Choosing An Advanced Degree

Thinking of expanding your role and responsibilities? Obtaining an advanced degree is the first step, but what degree should you take – MScN, MHA, MBA? Do you want to stay in nursing, or even in healthcare for that matter? Most people will agree that once you've been a nurse, you can probably do anything.

RN to MN or MScN

A Master's degree in Nursing helps you develop expertise in a clinical area or in nursing management. Some Master's degree programs specialize in one particular area, such as the program at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, which focuses primarily on research. Others offer the full gamut. For example, the University of California, Los Angeles offers, among others, programs in Nursing Administration, Occupational and Environmental Health, Nurse-Midwifery as well as Clinical Nurse Specialty Programs in Acute Care, Gerontology, Oncology, Pediatrics, and Neuropsychiatry.

Most nurses are familiar with the jobs held by individuals who hold an MSN. They have encountered them as professors, lecturers, and researchers while at nursing school or in their everyday work-life.

RN to MHA

A Master of Hospital Administration (MHA) is specific and primarily for someone interested in an operations and management career within a health organization. An MHA differs from an MBA in that it focuses on issues that are pertinent to the health organization. The MHA program includes courses such as Health Economics, Administration of Health Organizations, Information Systems for Health Services, Epidemiology in Health Planning, and Health Law. Most programs conclude with an internship at a health organization.

If you are certain that you want a management role in a health organization, the MHA offers an invaluable and focused learning experience.

RN to MBA

An MBA is a popular choice for many nurses – and for good reason. The degree opens doors to job opportunities not only within healthcare but also in other industries.

Where to go?: Employers tend to consider where you received your MBA, so if you're planning on shelling out tens of thousands of dollars, make sure you get value for your money. BusinessWeek has useful information about business schools and helps you calculate a likely Return on Investment (ROI). This site also has MBA rankings, school profiles, GMAT information (plus the average scores for each school and how to prepare for the test), Admissions Q&A, and information about financial aid. You can also get a taste of MBA student life by reading online journals from current students.

What to expect: An MBA needs more planning than some of the other advanced degrees, not only because you have to write the GMAT but also because it's important to prepare yourself for a very different type of learning. According to Linda Blair, a healthcare consultant with Courtyard Group, it's not something one should rush into, "If you go from nursing straight into an MBA, it would be tough. A practicing nurse should try to get as much exposure to the business aspect of the hospital as they can." Blair herself had six years business experience prior to taking her MBA, but she says that just holding a management position of some kind (within a hospital or other industry) would give someone a head start. "The economic and financial parts are always challenging, but when you've had more experience, you get more depth from the learning," states Blair. And, knowing what you want to do with the MBA – before you start the program – will give you greater focus and make the experience more worthwhile in the long run.

Interesting programs: In recent years, a number of schools have designed MBAs with nurses in mind. The University of Toronto in Ontario now offers a joint MBA/MSN program. Instead of two years for an MBA and two years for a MSN, the program can be completed in three years. The first enrolled student, Natalie Burkitt, started in the program in the fall of 2002 and hopes to work in healthcare administration upon completion of her degrees.

The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, in Philadelphia, the top-ranked business school in the US, offers a unique Health Care Management program, which is taught by an interdisciplinary staff from the social sciences, business, medical, nursing, and dental faculties. This Health Care Management program must be chosen on entrance to Wharton and requires a summer placement with a healthcare organization. The Haas School of Management at the University of California, Berkeley offers two programs related to health management – a two-and-a-half-year MBA/MPH (Master's in Public Health) and a Certificate in Health Management within the MBA program.

Ultimately, the program you choose will depend on your career objectives. From the very broad (MBA) to the highly specific (MSN), there are a wide range of university programs to meet your needs.

Also see our article: Juggling School & Work.

Choosing An Advanced Degree

RN to MN or MScN

RN to MHA

RN to MBA

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