Students will be happy to know that there are many ways to specialize an online Master of Science in Nursing. Students simply have to pick the program that meets their specific preferences as introduced below.
Leadership
One of the most common specializations for online Master of Science in nursing degree programs is executive leadership, according to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. These programs focus on organizational theory, behavior and management within the context of the health care industry. Students learn the managerial and leadership competencies that are essential for a successful career in health care management. These programs emphasize best practice tools and strategies that can be applied in dynamic health care environments. A leadership specialization will cover HR and IT management, as well as health care finance, which will examine budgeting and health care economics. Many graduates go on to become health care managers, administrators and executives.
Adult Nurse Practitioner
An adult nurse practitioner (NP) specialization will start out with basic courses, such as advanced nursing skills and the psychology of nursing, but will move on to content designed for health care professionals who will exclusively work with adults and older adults. Students will study sophisticated theories that analyze the patho-physiological factors that influence the manifestations of common diseases. After this, they will leave how to perform advanced health assessments and diagnostics through the interpretation of both qualitative and quantitative patient data. They will gain the clinical judgment and reasoning skills to excel in pharmacology, women’s hair and gerontology. Many adult nurse practitioners work in hospitals or assisted living facilities.
Family Nurse Practitioner
Family nurse practitioner is a popular option for students who want to specialize an online master of science in nursing. This is because this degree provides a comprehensive overview of primary care services for infants, children, adolescents and adults. As an example, students will learn how to provide care for children and adolescents and how to monitor their physical and psycho-social development. They will also learn how to educate parents and caregivers and recognize the warning signs of neglect or abuse. Family nurse practitioners will know when to use screening tools, how to perform diagnostics and which clinical reasoning skills are needed to maintain patient care, safety and quality.
Nurse Educator
Some graduates of online Master of Science in nursing programs want to focus on the academic side of the health care industry. A clinical nurse educator specialization provides students with an overview of how medical students learn, as well as effective teaching tools and methodologies that help students translate knowledge into skills. Nurse educator students will also learn the necessary measurement tools and tasks that are used to benchmark progress and identify weaknesses. Graduates will be prepared to leveraging technology to promote faster and effective learning in conjunction with functional objectives and helpful instructional methods.
Related Resource: Top 10 Best MSN Online Programs 2015
As a final note, there are more specializations available for students who want to specialize an online master of science in nursing, such as nursing administration, pediatric nursing and health care informatics.