In the dynamic world of healthcare, opportunities for nurses continue to expand. Graduate nursing degrees enable nurses to deepen their knowledge, hone their skills and choose an advanced specialty. A Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) opens the door for students to take on roles such as family nurse practitioner (FNP), nurse educator,nurse executive, psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner (PMHNP) and more.
We’ll answer, “What can you do with a master’s in nursing?” We’ll discuss how different MSN role specialties can lead to leadership and advanced roles in your field. We’ll outline what you can do with an MSN degree, additional nurse practitioner programs and certifications you can earn and other resources for career advancement as one of the MSN nurses.
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What Can You Do with an MSN? Leadership and Management Roles
What can you do with an MSN role specialty, such as Nurse Executive or Nurse Manager? Each specialty prepares budding nurse leaders with the skills to facilitate positive organizational change.
Demand is growing for nurse leaders: The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) predicts 29 percent growth in available jobs for medical and health services managers between 2023 and 2033.1
Leadership training, like the non-clinical program at the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences (USAHS), is ideal for nursing professionals passionate about overseeing healthcare management or improving organizational processes. This may include changing how the company manages patient care, improving its nursing administration and patient care procedures or navigating new federal regulations.
A nurse administrator or clinical nurse leader uses effective communication and creative thinking to support staff development and adapt to the needs of a changing patient base. What can you do with a master’s in nursing if you choose to specialize in leadership? Common career paths include:
- Chief nurse executive
- Surgical nurse manager
- Nursing supervisor
- Clinical research manager
After completing an MSN program, nurses may earn a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) to gain deeper knowledge about patient advocacy and strategies for effective leadership.
MSN Roles in Patient Care
Many nurses choose to earn their MSN degree with a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) specialty. What can you do with a master’s in nursing and FNP specialty?
Nurse practitioners play an important role in improving the patient care experience. As an MSN-FNP graduate of USAHS, for example, you can partner with families across the lifespan to promote preventive care, diagnose conditions and treat acute and chronic illnesses. The MSN family nurse practitioner’s responsibilities include:
- Taking patient histories
- Performing physical exams
- Administering immunizations
- Ordering and interpreting lab tests
- Prescribing medication and other therapies
- Providing family planning services
- Helping patients manage chronic health problems
- Offering resources for healthy lifestyles
FNPs work in a variety of outpatient and inpatient settings, such as:
- Private practice offices
- Community health centers
- Rural health clinics
- Hospital outpatient clinics
- Occupational or employee health settings
- Urgent care centers
What Do MSN Nurses Do in the Technology Field?
With the expansion of digital medical recordkeeping, nurse informaticist jobs are rising. Informatics nurses are registered nurses who combine clinical expertise with knowledge of technology, computer science and information systems to analyze and improve health systems used in clinical settings.2
What can you do with a master’s in nursing specializing in nurse informatics? By choosing a Nurse Informaticist role specialty, you can help bring your workplace into the future while enhancing communication and patient care through nursing research and innovative information systems and mobile applications.
These skills and qualifications can expand your career options, paving the way for opportunities in community health organizations, local practices, hospitals and clinics. Job titles may include:2
- Informatics nurse
- Nursing informatics specialist
- Clinical informatics nurse
- Clinical analyst
- Clinical specialist
- Chief information officer
- Chief nursing officer
- Health informatics officer
MSN in Education Roles
Nursing professionals who have a calling to educate their peers, patients and new medical students can choose to earn an MSN in nurse education. Nursing schools and healthcare organizations employ nurse educators to mentor, train or teach in the classroom or onsite.
A current shortage of nurse educators is predicted to spur growth of 17.9% through 2033.3 A nurse educator may work in the following settings:3
- Training in clinical practice
- Classroom instruction at community colleges and universities
- Executive oversight of academic nursing programs and faculty
What can you do with a MSN in nurse education? Students in this specialty may also take on administrative roles within healthcare organizations, guiding staff training alongside hiring managers.
Making the Most of What You Can Do with a Master’s in Nursing
Some MSN in nurse education programs offer acceleration and self-paced options so that students can learn at the pace that best fits their lifestyle. Through post-graduate nursing certificates, MSN students can add a second role specialty to increase their versatility and knowledge base.
As another way to boost your career growth, consider joining a student nursing association. Available for undergraduate and graduate students, these organizations provide an immediate community of peers and great opportunities for networking and resource sharing.
Advantages of Completing a Master’s Degree in Nursing
What can you do with an MSN? There are four distinct advantages.
More Career Options
You can choose the area of care you’re most passionate about, or you can explore non-clinical areas such as administration or technology. Investing in a nursing specialization can help you become a more skilled healthcare professional and position you as an attractive job candidate.
Work on More Predictable Schedules
What can you do with a master’s in nursing? Use your degree to show employers that you are qualified to take on management roles and lead a team. You can demonstrate your commitment to nursing and dedication to providing patients with quality care. An MSN degree can help you qualify to apply for management roles, which often come with greater control over your work hours and days. These roles also typically come with better salaries.
Apply Evidence-Based Practice to Provide the Best Care Possible
Generally, an evidence-based approach to practice allows nurses to assess the effectiveness of treatment plans and recommend changes to improve patient outcomes. It can also reduce medical errors, increase patient safety and promote cost-efficiency in healthcare.
Earn Valuable, Lifelong Skills
The MSN program at the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences is designed to help you further your knowledge of clinical practice and pave the way to a career in nursing leadership. Our curriculum at USAHS enables you to explore new ideas and learn from expert faculty-practitioners so you gain new skills and stay at the forefront of nursing. Request information today to learn more about what you can do with an MSN and select a nursing program to advance your career.
The University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences (USAHS) offers a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) and Post-Graduate Nursing Certificates designed for working nurses. Our degrees are offered online, with optional on-campus immersions.* Role specialties include Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP),Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP)** and Nurse Executive. The MSN and DNP have options to accelerate your time to degree completion***. Earn your advanced nursing degree while keeping your work and life in balance.
*The FNP role specialty includes one required hands-on clinical intensive as part of the curriculum.
**The Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner role specialty is not available for the DNP program.
***Time to completion may vary by student, depending on individual progress, credits transferred and other factors.
Sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Medical and Health Service Managers: Summary,” BLS, last modified August 29, 2024, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/medical-and-health-services-managers.htm.
- Gaines, K., “What is Nursing Informatics? | Salary & Career 2025,” Nurse.org, July 31, 2024, https://nurse.org/resources/nursing-informatics/.
- “Certified Nurse Educator Salaries and Job Growth,” All Nursing Schools,https://www.allnursingschools.com/nurse-educator/salary.
