Pursuing a graduate nursing program seems like the logical next step for those wanting to advance their careers and work towards their professional nursing goals. However, in addition to an MSN degree benefiting your career, you’re probably also wondering, “What exactly will I learn in a graduate nursing program, and what can be applied to real-use cases in the field?”
The short answer is, you can learn many different skills in a variety of nursing specializations. Beyond the credentials that an MSN degree will provide for your resume, a graduate nursing program can also equip you with the knowledge, specialty skills, and advanced training needed to navigate an array of nursing scenarios and provide the highest-quality patient care possible.
An MSN program offers, perhaps, the most valuable graduate degrees a nurse can obtain because it allows you to focus on a specific area of nursing. By becoming an advanced nurse practitioner, you can hone in and gain knowledge and qualifications within a specialized area of nursing, whereas registered nurses can do a little bit of everything but provide more general patient care.
Many graduate nursing programs, like Goodwin’s MSN degree program, are comprised of a mix of practical hands-on training and advanced courses in specialized areas such as Pathophysiology, Pharmacology, and Physical Assessment.
For example, Goodwin’s graduate nursing program Pharmacology course deep dives into extremely important principles of pharmacology such as pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and pharmacogenomics. Beyond the scientific knowledge that this course imparts, it also educates students about the contemporary issues in prescribing medicine and examines various cultural beliefs and practices related to medication management. This multidimensional education provides students with a comprehensive view of everything they need to know and might encounter within the field of nursing.
Beyond gaining specialized knowledge in a specific nursing practice, graduate nursing programs also expand general nursing-related skillsets and knowledge in areas such as research, healthcare policies, leadership, communication, as well as population health and case management.
Goodwin’s MSN “Seminar in Nursing Research” course, for example, aims to develop graduate nursing students’ proficiency in analyzing and utilizing research-based evidence for professional nursing care. The course provides students with the skills needed to successfully review research findings to influence change, improve outcomes, and eventually contribute to the advancement of their nursing knowledge and skillset.
Furthermore, whether we like it or not, politics continue to shape the healthcare industry every day, so it is important that nursing professionals have a good understanding of any new or modified healthcare policies that directly affect the nursing field. For this reason, Goodwin’s graduate nursing program provides students with the knowledge and understanding of healthcare related policies and processes, so that they can continue to improve and make an impact within the healthcare industry.
What are you waiting for? A graduate nursing program is extremely beneficial for your success as a nurse and in the healthcare industry as a whole. Take the next step in your nursing career and learn more about Goodwin’s MSN Nursing Program today! You may also call 800-889-3282 to learn more.
Goodwin University is a nonprofit institution of higher education and is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE), formerly known as the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC). Goodwin University was founded in 1999, with the goal of serving a diverse student population with career-focused degree programs that lead to strong employment outcomes.