Nurses have the opportunity to advance their degrees, which allows them to pursue other jobs within the nursing field. Completing a master’s in nursing (MSN) allows nurses to practice with greater autonomy, hold a higher position in leadership, or educate future nurses.
Types of MSN Degrees
There are numerous types of MSN degrees, making it essential to know your long-term goals as a nurse before selecting which path you will follow.
Now that you know more about an MSN, why should you pursue one? Below, I have provided ten reasons why you should advance your degree; please note that these are in no particular order.
Higher Salary
Nurses with an MSN typically make more than nurses with a BSN or associate’s degree, often due to the increased responsibility and advanced degree. According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, the average starting salary for an MSN-prepared nurse practitioner, CRNA, or nurse midwife is $129,480 per year or $62.25 per hour.
Specialization
Having an MSN allows you to become an expert by specializing in nursing. For example, if you become a nurse practitioner, you can specialize in family medicine, adult gerontology, pediatrics acute care, psychiatric-mental health, etc. You can also specialize in anesthesia as a CRNA, as well as education or leadership.
Impact on the Healthcare System and Policy
As an MSN-prepared nurse, you will have the opportunity to impact the healthcare system and healthcare policy in a greater capacity. This is achieved through active membership in professional organizations such as your state’s nursing association, attending local and state public meetings, reaching out to state representatives, and advocating for positive nursing and healthcare policy changes.
Ongoing Education and Learning
To maintain your MSN, you must complete a specified number of continuing education credits every couple of years. This will ensure you stay current on changes in healthcare and utilize the most up-to-date information in your daily practice. If you work in leadership or education, education credits are specific to these areas to ensure best practices are used.
Leadership Roles
Part of the MSN curriculum is to develop further leadership skills, which is why most leadership roles, or those higher up in the healthcare system, require an MSN. Examples of these leadership roles include office manager, director of nursing, and CNO.
Job Opportunities
An MSN degree will lead to more job opportunities regardless of the degree pursued. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that the job outlook for NPs, nurse midwives, and CRNAs will increase by 38%, which is higher than average.
Career Advancement
If desired, an MSN degree leads to career advancement as a nurse. An MSN allows you to work in higher education, pursue leadership roles such as a nurse manager or even chief nursing officer (CNO), or become a nurse practitioner, clinical nurse specialist, nurse midwife, or CRNA. These roles will lead to higher salaries, increased responsibility, and a greater impact on healthcare.
Job Satisfaction
Nurses with MSN degrees typically have greater job satisfaction. This may be due to the ability to specialize in an area of nursing they are passionate about or the increased salary, autonomy, and responsibility. In 2017, advanced practice nurses were surveyed and found that 96% of NPs and 97% of CRNAs were happy with their jobs. When asked if they would choose the profession again, 82% of NPs and 80% of CRNAs said yes.
Increased Responsibility
Nurses with an MSN degree often have increased responsibility. This can include prescribing medication, developing treatment plans, educating future nurses, or administering anesthesia to surgical patients.
Opportunity to Practice Autonomously
Completing a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) can result in greater autonomy in nursing practice. This is evident in roles such as Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs), nurse midwives, and nurse practitioners. For nurse practitioners specifically, each state has its scope of practice. Some states still restrict the practice of NPs, while others grant NPs full practice authority and the ability to work independently.
Obtaining your MSN can lead to more job opportunities, higher salary, and greater job satisfaction. So, what are you waiting for to take the next step in your career?
Mental illness is becoming one of the most common health disorders in the United States and worldwide. The World Health Organization (WHO) reveals a 13% increase in reported mental health disorders over the past ten years. When looking specifically at the United States, approximately 1 in 5 Americans experienced mental illness, and 1 in 20 Americans experienced a serious mental illness in 2021. And while over 57.8 million adults experienced mental illness, just under 50% sought out treatment. And of the 14.1 million adults who experienced serious mental illness, about 65% sought out treatment in 2021.
Mental illness does not only affect adults, as 50% of all lifetime mental illness starts by age 14. In 2021, 1 in 6 people between 6-17 years (7.7 million youth) reported experience with a mental health disorder. The second leading cause of death in youth aged 10-14 is suicide.
In the United States, anxiety is the most reported mental illness, followed by major depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Impact Of Mental Health on Overall Well-Being
Mental illness impacts not only the emotional, psychological, and social health of a person but also the physical and overall well-being of a person, their family, and the community. Below are a few examples of the impact of mental health on the individual, family, and community.
Those with depression have a 40% higher risk of developing cardiovascular and metabolic disorders such as heart disease, stroke and diabetes. Those with serious mental illness are nearly twice as likely to develop these conditions.
Higher unemployment rates among adults with mental illness
higher dropout rates in high school students with significant symptoms of depression
In 2021, 33.5% of adults in the United States with mental illness also experienced a substance use disorder.
21.1% of people experiencing homelessness have a serious mental health condition
Depression is a leading cause of disability worldwide.
Increasing Need for Psychiatric Nurses
As mentioned above, the WHO reveals a 13% increase in reported mental health disorders over the past ten years, and in 2024, 43% of adults say they feel more anxious than they did the previous year. While there is a noted increase in people diagnosed with mental illness, it is difficult to determine if this is due to the rise in incidence or if people are more comfortable reporting their symptoms and seeking treatment and have more labels to diagnose behaviors.
Regardless of the reason why we are seeing an increase in mental illness, there is an obvious need for more psychiatric mental health RNs and APRNs.
On top of having an increase in people diagnosed with mental illness, there is also an access problem in the United States, especially in rural communities. There are currently over 25 million people living in a rural community where there is a shortage of mental health professionals, further supporting the need for more psychiatric mental health RNs and APRNs to help meet this demand.
Over the past several years, we have seen an increase in mental illness, and it is projected that the number of people seeking treatment will continue to rise. This supports the need for more Psychiatric RNs and APRNs as they can help fill the current void of psychiatric mental health professionals, ensuring the health needs of patients are met and improving the overall well-being of the population.
Anxiety and depression are prevalent in the United States. Approximately 9.5% of American adults suffer from a depressive illness, and about 18% of people ages 18- 54 have an anxiety disorder. These are significant statistics, making it essential for us to understand the impact anxiety and depression have on not only the healthcare system but also healthcare professionals.
Anxiety and Depression
First, we need to define what is anxiety and depression before discussing how it impacts the healthcare system and professionals.
People worry every day about various things, and this turns into anxiety when the worry is not temporary and starts to consume their lives. Anxiety can impact a person’s personal, family, and professional life. Different types of anxiety include
Generalized anxiety disorder
Panic disorder
Social anxiety disorder
Phobia-related disorders
Depression impacts how a person feels, their mood, how they think, and their ability to complete daily tasks. To be diagnosed with depression, the symptoms must be present for at least two weeks. Different types of depression include
Major depression
Persistent depression
Perinatal depression
Seasonal affective disorder
Depression with episodes of psychosis
People with bipolar can experience depressive episodes
Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder
Impact of Anxiety and Depression on the Healthcare System
Anxiety and depression not only impact the individual experiencing mental illness, but they also impact the healthcare system. This can be due to the number of people who have mental illness but are untreated, the lack of access to mental health care, or the compliance with treatment plans.
The most common cause of hospitalization in the United States in people under the age of 18 is due to depression.
People aged 18-44 are at a higher risk of hospitalization for psychosis spectrum and mood disorders as they account for almost 600,000 hospitalizations yearly.
Mental illness costs the economy of the United States $193.2 billion in lost earnings each year.
Impact of Anxiety and Depression on Healthcare Professionals
The impact mental health, especially anxiety and depression, can have on healthcare professionals is significant. Not only does it affect their individual health, relationships, and overall well-being, but it can also lead to poorer outcomes in the workplace and burnout. Below are a few outcomes of mental health that can impact healthcare professionals.
Burnout: In 2022, approximately 46% of health professionals report burnout, an increase from 32% in 2018.
The information above is alarming, both regarding the impact anxiety and depression have on the healthcare system and healthcare providers. Improving and caring for the mental health of healthcare professionals needs to be a priority. This is vital to ensure there is no shortage of health professionals and they can provide high-quality care. Through this, we may be able to help decrease the burden anxiety and depression have on the healthcare system and overall economy.
Flaubert JL, Le Menestrel S, Williams DR, et al. (2021). The future of nursing 2020-2030: charting a path to achieve health equity. National Academies Press. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK573902/
Work directly with the patient to promote health and assist patients in achieving their goals.
Complete assessments and educate patients and their families on treatment plans, including diagnoses, medications, and therapeutic techniques to manage symptoms.
Practice crisis intervention and stabilization.
Collaborate with the interprofessional team, including case management and social work.
Coordinate care between the patient and any other needed specialties or resources.
Psychiatric mental health APRNs work in the inpatient and outpatient settings and are more involved in the treatment and management of their patients. The duties of the psychiatric mental health APRN include
They perform comprehensive head-to-toe evaluations, order diagnostic tests when indicated, and interpret these findings to formulate diagnoses and develop individualized treatment plans.
Utilize appropriate screening tools for diagnostic purposes.Utilize appropriate screening tools for diagnostic purposes.
Prescribe medications for acute and chronic illnesses.
Provide therapy interventions with the patient, family, or in group settings.
Collaborate with the interprofessional team and refer to other healthcare providers when needed.
Policy development
Certifications For Psychiatric Mental Health Nurses
Many nursing specialties have certifications that nurses can pursue to demonstrate passion, commitment, and expertise in their specialty. To obtain these certifications, additional studying and, for some, schooling are needed in addition to passing an exam.
There are no specific psychiatric mental health RN certifications. However, continuing education (CEUs) for nurses dedicated to psychiatric mental health nursing/behavioral health nursing can expand knowledge and ensure evidence-based medicine is practiced.
There are, however, certifications for the psychiatric mental health APRN.
ANCC Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) (Across the Lifespan): This certification exam is for those who have graduated from an accredited psychiatric-mental health NP program and completed all other eligibility requirements. Those who sit for this exam exhibit a passion and commitment to providing high-quality care, and the certification demonstrates entry-level clinical knowledge and skills along with commitment and passion for psychiatric mental health nursing. Once the NP passes the exam, they are awarded the credential PMHNP-BC. This indicates they are board-certified, and this credential must be renewed every five years.
AANP Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP): This certification exam is for those who have graduated from an accredited psychiatric-mental health NP program and completed all other eligibility requirements. Those who sit for this exam exhibit a passion and commitment to providing high-quality care, and the certification demonstrates entry-level clinical knowledge and skills across the lifespan. Once the NP passes the exam, they are awarded the credential PMHNP-C. This indicates they are board-certified, and this credential must be renewed every five years.
Nurses’ knowledge, skills, and commitment to providing high-quality care are just a few qualities that make them invaluable members of the healthcare team. The role of psychiatric mental health RNs and APRNs is no exception. The certification and CEUs completed by these healthcare professionals demonstrate the dedication and passion they show daily to their patients, family members, and healthcare team.
