RN to MSN Programs in Florida

Online RN to MSN Programs in Florida

A number of Florida universities now offer hybrid and 100% online RN to MSN programs, including UCF! Each College of Nursing has a list of detailed admissions requirements, so we recommend you examine the profiles in our school listings to get a 360º view of the program. Here are a few more points to bear in mind:

• Jacksonville University: Jacksonville’s RN-MSN concentrations are 100% online and open to RNs with an associate degree or diploma in nursing (unlike some other schools which also ask for a non-nursing bachelor’s degree). There are no mandatory log-in times for the 8-week courses and students interact with professors via discussion boards and email. Practice projects are completed locally.
• Nova Southeastern University: NSU’s standard RN to MSN is 100% online. However, any APRN concentration (i.e. NP specialty) is hybrid, with a mix of online and on-campus components. That means NP students must reside within a 150-mile radius of the program campus and have a Florida RN license. The AGACNP concentration is offered on the Palm Beach campus, the FNP is offered on the Palm Beach and Tampa Bay campuses, and the PMHNP concentration is offered on the Miramar and Tampa Bay campuses.
• University of Central Florida: The Nurse Educator and Leadership & Management concentrations are offered online, with practicums or internships taking place in the student’s local community. However, the Nursing and Healthcare Simulation option may include a couple of on-campus components, such as 2 days of work for the capstone project. Visiting the campus will also give you a chance to work in UCF’s high-tech simulation labs.

Cheapest RN to MSN Programs in Florida

To compile this ranking of the most affordable Florida RN to MSN programs, we examined per credit graduate tuition rates. The lower the rate, the higher the ranking. But it’s just an estimate! The final price will depend on the total number of credits, any additional fees, and your place of residence. Remember, too, that you may be able to transfer credits or ask for a portfolio review on certain undergraduate courses.

1. University of Central Florida: In-State (Out-of-State is comparable to private universities)—View Tuition Rates
2. University of South Florida: In-State (Out-of-State is comparable to private universities)—View Tuition Rates
3. Jacksonville University: View Tuition Rates

While you’re comparing schools, it’s useful to know that Jacksonville charges separate tuition rates for undergraduate and graduate nursing coursework. What’s more, Nova Southeastern University has different rates for different concentrations (NP specialties have a higher per credit tuition).

All in all, NSU and UT aren’t that much more expensive than the top 3. Florida is an affordable state!

Florida’s Healthcare Landscape

Future APRNs and nurse leaders in Florida will be expected to address a number of challenges:

• A high percentage of uninsured residents, a climbing obesity rate, more drug overdose deaths, and low birthweights are just some of the issues that trouble data analysts in America’s Health Rankings and the National Center for Health Statistics.
• In the U.S. Rural Health Report Card, Florida is usually close to a failing grade, with a high rural poverty rate, a disturbing lack of primary care access, and an age-adjusted mortality rate than can be 25%+ higher than the rate in urban counties.
• In 2015, the state government rejected a federal offer to expand Medicaid in Florida. This decision has led to concerns in the medical community about the number of Florida residents who are slipping through healthcare cracks, including low-income children, Puerto Rican migrants, and veterans.

Aspiring PMHNPs may also find themselves on the front line. According to Mental Health in America (MHA) data, Florida is grappling with a huge number of issues, including a low rate of mental health providers, repeated failures in access to care, and suicide. In FHA annual reports, one of the top 3 diagnoses for hospital admittance is frequently “psychoses.”

In response to these problems, organizations like the FLANP have been pushing hard for a change to state laws about an NP’s scope of practice. As of 2019, Florida NPs were still required to practice under the supervision of a physician. That means they are limited in how and where they can perform their work. Advocates for a law change argue that independent NPs could help to alleviate current provider shortages, especially in Florida’s rural areas and primary care practices.

Jobs for Florida RN to MSN Graduates

Career Outlook for RN to MSN Graduates

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) keeps a close eye on job & wage data for Nurse Practitioners and Nursing Instructors & Teachers, Postsecondary, and the maps on these pages will tell you a great deal. For example:

• Florida has some of the highest employment levels of NPs in the country.
• The Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL metropolitan area alone accounts for ~30% of the state’s NP jobs and ~1,000 nursing instructor jobs.
• Other hotspots for NPs include urban areas like Tampa, Orlando, and Jacksonville.
• In fact, Tampa typically employs ~500 nurse instructors.

Despite these promising stats, there’s a fair amount of discussion in nursing message boards about how hard it is to find an advanced nursing job in Florida. New MSN graduates sometimes encounter glutted markets in big cities and—as we’ve mentioned—there aren’t a great deal of healthcare providers in less populated areas.

One way to combat this problem is to be strategic about your clinical practicums and internships. Ask the MSN program coordinator for a list of affiliated institutions and start thinking about how you can connect with future employers. U.S. News & World Report’s rankings of the Best Hospitals in Florida and ANCC’s list of Magnet Facilities in Florida can also help get you started.

Finally, we want to mention that the Florida Legislature has established a Nursing Student Loan Forgiveness Program (NSLFP) that’s designed to address critical nursing shortages. LPNs, RNs, and NPs who agree to work full-time at a designated employment site (rural or urban) can receive funds to assist in the repayment of their nursing education loans.

Career Resources for Future APRNs

Florida Nursing Job Boards

• FNA Career Center: Job listings for Florida nurses, including APRNs, nurse educators, and nurse leaders
• FLANP Career Center: Job listings for Florida NPs
• FNPN Career Center: Job listings for Florida NPs

Florida APRN Salary & Wage Data

• Annual Mean Wages for Florida Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations: Categories can include “Nurse Practitioners,” “Nurse Midwives,” and “Nurse Anesthetists”
• Annual Mean Wages for Florida Nursing Instructors & Teachers, Postsecondary
• AANP National Compensation Survey: Available to AANP members

Florida Nursing Organizations

State Board of Nursing

• Florida Board of Nursing

Florida Nursing Associations & Coalitions

• National Association of Hispanic Nurses (NAHN): Florida Chapters
• National Black Nurses Association (NBNA): Florida Chapters
• Florida Association of Nurse Practitioners (FLANP)
• Florida Hospital Association (FHA)
• Florida Nurses Association (FNA)
• Florida Nurse Practitioner Network (FNPN)

Florida Nursing Specialty Organizations

• American College of Nurse-Midwives – Florida Affiliate (Florida ACNM)
• American Psychiatric Nurses Association – Florida Chapter (APNA Florida)
• Association of Women’s Health, Obstetrics and Neonatal Nurses – Florida (AWHONN Florida)
• Florida Association of Nurse Anesthetists (FANA)
• Florida Association of School Nurses (FASN)
• Florida Emergency Nurses Association (FENA)
• Florida League for Nursing (FLN)
• Florida Nursing Students Association (FNSA)
• Florida Organization of Nurse Executives (FONE)
• Florida Society of PeriAnesthesia Nurses (FLASPAN)