The Master of Science in Nursing-Master of Business Administration (MSN-MBA) dual degree is getting more attention from registered nurses (RNs). This degree program combines advanced nursing education with executive leader and business administration skills in preparation for high-level executive positions within the health care field.
This program can prepare you for managerial positions and leadership roles in community health centers, hospitals, clinics, long-term care facilities, and other competitive health care organizations.
Alexis Hanson, DNP, is the MSN academic chair for the School of Nursing at Purdue Global. She has more than 20 years of combined experience in her areas of specialty including clinical practice, management, leadership, and teaching. In this article, Hanson discusses the MSN-MBA dual degree program and the opportunities this degree plan can offer you.
How Does the MSN-MBA Degree Differ From Other MSN Degree Programs?
Hanson says RNs have many excellent choices available to them at Purdue Global when choosing to pursue an MSN degree, including MSN Nurse Practitioner, MSN Nurse Executive Leader, and MSN-MBA.
- MSN Nurse Practitioner – Purdue Global offers four Nurse Practitioner (NP) degree programs: Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP), Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP), Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (AGACNP), and Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (AGPCNP). These specialty NP degree programs prepare you to assess, treat, evaluate, manage, and care for patients in a variety of settings.
- MSN Nurse Executive Leader – This degree program allows you to pursue managerial/administrative positions and leadership roles in many areas of health care.
- MSN-MBA – This degree program allows you to earn two master’s level degrees (MSN Nurse Executive Leader and MBA) simultaneously and in a shorter amount of time than pursuing them individually. This combination of advanced nursing education and business knowledge can open up executive leadership opportunities for RNs in health care and beyond.
The MSN-MBA program will also prepare you to take the Nurse Executive (NE-BC) or Nurse Executive, Advanced (NEA-BC) certification exam.
Who Should Consider Pursuing an MSN-MBA Dual Degree?
Hanson says the MSN-MBA combination degree can be of substantial benefit to nurses.
“If an RN’s career goal is to obtain a leadership, executive, or managerial position within a health care organization, choosing to pursue the MSN-MBA degree at Purdue Global can be a strong catalyst in helping to achieve that goal,” she says. “With the MSN-MBA degree, the RN gains graduate level nursing experience, leadership skills, and business experience, making this a winning combination for their future career endeavors.”
Hanson says many RNs have already been fine-tuning their leadership and management skills throughout their nursing career before entering graduate school. Nurses are known to be effective communicators, collaborators, and team players; they are caring, compassionate, proactive, educated, and creative. They are also teachers, have great time-management and problem-solving skills, are patient advocates, and more.
Nurse.org says the MSN-MBA is also a good choice for nurses who:
- Want to impact the values and culture of a company
- Have clinical experience but not as much business experience
- Want to make a difference in health care from the top down
- Wish to find work beyond direct patient care
- Desire to work in the health care industry but behind the scenes
>> Read: Yes, an MBA Is Worth It: 5 Reasons to Get an MBA
What Career Opportunities Are Available to Those With an MSN-MBA?
According to Hanson, there are many career opportunities available for individuals with an MSN-MBA dual degree. These can include increased job opportunities at the leadership, management, or administrator level at hospitals, clinics, and other health care organizations.
Within health care, the MSN-MBA dual degree can help you move into these positions:
- Chief nursing officer
- Clinical data manager
- General and operations managers
- Government agency consultant
- Health care administrator
- Insurance company consultant
- Medical and health services managers
- Hospital leadership
Outside of health care, the MSN-MBA degree can give you the opportunity to become:
- A member of advisory boards for private or government organizations
- A medical device company representative or management
- A medical pharmaceutical company representative or management
Once you complete the MSN-MBA degree, you can also choose to earn a post-graduate certificate as a Nurse Practitioner (with a choice of Adult-Gerontology Primary Care, Adult-Gerontology Acute Care, Psychiatric Mental Health, or Family Care); you can also earn a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree.
What Are Other Benefits of Pursuing an MSN-MBA Degree?
As Hanson shares, an MSN-MBA job candidate may have an advantage in obtaining a management or leadership position within a health care organization with their experience and dual-degree background.
Nurses with an MSN-MBA degree are often more sought after by employers, Nurse.org says. They are often preferred to fill high-level administrative and leadership positions. With experience in both nursing and business, you could position yourself as a strong candidate with upward mobility in the future.
Another benefit of obtaining this degree is the speed at which it can be earned. For example, because master’s degree programs share a core curriculum at Purdue Global, you can obtain an MSN-MBA online in as few as 2.5 years.
Reach Your Goals at Purdue Global
There are many career avenues and degree paths that are available to you at Purdue Global. Hanson shares that the important thing is to find the area or areas of nursing that you have a passion for and move forward in your educational journey to achieve those goals and dreams.
If you are ready to be on the fast track to executive leadership, the MSN-MBA offers a way to reach that goal.
Find out more about Purdue Global’s MSN-MBA dual online degree, and contact us today for more information.
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