Need help choosing a masters program

nurse2033, MSN, RN · Dec 16, 2010

I'm in the Exceslior MSN education program and I love it. They also have informatics and leadership. I'm sure you could double the extra courses. The program is cheap for a Masters, online so you can still work full time, and I've learned a ton.

ocean waves · Dec 16, 2010

Hello. It is good that you are planning ahead and asking questions. One approach is to identify where you would like to work and learn what the requirements are for the job you desire. For example, universities with schools of nursing will hire nurses with a Master's In Science of Nursing, however they tend to prefer nurses who have also earned a Doctorate In Education or a Doctorate In Nursing. Another approach is to narrow it down to which university is most user friendly for you to attend and learn what options they offer in their Master Of Science programs. Years ago when I earned my Master's, there was only "one game in town" for a university offering a Master's In Nursing program where I lived. My goal was to work as a nursing instructor at one of the local university Bachelor Of Nursing programs. This university which I attended offered major "focus " programs including nurse practitioner adult , maternal-infant nursing , or nursing management --however there was no nursing education major focus---so since my thing is pediatrics, I chose the maternal-infant major and took the options of education courses as my "minor". That plan worked well, and after graduating I was able to obtain an interesting position as a nursing instructor at a local university. Each year in my evaluations, however the Dean Of Nursing would kindly say that my faculty postion was a "tempory track" and that my yearly work contract might not be renewed if I did not start further education in a related doctorate program. In addition, the Dean would kindly remind me that I would not be eligible for a tenure position unless I earned a doctorate in education or in nursing. Best wishes!