Explore your nursing education options in our digital edition

Whether you’re an aspiring nurse just starting school with dreams of caring for others or an experienced RN looking to advance your degree and career, Make Higher Education Work for You offers expert advice, resources and tips to get you started on the right path.

Our essential digital edition provides valuable information on degree options, the future of nursing education and student loan debt.

Explore and debate important topics such as whether an MSN or an MBA is the ideal choice. In MSN, MBA degrees prime nurses for leadership, you’ll discover a university that allows nurses to pursue both. Read about the journey the led Stacy Ford, BSN, RN to enroll in the joint MSN-MBA program at Holy Names University in Oakland, Calif.

For students still in school or recent high school grads thinking about a nursing degree, our look at student loan debt, and ways to keep it under control is a must-read. Ken Shanahan, MSN, RN, CCRN-K, clinical nurse director of cardiovascular services at Tufts Medical Center, Boston, talks to Nurse.com about the importance of tuition reimbursement and student loan forgiveness for nurses as education costs rise.

“I didn’t graduate that long ago and my student loans are three times less than [than those of] some of the new grads,” Shanahan said. “They’re coming out with $100,000 in debt. It’s going to take a lifetime to pay off.”

No matter what nursing specialty you choose, having a BSN and continuing to advance your education can be invaluable in a competitive job market. Higher nursing degrees can give RNs a competitive edge offers nurses insight into the connection between education and expanding their career options. Research cited in the article shows BSN-prepared nurses might contribute to lower mortality rates in hospitals.

The importance of pursing more education throughout a nursing career also is explored by Robert G. Hess Jr. PhD, RN, FAAN.

“Whether for NP, DNP or PhD degrees, nurses are returning to organizations of higher education to seek degrees that will allow them to earn more money,” Hess writes. “In this resource guide, we explore how school rates as an investment, with the caveat that the longer you wait to return to school, the less time you will have in your career for a return on that investment.”

The push for more baccalaureate-prepared nurses and recent BSN in 10 legislation in New York that is likely to spread to other states also is discussed in BSN in 10 law ushers in a new era of nurse education.

But what about aiming even higher when it comes to a degree? Jennifer Mensik, PhD, MBA, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN tells readers about the benefits of pursuing a PhD or DNP early in their nursing careers.

“I finished my PhD in nursing when I was 30 years old,” Mensik writes. “Several people told me I didn’t have enough clinical nursing experience to continue with my education. Why some nurses feel the need to hold others back from continuing their education is beyond me.”

The guide also includes insight on the nursing faculty shortage and ways nursing schools are working to address the issue, along with a free CE and advice on nurse leadership by legal expert Nancy Brent, MS, JD, RN.

Check out Make Higher Education Work for You and get started on the right path to lifelong learning!

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Read full article here:: nurse.com