What opportunities are there for advancement in nursing

A PhD in Nursing is the highest level of education a nurse can achieve. The programs offering this degree are heavily research- and science-based, as opposed to the practice-based DNP. This terminal degree is for those who are drawn toward conducting important medical research that will advance the nursing field.

The real question is where to focus your efforts. Our students pursue an education based in the liberal arts — and in the distinguished, inclusive Catholic tradition of educational excellence, the oldest and most rewarding in the western world.

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A staff nurse can become an assistant unit manager and then become a unit manager or a head nurse. This kind of advancement can take years as they generally require a postgraduate degree in nursing, health services administration or related fields. The nursing profession is by going the clinical route and becoming an advanced practice registered nurse APRN.

By pursuing further studies and certification as a nurse anesthetist, nurse midwife or nurse practitioner, nurses get the APRN designation which enables them to give specialty care to various populations. As APRNs, they can even prescribe medications. Nurses with years of experience in a healthcare setting and postgraduate degrees can also choose to advance in the educational field.

They can work as postsecondary teachers in nursing schools or nursing departments of colleges and universities and even get to head these programs. Another form of advancement that nurses pursue is by establishing and managing their own ambulatory, nursing care or chronic care facilities. Explore our online nursing pathways infographic to get started on the next step in your education today!

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Apply Now. Resources View all Resources. Diploma or Certificate in Practical Nursing One nursing pathway often chosen by those pursuing a career as a licensed practical nurse LPN begins with earning a diploma or certificate in practical nursing. Depending on their place of employment, responsibilities for LPNs may include: Bathing or feeding patients. Assisting in medical procedures. Collecting blood and fluid samples for medical testing.