By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    headphones can create health problems
    The Harmful Health Effects of Using Headphones
    September 24, 2021
    Headache causes
    4 Causes Of Headache You Probably Didn’t Know About
    December 28, 2021
    follow these steps to recover from your injury
    What Steps Should You Take to Recover More Quickly from an Injury?
    April 12, 2022
    Latest News
    Grounded Healing: A Natural Ally for Sustainable Healthcare Systems
    May 16, 2025
    Learn how to Renew your Medical Card in West Virginia
    May 16, 2025
    Choosing the Right Supplement Manufacturer for Your Brand
    May 1, 2025
    Engineering Temporary Hospitals for Extreme Weather
    April 24, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    Do You Know What’s in Your Pain Pill?
    May 11, 2011
    Depression and Diabetes Linked
    June 23, 2011
    Positive Health and the Heart
    July 28, 2011
    Latest News
    Building Smarter Care Teams: Aligning Roles, Structure, and Clinical Expertise
    May 18, 2025
    The Critical Role of Healthcare in Personal Injury Recovery: A Comprehensive Guide for Victims
    May 14, 2025
    The Backbone of Successful Trials: Clinical Data Management
    April 28, 2025
    Advancing Your Healthcare Career through Education and Specialization
    April 16, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Advancing Your Healthcare Career through Education and Specialization
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > Policy & Law > Health care > Advancing Your Healthcare Career through Education and Specialization
CareerHealth careNursing

Advancing Your Healthcare Career through Education and Specialization

Ryan Ayers
Last updated: April 16, 2025 6:40 pm
Ryan Ayers
Share
8 Min Read
SHARE

Nurses don’t climb the corporate ladder in the traditional sense. Raises are generally scheduled. This to say that you will have a reasonably accurate understanding of how much money you can make throughout your career on day one at the job.

Contents
Advanced Practice NursingSpecial CertificationsHow Far Can a Nurse Go?Other Healthcare CareersWhat is the Best Way to Look at This?

Unfortunately, you don’t make more money just by being awesome at your job. To advance your career you’ll need to both continue your education and specialize. What does that look like for you?

In this article, we take a look at how you can advance your career in a way that is both rewarding and satisfying.

Advanced Practice Nursing

When most people think about career advancement in nursing, they imagine advanced practice nurses. Nurse practitioners, possibly more than anyone else. They have proliferated in recent years, thanks largely to loosening state laws that allow them to do basically the same things as a general practitioner.

Many states have expanded their scope of practice significantly. You could spend fifteen years in school to become a GP or more like eight to do basically the same things as an NP. The educational investment difference is substantial.

More Read

When Can Genetic Carrier Screening Be Performed?
Promoting cultural competence in nursing: strategies for enhancing diversity and inclusion
Why Nursing Makes an Ideal Second Career for Professionals Seeking Purpose
How to Make the Decision Between a Long Term Facility and an In-Home Nurse for Elderly Relatives?
The Journey to Healing: Navigating the Aftermath of Wrongful Death Claims 

And while GPs do generally make more money, NPs enjoy competitive salaries, flexible work environments, and in some states, they can even start their own practices. Many earn six-figure incomes within a few years.

Advanced practice nurses of any kind will need to get a graduate degree. Some schools will actually let you do this while you are still working on your undergraduate degree. Basically you “bundle” aspects of the program so that you are working on graduate classes before you have even completed your bachelor’s.

These accelerated programs save both time and money. In any case, you’ll need to dedicate several years, and quite a bit of money to this credential. The investment typically pays off within the first decade of practice.

Special Certifications

The quicker path to career advancement is to pursue a specialized certification. This will allow you to work in a vast range of different jobs. Forensic nursing.

Educational nursing. School nursing–which is different from educational nursing. Neonatal nursing. Psychiatric nursing. Each serves a unique healthcare function. Basically, any niche position within the profession generally requires a specialized certification. The requirements vary widely depending on the specialty area.

Some of these jobs come with higher salaries. Critical care and emergency certifications often command pay premiums. Others are just more flexible, or of greater personal interest. Many nurses find school nursing offers a better work-life balance. The majority of people who pursue a specialized certification do it because they are hoping to work in a healthcare field that they are passionate about. Passion for a specific population drives most specialty choices.

The certifications do take time and money but you can usually work on them while you are doing the job. Most programs are designed for working professionals. Your new employer may pay for your certification requirements. Many hospitals offer tuition reimbursement programs.

Once you complete all of the specialty requirements you can work without supervision–generally for a better salary. The autonomy and expertise make the investment worthwhile for most nurses.

How Far Can a Nurse Go?

How far can a nurse go? Arguably the highest position a nurse can occupy is that of the CNO–chief nursing officer. This is a C-suite position that will put you in one of the highest positions at the hospital.

The CNO oversees all nursing operations within a healthcare facility. They develop and implement policies that affect patient care standards. CNOs manage budgets, staffing, and strategic planning for the entire nursing department.

They also serve as the primary liaison between nursing staff and executive leadership. Educational requirements typically include a Master’s of Science in Nursing (MSN) at minimum. Many CNOs hold doctoral degrees such as DNP or Ph.D. in Nursing. Years of progressive leadership experience are also essential.

CNOs can easily make $200,000 a year. At really big hospitals that number will be even bigger. The role comes with substantial compensation reflecting its responsibilities.

Understand, however, that at this point you aren’t really working as a nurse anymore. You may focus on what nurses do day in and day out, but you won’t be involved in direct patient care. Your hands rarely touch patients.

That’s a very different set of responsibilities for someone who got into the profession passionate for helping others. Many CNOs miss the human connection of bedside nursing.

This, of course, is not to say that CNOs don’t help people. They do. The choices they make have an enormous impact on the communities that they serve. Their decisions affect thousands of patients and staff members daily.

They just experience those contributions in very different ways than they might be used to. The satisfaction comes from system-level improvements rather than individual care moments.

Other Healthcare Careers

Naturally, there is more to healthcare than just nursing. Doctors, administrators, and even pharmacists all have the opportunity to advance their careers and strengthen their credentials through continuing education.

Often, ongoing learning is a requirement. Try to fulfill it in ways that enrich the way you experience your profession.

What is the Best Way to Look at This?

What is the best way to look at this? Here’s the thing about nursing. It’s a really hard job. Many people leave within the first five years for exactly that reason.

School alone cannot prepare you for how physically exhausting and emotionally draining this work is. Only living in a world of twelve-hour shifts, constant stress, and constant tragedy can fully communicate the realities of the job.

The burnout rate is particularly high among new graduates.

No sensible person goes into the job hoping to get rich. They do it because it resonates with them. The calling to help others drives most nurses forward. You shouldn’t just look for a specialization that will pay well.

You should look for something that you will enjoy doing for forty years. Finding an area that matches your temperament and values is crucial. If the pay is awesome–great. If not—well, you didn’t get into nursing for Porsche money. Your career satisfaction will ultimately depend on finding meaning in the work itself.

TAGGED:healthcare careernursing
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share
By Ryan Ayers
Follow:
Ryan Ayers has consulted a number of Fortune 500 companies within multiple industries including information technology and big data. After earning his MBA in 2010, Ayers also began working with start-up companies and aspiring entrepreneurs, with a keen focus on data collection and analysis.

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

Clinical Expertise
Building Smarter Care Teams: Aligning Roles, Structure, and Clinical Expertise
Health care
May 18, 2025
Grounded Healing: A Natural Ally for Sustainable Healthcare Systems
Grounded Healing: A Natural Ally for Sustainable Healthcare Systems
Health
May 15, 2025
Learn how to Renew your Medical Card in West Virginia
Learn how to Renew your Medical Card in West Virginia
Health
May 15, 2025
Dr. Klaus Rentrop Shares Acute Myocardial Infarction heart treatment
Dr. Klaus Rentrop Shares Acute Myocardial Infarction
Cardiology
May 13, 2025

You Might also Like

successful traits for a career in nursing
Nursing

6 Extremely Important Traits the Modern Nurse Needs to Have

May 7, 2021
clinical experience is important for medical professionals
HealthMedicare

Residents Medical Group On The Value Of Clinical Experience

May 31, 2022
Health careTechnology

How To Adopt The Right Mobile App Technology To Improve Healthcare

October 13, 2018
confident nurse
Nursing

6 Ways Nurses Can Build Their Confidence

March 28, 2022
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?