I love my profession as a nurse, but I have realized the need to pursue a career as an advanced nurse practitioner. I have the passion for pursuing an advanced degree since it will allow me to understand the science of nursing. I would be able to research rural nursing problems as a way of improving the health conditions of the rural population. A career as an advanced nurse practitioner will allow me to make professional, autonomous decisions that I would be accountable. I would have the opportunity to attend to patients with similar and undiagnosed issues and make an assessment of their condition basing on highly-developed skills. My desire to pursue an advanced degree is due to the need to develop a close-knit bond with patients and their families in my hometown. I would like to give back to the community.

A career as an advanced nurse practitioner will allow me to earn a higher salary. An advanced degree has a significantly higher salary compare to what a registered nurse typically earns. According to the report by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, on average, a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists earns $153,780 as of 2014 (Liu, Finkelstein, & Poghosyan, 2014). This figure nearly doubled the salary for RNs. Second, an advanced degree can open up new career opportunities. Prestigious healthcare organization may prefer to give certain positions to candidates who have an advanced degree (Liu, Finkelstein, & Poghosyan, 2014). Third, attaining an advanced degree gives you a chance to gain a deeper knowledge and skills of a particular area of nursing. Advanced nursing practices require students to learn advanced skills thus becoming experts in their field. Conversely, the cons of this decision include the following. First, it is expensive to pursue a career as an advanced nurse practitioner. Earning an advanced degree is a significant investment that would cost one a lot of money (Iglehart, 2013). Second, the coursework and clinical hours are time-consuming. The studies require one to dedicate a substantial amount of hours on research and clinical requirements.

References

Iglehart, J. K. (2013). Expanding the role of advanced nurse practitioners—risks and rewards. New England Journal of Medicine, 368(20), 1935-1941.

Liu, N., Finkelstein, S. R., & Poghosyan, L. (2014). A new model for nurse practitioner utilization in primary care: Increased efficiency and implications. Health care management review, 39(1), 10-20.

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