Joint Degrees in Nursing
Joint degrees in nursing exist in a number of fields. They are usually master's level courses and are available from many colleges and universities. The purpose of these types of degrees is to combine the knowledge and humanitarian work of a nursing degree with another discipline that creates a type of hybrid nurse. Nurses with joint degrees are able to work in many varied settings in and out of hospitals. Often, nurses are awarded joint degrees in less time than if they had pursued the two career paths at different times. The joint degree programs also usually require fewer credits than two separate degrees.
Some universities offer a master's degree in nursing and a master's degree in public health. Nurses who pursue this type of degree might choose to work for a health department on a state or federal level. They concentrate on primary prevention and educating the public about health concerns. Upper level courses for this type of degree would include nursing classes, epidemiology, and ethics classes. Public health nurses concentrate less on the individual patient and more on the education of populations.
Another joint degree program is a master's in nursing and a master's in health administration. The MSN/MHA degree prepares the nurse for administrative positions. A nurse in this role would learn about leading other nurses, writing policies, and even working on grant writing and budgets. This is an important program because it trains leaders within the nursing specialty. Nurse managers and nursing administrators are two types of careers that would benefit from this type of education.
Nurses who are interested in the fiscal aspects of hospitals and health care systems might pursue a joint master's degree that combines nursing with a degree in business administration. The nurse will take core nursing classes along with accounting, economics and other business classes that relate to the operation of a hospital. Nurses with this type of educational background will be vital in the future of hospitals and health networks so hospitals can remain fiscally viable.
For nurses interested in pursuing a law degree, universities offer a Juris Doctorate in law along with a master's degree in nursing. In other words, the nurse is also able to practice as an attorney after completing the program and passing the bar exam. This type of program is very learning intensive and generally takes longer than other joint degree programs. The options for this type of degree are broad and can be utilized in a number of ways. The combination of both legal and medical expertise makes a nurse with this type of education very skilled in two arenas.
Joint degrees in nursing and another subject are all great options for nurses. They help not only to advance the profession of nursing, but they also provide career paths that vary from traditional ones. Hospital systems and patients alike benefit from nurses that have education beyond that of a registered nurse. The nurse also becomes more marketable with these other types of training.
Published: 2009-11-03
