If you get your master’s degree to become a nurse practitioner, many career paths will be open to you. Which do you follow? That depends on your goals, your desired location, and, of course, the job offers you receive.

The biggest difference between nurse practitioners and registered nurses with just a BSN or associate’s degree is that nurse practitioners don’t need to work so closely under supervision by a doctor. They can diagnose patients, as well as write prescriptions, so some nurse practitioners even have their own private practices. Most nurse practitioners are experts in one specialty such as women’s health or psychiatric care, which qualified them to work in that field with high levels of responsibility. No matter what your specialty, here are some of the careers from which you can choose:

Nursing Home Nurse Practitioner

By far, hospitals, medical clinics, and other large medical facilities employ the most nurse practitioners, but working in a nursing home is an option too. Many nursing homes employ nurse practitioners because it is less expensive than keeping three or more full time doctors on staff to work around-the-clock, especially when there is rarely the need for a doctor. Nursing homes are much slower-paced environments, unlike hospitals, which typically have emergency rooms and patients who need decisions quickly. This is a great environment for nurse practitioners that specialize in geriatrics.

Ambulatory Nursing

If you enjoy working in high-pressure environments, you may want to work in an ambulatory setting. Riding with paramedics to scenes of accidents means that you have to be ready to make life-saving decisions at a moment’s notice. If you like this kind of fast-paced job, you may also like working in an emergency room setting.

Nursing Management

No matter where you work, as a nurse practitioner, you may be in a management position in your department. With your master’s degree, you’ll have more education than many other nurses, meaning that it is natural for you to be promoted to a head nurse position. While you’ll still have care duties, this may also mean that you work with a staff of nurses to distribute work, file paperwork, and otherwise make decisions to keep your department running smoothly. You may also be in charge of tasks such as scheduling, and when other nurses have a question, it is you who may have to make a judgment call. Working in a management position can be stressful, as the responsibility is huge, but the payoff is a fulfilling job.

Teaching

If you go on to get your doctorate in nursing, you can start teaching as a nurse practitioner. You could teach is a classroom setting, or you could teach in a more hands-on section, continuing to perform duties as a nurse as well. In a teaching setting, you’ll oversee other nursing students, but most employers require a doctorate degree for their professors, so you’ll need to go on to get a degree beyond your MSN.

These are not the only job choices you have a nurse. You can work in a school situation, start your own practice, or get a job at a specialty hospital depending on your specialty and degree.

Nowadays, earning an advanced nursing degree online from the comfort of your own home is quite simple. The following schools are tops in the nation in terms of delivering a quality, accredited online nursing practition education.

MSN - Clinical Nursing MSN - Family Nursing MSN - Nurse Admin MSN - Women's Health More...	University of Cincinnati — The MS in nursing degree program with a specialization in women's health practice offered online by the University of Cincinnati is geared toward nursing students wanting to receive expert training on women's health issues. Cincinnati also offers many other nurse practitioner degree programs, including MSN specialties in clinical nursing, nurse administration, family nursing, nurse midwifery, and mental health nursing.
MSN for Nurse Practitioners	South University — South University has built a reputation on class flexibility and affordability and their general MSN program for nurse practitioners is no exception. This program is ideal for busy working healthcare nurses and professionals looking for advancement in their respective careers.
MS in Nursing MSN / MBA Dual Degree MSN / MHA Dual Degree MSN - Health Education MSN - Health Informatics	University of Phoenix — The Master of Science in nursing for nurse practitioners from the University of Phoenix is a flexible online program from an accredited school. Students will learn advanced nursing skills, finance, change management, and evidence-based nursing research. Upon completion, graduates will be well prepared to advance their nursing careers. MSN specialties are offered in health education and health informatics. Dual degrees (MSN + MBA and MSN + MHA) are also available.
MSN for Nurse Practitioners - Acute Care	Liberty University — Liberty's Master of Science degree program in nursing is geared toward individuals interested in acute care nursing. Students of this program will be trained to become a clinical nursing specialist (CNS) in acute care. Liberty University is the largest online evangelical Christian university in the nation.
RN to MSN - Practitioner MSN - Nurse Education MSN - Nurse Leadership	Gonzaga University — Gonzaga's RN to MSN degree program will dutifully prepare anyone for a career as a nurse practitioner. Students of this program learn administrative, human capital management, financial, ethical, and legal skills. Other programs are offered in nurse education and health systems leadership.
MS in Nursing - RN Track RN to MSN - Informatics RN to MSN - Education RN to MSN - Leadership	Walden University — The Walden School of Nursing offers several unique master's in nursing degree programs for the aspiring nurse practitioner. For those RNs who have already obtained their BSN degrees, there are multiple fast-track MSN programs offered that will get you on the path to your degree as fast as possible. MSN specialty programs are available in subjects like informatics, education, and leadership.
MSN - Adult Acute Care MSN - Adult Psych Care MSN - Clinical Trials MSN - Nursing Leadership	Drexel University — Drexel's MSN - adult acute care nurse practitioner program is geared toward preparing students for professional nursing practice with acutely ill patients. Graduates of this program can find careers in several settings, including ICUs, clinics, emergency departments, medical research laboratories, and more. Programs are also available in adult psychiatric care, clinical trials, and nursing leadership.
MSN - Nurse Educator MSN - Nurse Educator Bridge	Capella University — The master's degree in nursing education is taught in two flavors by Capella University. The regular MSN in nursing education is geared toward nurses with a BSN under their belts. They also offer an MSN bridge degree in nursing education that is designed for bachelor's degree holders in other subjects not related to nursing.
MS in Nursing	Benedictine University — The online Master of Science degree in nursing program from Benedictine University prepares students to become nurse educators, leaders, administrators, case coordinators, managed care consultants, and more. This program is regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC).
MSN - Nurse Admin MSN - Nurse Education	Kaplan University — The MSN nurse administration and nurse education degree programs from Kaplan allows nurses with bachelor's degrees to take their careers to the next level. Students of these programs will learn advanced nursing theory, health policy, evidence-based decision making, financing, and more.
MSN - Nurse Education MSN/MBA - Leadership MSN - Nursing Leadership	Grand Canyon University — Grand Canyon University is always worth a look for students seeking a well-rounded education that integrates the ideals of the Christian belief set. GCU is not only one of the most renowned Christian universities in the nation, but also offers a variety of graduate-level nursing degrees for students to choose from, including nursing education and nursing leadership (also with an MBA option).
RN to MSN Bridge MSN - Health Mgmt	Loyola University of New Orleans — Two online degree programs are offered at Loyola University of New Orleans for aspiring nurse practitioners. Their RN to MSN bridge program covers topics of leadership, community health, health promotion, and professional development to help prepare students for careers as nurse practitioners. Loyola also offers an online MSN degree in health care systems management.
MSN - Clinical Leadership	St. Xavier University — The online MSN program from St. Xavier University has a focus on clinical nurse leadership, ideal for any student who is looking for an advanced nursing role within the healthcare industry. Nurse leaders help identify, design, implement, and evaluate critical administrative processes to enhance patient care.
Click here to learn about even more nursing programs...