MSN vs MBA

[cablefree]

Hello everyone,

I am currently an assistant nurse manager of an inpatient hospital unit. I have my BSN, and am ready to pursue a master's degree. An MBA in healthcare seems like a much more interesting curriculum than taking more nursing courses in an MSN program.

Is there any downside to obtaining an MBA? Will not having an MSN slow my career progression?

Thanks for your help!

[BerryhappyRN, MSN, RN]

Hi there,

I am two semesters from finishing my MSN in Nursing Leadership and am already considering going back for my MBA. I love how my MSN has cemented my leadership skills and improved my self-confidence and now that I have full faith in my managerial abilities I look forward to obtaining a stronger grasp on the financial aspect of healthcare delivery. My MSN has KICKED MY A**, but the love for my profession has grown immensely because of it. I think if I had it to do again I would have taken a combination MSN/MBA program. Go for it and good luck!

[InquisitiveAPN]

VETEROSA said:

My MSHA was able prepare me & continue my DNP in Leadership and Education. Hence, preparing me into higher management and teaching role PT in both Health Care Administration and Nursing.

May I ask what your job is now and where you see your career going from there?

[InquisitiveAPN]

K+MgSO4 said:

Is there an option for an MPH focused on leadership studies or a masters of Healthcare Administration? I am about to finish my MHA which was really interesting as it was not just nurses but allied health, doctors, dentists, pharmacists, optometrist etc who are all on the leadership track. It was eye opening to see the difference in attitudes among the craft groups. Medicine was very much "I was taught this way, I know what I am doing" allied health wanted a pathway set out for everything, very risk adverse, nursing was mostly I have a good idea what is supposed to happen, let me get started and I will use my resources and network which medicine was often lacking as they often don't know about the people such as BI, risk, QUM pharmacist even existed.

The real estate agent and lawyer who blew smoke up admissions to get into the course both tapped out early as they realised that you do actually need a health background for this masters.

Since you ask about the MPH, what's the consensus among MHA grads about MPH trained administrators?

[K+MgSO4, BSN]

InquisitiveAPN said:

Since you ask about the MPH, what's the consensus among MHA grads about MPH trained administrators?

I am in Australia and my MHA was approx 60% the same content as the MPH as both groups were merged for those subjects. I found a lot of allied health clinicians did the MPH as career progression is very limited in a hospital setting for them and they often were not completely sure where they wanted to end up as opposed to nursing and medicine which has a lot more opportunities for senior management roles in Australian public hospitals.

One of my best friends has managed to cross the divide as a physio and move to senior management roles in the hospital with her MPH but she is an anomaly.