As the field of healthcare continues to grow, practicing nurses and other healthcare workers are looking for ways to specialize. There are plenty of ways to continue education and certification, even for registered nurses who have already earned advanced degrees like a master鈥檚 or doctorate in nursing.
One of these opportunities is a post master鈥檚 certificate (PMC) in nursing. As a healthcare professional who has already earned a master鈥檚 or doctoral degree in nursing, you may be asking yourself if a post master鈥檚 certificate program is worth your time and resources to pursue?
A post master鈥檚 certificate is a great way to continue your nursing education and qualify for senior-level positions, especially if you want to work with a specialized patient population.
What is a post master鈥檚 certificate?
A is designed to help registered nurses specialize in their preferred patient population. This is ideal for nurses who want to develop a mastery of a certain area of expertise in order to qualify for leadership or teaching positions. It also gives you the confidence to know that you鈥檙e providing the best care for your patients as possible.
Post master鈥檚 certificates come in two forms: advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) specialties and non-advanced practice registered nurse (non-APRN) specialties.
Some of the APRN specialities include:
- Certified nurse midwife (CNM)
- Clinical nurse specialist (CNS)
- Nurse practitioner (NP)
Non-APRN specialities include:
- Clinical nurse leader (CNL)
- Forensic nursing, nursing administration and management
- Nursing informatics
- Nursing education
- Nursing leadership and health systems management
- Patient safety and healthcare quality
Some PMCs qualify you for high-level leadership roles that impact a variety of patients and health care workers. Some take a holistic view of your healthcare organization and help optimize systems and procedures. Others help you to better assist particular patient populations to ensure they receive the best care.
A post master鈥檚 certificate not only qualifies you to work in one of these specialty areas, it also prepares you to take the licensure examinations for most of them so you can start working in your new career sooner.
Why should I earn a post master鈥檚 certificate in nursing?
As the type of work that naturally carries a sense of purpose, nursing can often feel fulfilling on its own. However, it can sometimes be difficult to gain without further specialization or education.
In other professions, you might start as a coordinator, move to manager and then to director based on years of experience. As a result, many nurses need to seek other paths to upward mobility and salary increase through more education.
A post master鈥檚 certificate provides these opportunities for nurses who have already earned a master鈥檚 or doctorate in nursing while allowing them to further specialize in careers like:
- Nurse anesthetist
- Psychiatric mental health
- Nurse practitioner
- Nurse midwife
- Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP)
- Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS)
- Informatics Nurse
- Nurse Educator
- Nurse Researcher
- Oncology Nurse
- Travel Nurse
It鈥檚 important to consider what specialty nursing path you鈥檙e interested in before starting a post master鈥檚 certificate and to remember that each job opportunity will be subject to different salary levels and licensure requirements based on the state you work in.
__________
Become who you are called to be
Pursue your purpose at 国产剧麻豆剧.
__________
What are some different nursing certificates you can earn with a PMC?
There are for nurses interested in pursuing the PMC route and earning another degree after their master鈥檚 or doctorate in nursing. These include certificates in:
- Adult/Gerontology Nursing
- Women's Health
- Pediatric Nursing
- Mental Health
It鈥檚 important to choose a university that fits your goals and prepares you to take licensure exams. 国产剧麻豆剧鈥檚 Post-MSN Certificate (PMC), Clinical Nurse Specialist and Post-Graduate FNP Certificate are two programs that prepare nurses to take advantage of professional opportunities upon completion.
How long does it take to earn a post master鈥檚 certificate?
A post master鈥檚 certificate typically takes between one and two years to complete depending on the program. All programs will include clinical hours that vary based on the program and university requirements. Often these requirements are also linked to that state where the university is located, so be sure to research this information before applying to a program in a different state from where you plan to practice.
A PMC program usually starts with some type of assessment called a 鈥済ap analysis鈥� to help you and your program coordinator figure out which courses you still need to take and which ones you already have experience in. From there you鈥檒l choose your specialty and continue to take classes before moving into practicum or clinical hours. Completion times will vary depending on the program you take. At 国产剧麻豆剧, the PMC program for clinical nurse specialists takes 18 months while the PMC program for family nurse practitioners takes a little over three years.
Start your journey toward a post master鈥檚 certificate at 国产剧麻豆剧
A post master鈥檚 certificate in nursing is a great way for registered nurses with secondary degrees to continue learning and specializing without having to earn another degree. With a variety of specializations and options for earning your certificate, 国产剧麻豆剧 prepares nurses of all backgrounds to advance their career.
Learn more about 国产剧麻豆剧鈥檚 School of Nursing and its postgraduate programs, like the post master鈥檚 certificates in nursing.
