Advance Nursing Degree

noahsmama · Oct 13, 2011

Advanced nursing degree is an MSN or PhD. NP is not a degree, it's a license, but you need to have an MSN to be an NP.

Having a certification is not the same as having a degree, so no, being "certified" in med-surg does not mean the nurse has an advanced degree. (I didn't know you could get certified in med-surg, but that's a separate issue).

brownbook · Oct 13, 2011

Generally when someone says they have an advanced degree it implies they attended an accredited institution of higher learning for X amount of hours, units, credits, etc., and graduated.

To be certified implies they took classes, training, were tested, and received a certificate in their speciality but NOT an educational degree.

Technically I guess it does matter. However, I'd be prouder to say I was an ADN certified in my area of nursing than those other letters after my name.

Why did you ask?

classicdame, MSN, EdD · Oct 13, 2011

I agree with above posts. Advanced Practice is Nurse Practitioner or PhD. I recommend you check your nurse practice act for your state to learn THEIR definition, scope of practice , etc

llg, PhD, RN · Oct 13, 2011

An advanced degree is a graduate level degree ... Master's Degree or Doctoral Degree. ADN and BSN are generally considered "entry-level" degrees.

Certifications are not the same as academic degrees. To be certified, you pass an exam offered by a professional organization (after meeting their requirements regarding work experience and continuing education). To get an academic degree, you have to complete the requirements of an institution of higher learning (college, university, etc.)

Also ... the phrase "advanced practice roles" is often used to describe the roles of Nurse Practitioner, Nurse Midwife, Clinical Nurse Specialist, and/or Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist. Those roles are all advanced clinical roles that require at least a Master's Degree. It's a little controversial that other roles associated with advanced education (such as Nurse Administrator, Nurse Educator, Clinical Nurse Leader, etc.) are not included in that list. Some of us feel that these roles are also a form of advanced nursing practice -- just a different type of nursing practice.

It gets a little confusing as some people throw that term "advanced" around in a lot of different ways in different contexts.

username33 · Oct 13, 2011

Thanks everyone! I am a new grad and learn something new everyday! Medical field gives us a lot of opportunities to learn. I always ask questions if I am not sure about something. Thanks again for your input!