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Should I Get an MSN in Leadership Versus MSN FNP in Case I Eventually Move Out of the Clinical Setting?

Nurse comforting patient in wheelchair

Question:

Dear Donna,

I am a 26 year old with more than one year experience as an RN. I completed my BSN and want to continue my education and become a family NP Would you advise completing an MSN in administration or leadership and then a post-master?s FNP certificate or just completing an MSN for my FNP?

Are there differences in the way employers view a candidate with an FNP certificate? If I should step away from the bedside later in my career for a management position, will I be a better candidate with an MSN in leadership as opposed to the MSN I received with my FNP?

Wants to Become an FNP

Dear Donna replies:

Dear Wants to Become an FNP,

Go for the MSN/family nurse practitioner degree. There is no need to take a detour or do it in the stages you describe. Even if you eventually leave the clinical setting, what matters in the end is that you have an MSN regardless of the focus. Being an FNP, whether working in a clinical or non-clinical setting including management, administration, or even education, is still a valuable and marketable credential and background to possess. Don't dance around it, just do it.

Best wishes,
Donna