Help! -MSN with emphasis in public health

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I am a BSN prepared nurse currently working in employee health and I really enjoy it.

i am looking at a MSN program that has an emphasis in public health. Because I am a nurse I feel it's a great route, but I could also do a masters in public health.

I don't want to make the wrong decision and I don't want a degree that won't open as many doors as another may have. I have a passion for a little of everything: research, epidemiology, education, leading/managing, caring for people etc. so I think both degrees would be good for me.

i have to narrow it down and any help or insight would be great!!!

thank you all :)

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Specializes in ICU.

I think it depends what area you want to eventually work in. Do you want to continue your work as a nurse working in a public health role? If so then I would do the MSN. I have a MPH with a concentration in Health Policy and Management and I really don't use it at all. I think a program founded in nursing principles would be more helpful to apply to nursing practice.

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

Moved to the Post-Graduate Nursing Student forum for more replies.

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I currently don't work in public health but always wanted to. I think having the msn with emphasis in public health would be better because I am already a nurse and like working with people. It's also a shorter program and probably less in tuition.

Do do you currently work in public health?

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I work in public health currently and also debated whether to go MSN with public health emphasis or straight up MPH. Maybe this is just reflective of my part of the United States, but when I looked around at my peers and other nurses working in public health, it seemed like only the older nurses had the MSN-PH. I think the current trend is more favorable to a straight MPH degree. Most of the nurses I know who work in public health and have graduate degrees have MPHs. 2 of them have MPHs and are now working on their DNPs with an emphasis in public health nursing (it isn't a nurse practitioner program). So, when I made the choice, I decided to enroll in an MPH program with an emphasis in epidemiology as that seems to be the most employable MPH concentration if you are going to specialize. That's just my 2 cents though and maybe it's different in your part of the country.

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Thank you for your response. I like the nursing aspect of my career, I like the aspect of public health as well. I wouldn't want to totally get out of the nursing part of my job and feel a MPH would do that more-so than an MSN with public health emphasis. I like epedimioligy and research but I like the human component too. I have a coworker who is our infection preventionist - she has an MPH But is not a nurse so she is more of a behind the scenes type of person, I don't really see that she work with patients really. However I wouldn't want to get an entry level position in public health but just with a fancy degree.

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Specializes in School Nursing, Public Health Nurse.

UC San Francisco has a MSN with a public health concentration. However, it's not a part-time or solely online program. Although I live in the area, it would have been difficult for me to do the program and keep my current job. If I hadn't decided on FNP I would have probably found a new job to do the program at UCSF since I am a Public Health Nurse as well.

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Specializes in Home health, Med Surg, LTC.

Hello all,

I am curious to see and update from you guys. I am also considering a MSN in public health nursing and would like to know what jobs I can apply to once I finish this degree

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