I grew up just down the road from Johns Hopkins Hospital. I always admired the healthcare professionals who walked through its doors every day to treat patients
When one of the world’s best hospitals is in your backyard, there are lots of career possibilities, and it just makes sense to work in healthcare. Many of my friends did just that.
One became a pediatric nurse, another found her calling in the ER, and a third now works in a nursing leadership role in geriatrics.
If you’re a nurse or if you know nurses, you know that nurses need a certain number of hours in continuing education each year (the hours vary by state and the type of nursing license you have) to retain their license.1
To gain these hours, many nurses take courses in their area approved by the American Nurses Credentialing Center® (ANCC®).
However, if you are feeling burnout in your current job, a very real issue in healthcare, why stop at the continuing education required to keep doing the same thing?
Like my friends, many nurses deal with staffing shortages, rising demand and looming policy changes that make their work harder than it needs to be. Continuing education for nurses is about meeting licensure requirements, but obtaining additional nursing education in the form of a degree or certificate can be about making your nursing career exactly what you want it to be.
Feeling stuck in your current role? You’re not alone. Pursuing additional education for nurses can help you develop the skills, guidance and confidence you need to make a difference in nursing. Whether you’re looking to step into advanced clinical practice, take on a leadership role, or step away from direct care, here are three paths worth exploring.
1. Advancing education for nurses who like clinical practice
Not every registered nurse or LPN wants to leave the clinical side—some just want greater flexibility, more responsibility, and a chance to succeed in a new role.
For those who love direct patient care and the options that come with it, staying on the clinical side just makes sense. But that doesn’t mean you should expect to stay in the same role forever— American nurses have so many options.
Unlike in many other professions, a long-term care nurse isn’t simply promoted to the next level and given new patients. Advancing into specialized roles like gerontology or pediatrics requires additional education, training and licensure.
So, what’s one of the best ways to move forward? Choose an advanced nurse practitioner specialization and take courses in an MSN-NP program that builds clinical and leadership skills.
As a nurse practitioner, your options for autonomy, scheduling and the type of nursing you focus on expand—big time.
Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP)
If you’re a registered nurse who’s passionate about community and treating patients of all ages and backgrounds—from newborns to older adults—a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) specialization could be the perfect fit.
FNPs are highly versatile and work in a variety of settings, including hospitals, urgent care clinics, and even in their own practices. They conduct patient assessments, diagnose age-related illnesses, and prescribe medication and treatments.
An FNP specialization includes courses in health promotion, chronic disease management and reproductive care, along with training in telehealth and e-prescribing technologies.
Go deeper at What Does a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) Do?.
Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (PNP or PPCNP)
Love hearing the pitter-patter of little feet and seeing the twinkle in a child’s eyes? Then a Pediatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner specialization is your calling. PPCNPs usually work in pediatric clinics, school-based health centers, or outpatient care settings, performing developmental assessments, diagnosing pediatric conditions and prescribing treatments.
The PPCNP program covers the full spectrum of pediatric care, including growth and development, and how to deliver quality care through practicum rotations with children and their families.
Check out What is a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (PNP).
Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP)
If supporting emotional well-being is your calling, a Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner specialization allows you to treat patients across ages who are navigating conditions like anxiety, depression and trauma.
PMHNPs work in mental health clinics, hospitals and community health centers where they evaluate mental wellness, prescribe medications, and deliver therapy.
This track includes coursework in psychopathology, therapeutic interventions and neurobiology, providing real-world experience supporting the mental wellbeing of diverse populations and ages.
Check out How to Become a Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner: 6 Steps For Future Healers.
Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (AGPCNP)
Aging is a fact of life—and with it comes chronic illness, pain and complex health concerns. If you’re an empathetic long-term care nurse who wants to support aging patients and their family members through these challenges, an AGPCNP job could be your next step.
This program includes coursework in chronic disease management, age-related assessments, prescribing authority and community-based clinical experience. It helps registered nurses learn how to provide care across settings like rehabilitation centers, long-term care communities and skilled nursing center facilities.
Check out What is Gerontology? 4 Sides to the Science of Aging.
2. Advancing education for nurses who want to lead
Ready to influence policy, develop strong leadership skills and become a nurse educator or mentor?
You should pursue nursing leadership, education and technology! As your healthcare organization faces increased demand and staffing shortages, they need strong leadership that can guide healthcare staff and nursing staff, boost workplace culture and make sure patient care runs smoothly.
Whether in long-term care facilities, hospitals or skilled nursing facilities, nurse leaders often share a core set of characteristics and skills, including emotional intelligence, critical thinking skills and clinical expertise.2
Many long-term care nurses pursue leadership roles to help shape policy, manage care teams or train the next generation of nurses.
Whether you're hoping to manage a nursing home, oversee policy or become a mentor, earning an advanced degree—and not just a bachelor’s degree—is key to becoming an effective leader. Choose your focus from our Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) specializations perfect for aspirational leaders.
MSN in Nursing Leadership and Administration
This track prepares students for nurse administrator roles like director of nursing, unit manager and nurse compliance inspector. These positions are often found in hospitals, long term care facilities and organizations that rely on long-term care nurses.
Courses such as Leadership and Management in Nursing will help you utilize newly developed leadership knowledge and skills at an advanced nursing level.
Meanwhile, The Business Side of Nursing provides the tools to analyze healthcare economics—a key component of developing confident, effective nurse leaders.
Find out how nurse leadership roles shape the future of care in 8 Satisfying MSN Careers Nurse Leaders Should Consider.
MSN in Nursing Education
If you're passionate about training and educating current and future nurses, this path prepares you to become a nurse educator in an academic or clinical setting. These courses will teach you how to design curriculums, build pathways to transformational learning and guide and support the next generation of nurses.
Interested in teaching? Learn more about gaining the ability to become an educator at What You Need to Know About Becoming a Nurse Educator.
MSN in Healthcare Technology, Simulation and Informatics
This specialization blends nursing informatics with emerging, healthcare-advancing technologies—ideal for nurse leaders who want to complement their patient care experience with advanced knowledge of medical technology.
Students will build the skills they need to streamline processes and strength health care operations. You’ll also gain experience using real-world technologies that enhance decision-making, improve communication and elevate your patients’ care. This includes improving patient outcomes through better care coordination—from integrating medical equipment to collaborating with doctors and nurses across disciplines.
Explore how nurse informaticists are changing the way healthcare works at What Is Nursing Informatics? The Intersection of Science and Technology.
Post-graduate certificates can help you pivot
It’s never too late to make a difference—especially with a new job that aligns with your passion and goals.
If you’ve already earned your MSN but want to explore a different nurse practitioner track—perhaps shifting from acute care to long-term care—we’ve got you covered. Our post-graduate nursing certificates let long-term care nurses and other professionals expand their expertise and transition into a new clinical nursing role.
Explore Post-Graduate Nursing Practitioner (NP) Certificates.
Doctor of Nursing Practice for executives and public policy shapers
Looking to enhance your leadership skills at the highest level? Our DNP program is for nurses seeking employment in top-tier roles in Executive Leadership or Public Health and Policy. It’s ideal for those ready to shape healthcare delivery at the highest level.
The Executive Leadership DNP prepares nurses to lead at the highest organizational level. This track focuses on change management, team leadership, and incorporating cultural principles in healthcare.
The Public Health and Policy specialization equips nurses with the knowledge to influence health care outcomes on a broader scale. Students will learn how to analyze population healthcare trends, shape public policy and advocate for systemic change in clinical and community settings.
Learn more about the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Program.
3. Career opportunities for nurses who want to leave healthcare
Let’s face it—everybody reaches burnout at some point. Whether it’s from family responsibilities, financial stress, or career fatigue, we all get buried under the weight. For nurses, the strain can build up fast. From overnight shifts to hours on your feet, for hours and the emotional demands of caregiving, it’s no wonder many start thinking about a fresh start.
Don’t fret... your nursing skills are in high demand even outside of traditional healthcare, and we’re not talking administrative roles either!
Teach the next generation of nurses
It’s time to put what you’ve learned to good use! If you love the idea of mentoring future nurses and teaching current ones, consider becoming a nurse educator or nursing professor. Whether you work as an administrator, clinical educator, or adjunct faculty, you’ll have the opportunity to combine your real-world nursing experience with teaching, curriculum development, and guiding students through their training.
After all, you’ve already done the hard part: becoming a nurse. That means the transition to nurse educator may feel more natural than you think. A nurse educator is both a nurse and a teacher, and many of the skills you’ve already developed—critical thinking, empathy and communication—are just as valuable in the classroom. Sure, there might be a learning curve, but you’ve got this!
Curious about following this path? Get the scoop on becoming a nurse educator.
Bring your medical expertise into the legal world
If you’ve ever watched Grey’s Anatomy or ER, you’ve seen just how often medical care and the legal world collide. From healthcare fraud to medical malpractice, legal nurse consultants bring their healthcare expertise to the courtroom—helping attorneys understand complex medical records, identify standards of care, and interpret patient charts and health histories.
A legal nurse consultant may work for a health insurance company, a government agency, or in the pharmaceutical industry. Others are hired by law firms or serve as independent consultants. A legal nurse consultant is often drawn to the role because they’re passionate about patient advocacy, defending and protecting nurses and providers, and helping bridge the gap between law and healthcare.
Check out 7 Non-Clinical Nursing Jobs for Nurses Needing a Change.
Make an impact in public health
Public health nurses don’t just care for people—they focus on entire populations, helping to shape healthier communities. This field shifts the focus from treating individual patients to addressing broader health concerns that affect groups such as low-income families, pregnant women and those managing chronic health issues like high blood pressure and diabetes.
Most public health nurses work for the federal, state, or local government, including the National Institute of Health (NIH), non-profit groups, or your county’s local health department. Their mission is clear... to educate, prevent illness and improve the public’s access to care.
Check out What Is a Public Health Nurse? Exploring This Impactful Nursing Specialty.
Continuing education doesn’t have to mean a new degree
No matter where you are in your nursing career, we offer continuing education options to help you grow into your next role.
Sometimes the next nursing degree is exactly what you need to get to the role you have your eye on.
But sometimes, all you need is a new certification and some creative thinking. Check out 6 Signs It's Time to Expand Your Nursing Practice (Without Starting a New Degree).
1Continuing Education Requirements for Nurses by State (September, 2017). Lippincott NursingCenter https://www.nursingcenter.com/continuing-education/license-renewal-requirements-by-state#/continuing-education/state
2Brunt BA, Bogdan BA. Nursing Professional Development Leadership. [Updated 2025 Apr 17]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK519064/
3American Nurses Credentialing Center® is a registered trademark of American Nurses Credentialing Center.
4Rasmussen University’s Master of Science in Nursing Pediatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Specialization is not available to residents of all states. Please speak with an admissions Representative to determine your eligibility for enrollment.
5Rasmussen University’s Master of Science in Nursing Family Nurse Practitioner Specialization is not available to residents of all states. Please speak with an admissions Representative to determine your eligibility for enrollment.
6Rasmussen University’s Master of Science in Nursing Professional Specializations have not been approved by any state professional licensing body. They are not designed to prepare graduates for any advanced practice nursing license or other state-issued license. For information on professional licensing requirements, please contact the appropriate board or agency in your state of residence.
7Rasmussen University’s Master of Science in Nursing Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Specialization is not available to residents of all states. Please speak with an admissions Representative to determine your eligibility for enrollment.
8Rasmussen University’s Master of Science in Nursing Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Specialization is not available to residents of all states. Please speak with an admissions Representative to determine your eligibility for enrollment.
9Rasmussen University’s Nursing Post-Graduate Certificate-Nursing Education and Post-Graduate Certificate-Nursing Leadership and Administration programs have not been approved by any state professional licensing body. They are not designed to prepare graduates for any advanced practice nursing license or other state-issued license. For information on professional licensing requirements, please contact the appropriate board or agency in your state of residence.
10Rasmussen University’s Master of Science in Healthcare Technology, Simulation, and Informatics Specialization has not been approved by any state professional licensing body. It is not designed to prepare graduates for any advanced practice nursing license or other state-issued license. For information on professional licensing requirements, please contact the appropriate board or agency in your state of residence.
11Rasmussen University’s Master of Science in Nursing Education Specialization has not been approved by any state professional licensing body. It is not designed to prepare graduates for any advanced practice nursing license or other state-issued license. For information on professional licensing requirements, please contact the appropriate board or agency in your state of residence.
12Rasmussen University’s Master of Science in Nursing Leadership and Administration Specialization has not been approved by any state professional licensing body. It is not designed to prepare graduates for any advanced practice nursing license or other state-issued license. For information on professional licensing requirements, please contact the appropriate board or agency in your state of residence.
13Rasmussen University’s Doctor of Nursing Practice degree program is not designed to prepare graduates for any advanced practice nursing license or any other state-issued professional license or certification. This program has not been approved by any state professional licensing agency. For further information on professional licensing requirements, please contact the appropriate board or agency in your state of residence.
