Which Master’s in Nursing Specialty Is Right For You?

A master’s degree in nursing allows nurses to make a bigger difference in their community through specialized knowledge and advanced credentials. With their master’s in nursing, nursing professionals can drive their career toward leadership in administration, teaching, research, direct patient care and more. According to their Master’s Education statement, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) wrote that nurses with graduate-level preparation could pursue high-demand roles such as:

• Clinical nurse leaders
• Nurse managers
• Clinical educators
• Health policy consultants
• Research assistants
• Public health nurses
• Nurse practitioners

These positions often come with a higher annual salary and a more satisfying scope of practice, making a master’s degree in nursing worth it for many successful professionals. Even so, AACN reported lagging enrollment in nursing master’s degrees in 2022 and 2023. It’s paramount to reverse this trend, as additional leaders are needed to address the global nursing shortage, filling roles that focus on caring for the world’s growing population, educating people wanting to enter this field and managing nursing and healthcare teams.

An online MSN is a popular option for working nurses interested in upskilling and advancing in their careers because of its versatility. The online MSN from the University of West Florida includes three industry-leading specialties: Family Nurse Practitioner, Nursing Education and Nursing Leadership. Given the overall value of a master’s degree, each nursing specialty offers unique benefits and opportunities. Keep reading to learn more about these MSN nursing specialties and discover which is right for you.

Family Nurse Practitioner: Provide Holistic Care to Communities in Need

Family nurse practitioners (FNPs) are registered nurses who have a master’s degree as a nurse practitioner with a family nurse practitioner specialty. FNPs might have independent practices or work in doctor’s and physician’s offices, clinics and hospitals. In most states, FNPs can prescribe medications, order tests, and oversee the treatment and prevention of disease. Due to their prescriptive authority, family nurse practitioners usually help their patients in longer-term primary care roles (sometimes overseen by a doctor or physician).

Their scope of practice and holistic approach to healthcare have made FNPs the ideal primary care providers for families across the country, and careers for FNPs are expanding. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), while nurse practitioners working in physician’s offices (including FNPs) accounted for 48.1% of all nurse practitioners in 2023, they’re projected to account for 53.4% by 2033. Total nurse practitioner employment will increase by 46.3% during that same period. These employment gains are needed to help care for the aging baby boomer population and their families, and they create new opportunities for nurses who want to use their master’s in nursing to improve the overall health of their communities.

Family nurse practitioners promote health equity throughout their day-to-day work in their communities. In the World Health Organization (WHO) State of the World’s Nursing Report – 2020, FNPs and other advanced practice nurses were found to “increase access to primary healthcare in rural communities and address disparities in access to care for vulnerable populations in urban settings.” Their comprehensive approach also means that FNPs can save families time, money and resources.

As the first point of contact for their patients, a day in the life of a family nurse practitioner includes preventative healthcare and lifestyle counseling. In the publication “All About NPs,” the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) stated that patients who see NPs as their primary care providers often have fewer emergency room visits, shorter hospital stays and lower medication costs. In addition to better patient outcomes, family nurse practitioners also have higher earning potential than registered nurses.

While the BLS reported a median annual salary of $86,070 for RNs in May 2023, nurse practitioners earned a median salary of $126,260. Family nurse practitioners can increase their salary potential with their years of service, specialized skills and continuing education.

Earning a Master of Science in Nursing with a Family Nurse Practitioner specialization is an important step in preparing for these roles. In these programs, nursing professionals can build competencies to offer primary care in outpatient settings. FNP programs also help aspiring professionals complete direct practice hours to build experience and meet requirements to attain certification through the American Nurses Credentialing Center or AANP.

Nursing Education: Train and Mentor Tomorrow’s Nurses

Gaining a master’s in nursing with a nurse education specialization can also help experienced nurses boost their salaries and make a more significant impact on the field.

Nursing education is an ideal specialty for nurses passionate about teaching and mentoring. While many people think of these professionals as classroom teachers, nurse educators can also be found in a variety of administrative and clinical environments. Nurses for a Healthier Tomorrow, a nursing and healthcare coalition dedicated to advocacy, showed that nurse educators work in:

• Colleges and universities
• Hospital-based schools of nursing
• Nursing technical schools
• Healthcare facilities as staff development educators
• Community health agencies
• Home care agencies
• Long-term care facilities
• Distance learning environments

In a college or university faculty position, nursing instructors are responsible for creating and teaching with an up-to-date nursing curriculum and set of assessments. Their teaching might take place in classrooms, simulation labs and supervised clinicals. Nursing faculty usually focus on preparing their students for national nursing certification and licensure exams. Nurse educators pass their wisdom to others in these roles by drawing on years of nursing experience.

Working in a clinical nurse educator position might entail additional responsibilities such as budgeting, allocating resources, overseeing the performance of a nursing team and collaborating with an organization’s healthcare administrators. Clinical nurse educators could find employment in a wider variety of environments than academic nurse educators, including hospitals, clinics and treatment centers.

Nurse educators are in high demand, especially at higher education institutions and vocational schools. BLS data indicates an 18% employment growth for post-secondary nursing instructors and teachers from 2023 to 2033. It will be important to meet that demand, as an AACN study found that 65,766 qualified applications for bachelor’s and graduate nursing programs in 2023 were not accepted due to a lack of nursing faculty and other factors.

Based on the WHO’s 2020 State of the World’s Nursing Report findings, one of the biggest challenges in nursing education has continued to be “the recruitment and retention of sufficient numbers of qualified nurse faculty.” While interest in graduate nursing programs has remained high, nursing education programs can only admit as many students as they can teach. For nurses who decide to fulfill the ongoing faculty shortage, this is just one way the career path is gratifying.

Another way that nursing education careers are gratifying is that teachers and mentors can see their students learn and develop. Other benefits of careers in nursing education, according to the NHT, “include access to cutting-edge knowledge and research, opportunities to collaborate with health professionals, an intellectually stimulating workplace and flexible work scheduling.” Flexibility could better suit nurses who want a fluid work schedule that benefits their families and other commitments.

Along with these benefits, a master’s in nursing with a nursing education specialty can lead to roles with competitive salaries. The average salary for nurse educators was $84,862 per year in September 2024, according to PayScale. Nurse educators can boost their salaries with practice in clinical education, hospital education and training program development.

By earning an MSN with a Nursing Education specialization, nursing professionals can do more than earn rewarding salaries—they also develop the right competencies for educating the next generation of nurses. These programs delve into best practices for developing curriculum that considers the latest nursing trends and aligns with modern standards and regulations for healthcare. While many universities offer nursing education programs online, including practicum requirements allows students to explore instructional planning and teaching strategies within clinical and classroom settings.

Nurse Executive: Improve Processes and Outcomes in the Healthcare System

With a nurse executive specialty, master’s-prepared nurses can access administrative positions at the forefront of their healthcare organization. Almost any healthcare office or provider requires nurse executives (also called nurse leaders or administrators). These professionals work in hospitals, physician’s offices, nursing homes, nursing schools, consulting firms and more. Although specific job duties vary according to the position, the general role of a nurse executive is as a strategic leader and liaison.

Nurse executives usually manage budgets, develop policies and procedures, understand staff needs and communicate those needs to other administrators, per Johnson & Johnson’s description. These responsibilities enable nurse executives to improve both the quality of patient care and the working environment for their team. Nurse executives are also uniquely positioned to support health equity in their communities.

Susan B. Hassmiller, R.N., FAAN, Ph.D., is senior scholar in residence at the National Academy of Medicine. Hassmiller emphasized health equity in a 2021 interview published by Nurse Leader: “I would love for all nurse leaders to commit to advancing health equity as their top priority in the next decade.” She called on nurse leaders to:

• Partner with organizations focused on housing, transportation, social isolation and food insecurity
• Advocate for all nurses within their organizations to be able to practice to the full extent of their education and training
• Find long-term solutions to address the systems, structures and policies that create workplace hazards and stresses

By focusing on these goals, nurse executives can reduce socioeconomic barriers to healthcare and promote access to high-quality care. More healthcare providers and organizations are embracing the fight for health equity, so the demand for cutting-edge nurse leaders is quickly rising.

The job outlook is excellent for nurse managers and other medical and health services managers. BLS projections show about 61,400 openings for medical and health services managers in the U.S. annually from 2023 to 2033. Some states, such as Florida, will see an even higher demand due to a rapidly increasing population. The BLS showed that the Miami, Ft. Lauderdale and West Palm Beach metropolitan areas of Florida had one of the nation’s highest counts of health services managers—10,570 in May 2023.

MSN graduates with their nurse executive specialization can pursue these growing careers under several job titles. Some of the most common are listed below, with their annual salary from PayScale as of November 2024:

• Chief nursing officer: $146,095
• Nursing director: $90,697
• Nurse administrator: $96,538
• Nurse case manager: $80,338
• Nursing manager: $96,542
• Nursing supervisor: $84,810
• Nursing home administrator: $101,567

MSN programs with Nursing Leadership specializations provide the ideal training for professionals wanting to begin leadership positions. Specializing in nursing leadership equips nurses with expertise in informatics, case and risk management, quality improvement and other practices for improving patient care. Impactful MSN programs also explore nursing leadership models and strategies for organizational decision-making, preparing nurses to improve healthcare processes and outcomes.

Why Wait to Start Your Master’s in Nursing?

With salaries for MSN graduates ranging from $80,000 to $146,095 and strong employment demand, now is a great time to claim the benefits of advanced nursing education. Master’s degrees in nursing are well-positioned to secure employment given the ongoing shortage of nurses, nurse faculty and nurse leaders.

Employers are recruiting talented nursing students right from their programs. AACN reported that, as of August 2023, the average job offer rate at graduation was 82% for entry-level MSN graduates. This demand was echoed by the American Organization for Nursing Leadership (AONL).

In their August 2021 longitudinal survey of nurse leaders, the AONL cited 76% of nursing directors, managers, chief nursing officers and chief nursing executives who said that their employers have considered or are now offering increased wages, bonuses or incentives to new hires. As more new nurses enter the field with varying experience levels, qualified nurse practitioners, nurse educators and nurse leaders are urgently needed to maintain a high quality of care and a safe work environment.

In the same survey of nurse leaders, the AONL indicated that today’s advanced-practice nurses need to develop proficiencies in telehealth and updated staffing models as they work to address the need for emotional health among their staff. Nurses can gain these skills and more in graduate programs such as the online MSN from the University of West Florida.

With Family Nurse Practitioner, Nursing Education and Nursing Leadership specialties, UWF’s online MSN is taught by experienced nurses dedicated to sharing their expertise. The MSN’s fully online curriculum is tailored for working nurses so that students can complete their coursework anytime, anywhere. In 24 to 27 months, graduates of a UWF master’s in nursing program can complete their licensure exams and reach their nursing career goals.