Advanced degrees for researchers

I think you need to actually get your feet wet before deciding on an advanced degree. I do know research coordinators that are NPs however they do not utilize their advanced nursing skills very often. I have looked into the clinical research degrees and spoken with some faculty in person. For me, I did not think these degrees were very useful. However, I think they may be good for someone with little research experience who has not taken advanced courses in management, planning, etc. Instead of an advanced nursing degree I chose to go the MPH route. My focus is on epi which has helped me design my own research. I am lucky enough to work in an academic setting with very supportive PIs who have allowed me to be involved in research outside prospective treatment trials (the traditional focus of coordinators in our group).

There are many BSN-PhD programs out there. Have you considered doing this, and bypassing the master's level specialty pathways (Ed., NP, CNS, etc.)? You will still take the master's capstone courses, and can tailor your PhD ed plan to include courses from other departments to complement your research interests.

If this is not an option for you, think about your research interest, and choose a master's that corresponds with that, as anc33 has done.

Do you know what you want to research yet?