Considering Earning an MSN in Maine?

A MSN is short for a master of science in nursing. Getting a MSN is advancement for a registered nurse and an entry-level degree for someone who wants to be a nurse educator or nurse manager. To get a MSN one must have previous experience as a registered nurse, usually holding a bachelors of science in nursing. Their license as a registered nurse must me active and unrestricted. The undergraduate grade point average must be at least a 3.0 on a 4.0 scale to be accepted into the program. There are three common paths one can go with a MSN in Maine, a nurse administration track, a nurse education track, or a family nurse practitioner track.

Both on campus and online options for schooling are available in the state of Maine. The skills a MSN holder will obtain vary depending on the college, and if the program is specified to a certain track of the MSN. Some typical skills are; being able to implement and evaluate the health care policy of the employment site, being able to take the lead in the health care employment site, and provide quality and low cost health care to their patients. The job satisfaction of a MSN compared to a RN is much higher.

There are many job opportunities for a MSN graduate in Maine, the above said jobs; nurse administrator, nurse educator, family nurse practitioner, a nurse anesthesia, family psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner, clinical nurse Midwife, and also one could be a professor of a nursing preparation programs one must now hold a MSN. Financial aid is available depending on which college is chosen, and wither or not the student goes full time or part time. There are many pros and cons of holding a MSN, the pros include being able to be a teacher/professor, it allows one to take nursing a step further by letting them become nurse managers, nursing supervisors, director of nursing and so on. Cons would be that it is quite a bit of schooling, which depending on the financial aid received can be quite costly.

To help with the costs of schooling the MSN holder will have quite a salary, the median yearly earnings are as followed, case manager $58,617, nurse educator $70,795, nurse manager $84,067, nurse practitioner $79,869, and a nurse administrator $105,746. These average salaries’ came from the year 2008. What to look for while choosing a college is the accreditation and state acceptance, if the school has both of these the program is more likely to teach the skills needed. Also look for the different prerequisites the students must hold, most are general like the above stated, but different programs will require different things, especially if choosing a special track of the MSN. The flexibility of the program, if the student has a household with children to take care of, as well as his/her own job the program will need to be more flexible, maybe even online to meet the flexibility needs of the students. One last thing to look into is the reputation of the school and staff, try and get into contact with a current student, and look up reviews for the school and program. To see how the student would fit in, at the certain school.