Have you ever considered what it takes to be a nurse, and not only a nurse but also a leader in nursing?
It would interest you to know that there are graduate nursing degrees that can essentially help you reach the door of leadership position, and change the healthcare system.
As more and more healthcare centers are implementing advanced technologies, the need for nurses with advanced tech skills is in high demand.
Even in a recent survey (AACN, 2024), it is revealed that nearly 28% of healthcare centers mandate a bachelor’s degree for hiring new nurses, whilst 72% are looking for baccalaureate-prepared nurses.
With this statistic, you must have an idea of how much importance this degree is having today.
Thus, with the medium of this blog, we’ll discuss nursing graduate degrees, and also look at how to land competitive healthcare jobs.
What is the First Step to Becoming a Nursing Leader?
A graduate degree is indeed beneficial for leadership roles in nursing, however, it isn’t where most people’s journeys begin, nor should it be.
You do, of course, have the option of going right from undergraduate studies into a master’s program, and this will have the obvious benefit of fast-tracking your credential timeline.
However, it’s always great to first gain experience as a nurse so you can choose a leadership role that aligns not just with your ambitions but your passions.
It’s only by spending a little bit of time in the trenches that you can figure out what aspects of healthcare interest you the most.
Granted, where leadership is concerned there are limitations to your choices.
As a supervisor, you may be overseeing various administrative and patient care functions within the hospital.
Still, there are opportunities to specialize—for example, in analytics.
Spending a little time working in a hospital will also give you a better idea of what nursing leadership even means.
What kind of boss do you want to be? Often, the answer to that question is only ever obvious when you’ve spent time working under someone else.
Do You Know?
The average time between completing an associate degree and master’s degree in nursing or a nursing-related field is 11.5 years
What Degrees Should You Consider?
The MSN or master’s of science in nursing is the standard graduate degree that most RNs go on to achieve if they are looking for a leadership position.
This degree focuses on high-level decision-making and even some administrative functions that nursing leaders may be responsible for.
This is the degree you will most likely get if you are completely sure that you want to stay within the hospital setting.
If you have the desire to go even higher, you might look into going on to get a doctorate in this field.
Though getting a PhD in nursing is relatively rare, it is the gateway to some of the highest-paying careers in the profession.
The highest leadership position a nurse can achieve is CNO; chief Nursing Officers are C-suite executives with salaries that usually exceed $200,000 a year.
If you are interested in leadership but also want to keep your options open you might instead consider getting a degree that will allow you to work as a nurse practitioner.
Whilst a licensed nurse practitioner is not a leadership position in its own right, having the credential will look great on your résumé.
It will also give you the opportunity to open your own practice in parts of the country.
Nurse practitioners are able to specialize in ways that standard RNs often are not.
For example, if you are passionate about neonatal care, you can become a nurse practitioner who works only in the neonatal unit.
There are similar opportunities available in psychiatric care or even family medicine.
The key is to figure out what you are passionate about, and yes, an advanced degree can advance your career and increase your salary, but what good is that if it lands you a job you don’t like?
Is There Anything Else to Consider?
The other thing you need to keep in mind is that each hospital will only have so many leadership positions.
Even a big healthcare facility might only have several nursing leadership jobs.
What happens if those positions are full at the hospital where you work?
The job you are interested in might not open up for ten years; even then, there is no guarantee that you will get it. What is a nurse to do?
Consider moving! It’s what ambitious people in the world of business do.
No, you don’t need to move to another home—not necessarily at least, but yes, you may need to consider choosing a different hospital.
There are lots of factors that contribute to career stagnation but immobility is one of them.
You can’t wait for your dream job to come to you, as sometimes, you need to be more proactive.
Conclusion
It is best to focus on the big picture when looking for the promotion track, as a career can last forty-plus years.
You will probably start at the bottom, but it is there that you learn so many of the skills that will be useful in your climb to the top.
Will it be easy? Probably not. Graduate school is difficult, and landing a competitive job can take time even after you achieve your credential; it’s all part of the process.
