand Canyon University and Kaplan University. There are numerous other nursing master’s degrees available as well.

It takes about 40 semester credits to graduate with the following public health nursing curriculum:

Theoretical Foundations for Nursing Roles and Practice
Health Care Research Analysis and Utilization
Ethics, Policy and Finance in the Health Care System
Biostatistics
Epidemiology
Environmental Health
Social,Behavioral and Cultural Factors in Public Health
Public Health Practicum
Evidence–Based Practice Project

As a student you will transition from theory to practice in the practicum course, as you are required to complete 150 hours on-site working under the supervision of a faculty member. The final project is a unique opportunity to identify a community problem, develop a plan to implement a solution and evaluate the outcome as you disseminate the results.

The Role of Public Health Nurses in Wyoming

The graduate public health nursing degree is essentially designed for nurses that are interested in disease prevention and all aspects of community health. They may find employment in county or state public health departments, hospitals, healthcare facilities, schools, industry or other types of community-based education and health promotion settings.

There are only a few careers that will allow you to make such an impact on your community, and you will also be helping nursing as a whole. Contact schools today to learn more about getting started in public health nursing.

Graduate Nursing Programs in Healthcare Policy in Wyoming

Health policy is often looked at as a federal issue, but the fact is that health policy is a state-level priority as well. When you look at healthcare problems in Wyoming and compare them to problems in metropolitan states like New York or California, it’s clear that each state needs policies that meet the needs of its residents.

Wyoming recently made a significant decision in the area of mental health. They passed Title 25, a law that permits courts to order individuals to seek outpatient mental health care (The Sheridan Press). In the past, courts could only order emergency inpatient services.

With a degree in health policy, you can learn how to look at problems in a variety of ways and come up with solutions that suit the people you serve.

Learn more about this career path by contacting Master’s in healthcare policy programs in Wyoming.

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Master’s Degree Programs in Healthcare Policy in Wyoming

You likely got involved in the field of nursing because of your desire to help people and improve healthcare, so you’re in the right mindset for health policy. However, in your graduate program, you should learn to think about healthcare decisions in a way that focuses on their effects on the community and on patients.

Your curriculum may explore the research step of policy creation, how to design policies, and how to effectively implement them. By the time you graduate, you should feel confident about tackling health issues and concerns with realistic, applicable solutions.

Over a period of two years, plan on earning approximately 40 credits. These credits include classroom courses, research, and practical work experience.

Courses that are often required in the field of health policy include:

Healthcare Systems, Politics, and Policy
Economics of Healthcare Policy
Global Health
Nurse Leader and Healthcare Policy
Healthcare Ethics

This area of expertise requires clear judgment, an understanding of ethics in healthcare, and the ability to work well with people from many different backgrounds. These are some of the skills addressed in Wyoming programs.

There are many legislators and policy creators who have opinions on health law. However, what gives you the edge is your nursing background. As a result, it is extremely important to keep up with your nursing skills, career, and license. Through the Wyoming State Board of Nursing, you can renew your nursing license every two years.

How Do Nurses Impact Healthcare Policy in Wyoming?

Wyoming, due to its remote layout and spread-out population, has many healthcare challenges that require complex solutions. You’ll need to be ready for these challenges when you start your career. Staying engaged in the nursing community is highly recommended—nursing associations tend to be very involved in legislation, giving you a strong foundation for your stances.

The Wyoming Nurses Association, for example, has advocated for full freedom of practice for APRNs, required BSN graduation within 10 years of completing an ADN, extended coverage options for those who fall within Wyoming’s care gap, an expansion of wellness benefits, and full transparency in healthcare billing.

Over the course of your career, you may work with or for numerous government agencies and divisions. The Wyoming Public Health Association, for example, uses the most current research and statistics to develop policies that are in line with public health standards.

The people of Wyoming deserve to have policies that are created by legislators with their best interests in mind.

Use your expertise and experience to influence the future of healthcare in Wyoming—contact graduate healthcare policy programs in Wyoming for more information.

Hospice Nursing in Wyoming

The hospice community is growing in Wyoming. Given the spread of Wyoming’s population, it’s essential for care providers to be connected with regard to care standards, procedures, and processes.

As an aspiring hospice nursing in Wyoming, you may benefit from membership in the Hospice and Palliative Care Association of the Rockies. You may learn about what works in real hospice settings, what the future of this field is, and how you can ensure that patients get the most out of each moment.

Of course, education is the most essential part of becoming an advanced practice hospice nurse. With a Master’s degree, you may pursue hospice and palliative care certification.

Learn more by getting in touch with Wyoming nursing schools.

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

Prior to selecting a graduate program, you should know exactly what it takes to become an advanced care registered nurse in Wyoming and in the field of hospice care.

First, you have to meet the expectations of the Wyoming State Board of Nursing. They require a Master’s degree from an accredited university and at least 500 clinical hours.

After meeting these requirements, you can become a licensed clinical nurse specialist or nurse practitioner. Once you’ve spent some time working as a hospice NP or CNS, you may apply to become an Advanced Certified Hospice and Palliative Nurse through the Hospice and Palliative Credentialing Center.

Your graduate program should meet these standards while helping you become a confident care provider with a broad scope of practice. After taking core advanced nursing courses and learning about a specific population of your choice, you may move on to hospice classes like those listed below.

Palliative Care Courses

Patient Care in the End-of-Life Stage
Patient Assessment and Interviews
Collaboration in Palliative Care
Collaboration in Hospice Care
DNR Orders and Legal Issues

By the time you reach graduation, you should have well over 500 hours of clinical work. You may start in general settings like hospitals and clinics before moving on to hospice facilities and patients’ homes. By getting experience with a variety of patients and diagnoses, you can feel adequately prepared for the variety of conditions you may see in palliative care.

To save on your educational expenses, take advantage of scholarship and grants. You may qualify for loan repayment programs if you work in a Health Professional Shortage Area after graduation. Through the Hospice and Palliative Nurses Foundation, you may apply for $2,000 graduate scholarships.

The Role of Hospice/Palliative Care Nurses in Wyoming

You should know about local employment options by the time you are ready to start working. In fact, you may already have some clinical experience at local hospice facilities. Wyoming employers include Central Wyoming Hospice, Hospice of Laramie, and Davis Hospice Center.

Your patient load may vary, depending on how many patients a facility takes on at any given point. Your service area may also change frequently, changing the amount of time you spend driving to patients’ homes. On top of regularly scheduled patient appointments, it’s likely that you’ll need to respond to emergencies and pain management situations as they arise.

Are you ready to earn palliative care certification and become established in a growing medical specialty?

Learn more about palliative care nursing degree Wyoming programs by requesting information from local schools below.