Mississippi MSN Programs
Earning a master’s degree in nursing can provide you with the skill set that is necessary to set you apart from the competitive Mississippi nursing workforce. Earning your graduate degree from one of the several nursing schools in Mississippi can help you reap a number of benefits, such as the possibility of new job opportunities in your area of interest, a probable increase in your income, the respect of your peers, and a greater sense of satisfaction in your nursing career.
If you are ready to learn about your options for Master’s in Nursing programs in Mississippi, you can find them all here. We have compiled a listing of all the nursing schools in MS that offer a program for a Master’s Degree in Nursing, ranging from RN to MSN programs to Direct Entry programs. Select those nursing programs in Mississippi that meet your criteria, and then request information from schools directly from our site.
Mississippi is experiencing a 7.7 percent nursing shortage, just like most other states. The Mississippi Regional Action Coalition is working to redesign nursing education by redesigning their curriculum and by promoting regulations that support exploration of new models of health care delivery for all nurses.
According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing there are eight AACN member schools in Mississippi as of 2013 that have 573 master’s students enrolled. However, qualified applicants are being turned away from these facilities due to a lack of faculty and clinical training sites. The state of Mississippi, in collaboration with the MS Action Coalition, is working hard to reverse these barriers.
Working as an RN with an MSN in Mississippi
Mississippi has a great need for primary care providers, especially in the rural areas of the state. Family Nurse Practitioners, Pediatric Nurse Practitioners and Gerontological Nurse Practitioners are all essential healthcare providers in Mississippi. Nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) are also commonly used in rural Mississippi, making these MSN based careers some of the most common in the state.
In Mississippi, advanced practice nurses are required to collaborate with a state physician to practice to the fullest extent to their license. That can be a challenge for some Master’s-prepared nurses, as the state is in the midst of a physician shortage. If, however, you have difficulty finding a Mississippi physician collaborator, you can contact the Board of Nursing, which will try to help you find a suitable collaborator.
Nurse Practitioners (NPs) in Mississippi earn an annual income of $95,070 and nurse anesthetists earn $157,690, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics in May 2013. Nurse educators have numerous job opportunities, and their average annual salary is $70,200.
Mississippi requires Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) to have an MSN, at the minimum, and you must pass the national certification exam to practice. If you want to prescribe medications you must complete a class in advanced pharmacology and complete a minimum of 20 hours of a monitored residency program with a licensed physician.
While there are also careers in leadership, management, research, and a variety of other advanced nursing positions available after earning your Master’s degree in Nursing, NPs and CRNAs comprise a good deal of this population. To learn more about all the different career and degree options you can find, contact the nursing schools on our page and request program details.
MSN Nursing Programs in Mississippi
Nursing schools in Mississippi offer traditional campus MSN programs as well as online and distance learning options. These online MSN programs are known for offering scheduling flexibility, as well local clinical sites to aid in degree completion.
One example of a university with online nursing graduate programs is the University of Southern Mississippi, which offers the following programs:
- Adult Gerontology Nurse Practitioner
- Family Nurse Practitioner
- Family Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
- Nurse Executive
These MSN programs require 44–47 credits for graduation, which usually takes a minimum of four semesters of full-time study. This university does offer both part-time and full-time study, as well as an RN to MSN program, if you have not already earned your BSN.
The admission requirements for most MSN nursing programs in MS usually include:
- Graduation from an accredited baccalaureate program in nursing education
- GPA of 3.0
- Submission of scores on the verbal and analytical sections of the GRE
- Completion of an introductory statistics course
- Three letters of reference from professionals that detail the applicant’s capabilities for graduate study
- Proof of an unrestricted Mississippi RN license
Some of the core courses in most MSN programs can include:
- Advanced Pharmacotherapeutics
- Advanced Pathophysiology
- Advanced Health Assessment
- Evidence Based Practice
- Health Promotion
The number of required clinical hours per semester for each program is 180 and must be completed with a qualified preceptor.
The RN-MSN also provides didactic work (work that’s completed in the classroom) and clinical experience (work that’s completed in the field, either with real patients or simulations). Each student must complete the following courses prior to beginning the MSN courses.
- Evidenced-based practice (research and statistics)
- Ethics
- Role development
- Health care policy
- Finance
Nurse Practitioners often have the opportunity to work as primary care givers. There may be numerous available positions for nurses with graduate degrees in Mississippi, and you may be qualified to take the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s credential examination after graduation, depending upon the route you choose.
Regardless of which route you choose, you can bring both personal and community-wide benefits by earning your Master’s Degree in Nursing, and will be expanding your knowledge base significantly. Take a moment to request information directly from our site from all of the schools that offer programs you are interested in.
MSN programs for Mississippi nurses include:
- University of Mississippi Medical Center. UMMC is home to the state’s oldest MSN program. It’s also home to the state’s only Level 1 trauma center and children’s hospital, so if you’re looking for specialized graduate education, UMMC might be the place for you. Master’s programs include nurse practitioner, nurse educator and nursing and healthcare administrator options.
- Delta State University. Delta State offers MSN programs such as nurse practitioner, nurse educator and nurse administrator. All of these programs are available online, making Delta a good choice for nurses who don’t live near a school that offers graduate education. Students can attend either full or part-time.
