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RN to MSN Programs in Kansas

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Facts, listings, and career advice—our practical guide to Kansas RN to MSN programs is designed to get you on the fast track to a KS master's degree! Use the school listings to evaluate costs, concentrations, and admissions requirements. Out-of-state applicants can also discover how online RN to MSN programs in Kansas are structured.

Planning for post-graduation? Have a look at the extensive section on jobs for Kansas RN to MSN graduates. We've included links to job & wage data, hospital rankings, local job boards, salary reports, and KS nursing associations & organizations.

Online RN to MSN Programs in Kansas

You’ll find one Kansas university in our school listings with an online RN to MSN program. Fortunately, it’s a pretty good one. We give it full coverage in the program profile, but here are a few important notes:

  • MidAmerica Nazarene University: MNU’s online pathway is an RN to BSN to MSN—you will earn a BSN along the way. It meets online, but selected courses are offered on-site in Olathe. You’ll also be expected to fulfill evidence-based practicums in your own area. During the MSN, you’ll be studying in 7-week modules. If you’re not from Kansas, be sure to visit the page on Online Degree Authorization Agreements before applying. There are a few states where MNU is not authorized to offer the RN to MSN.

If you’d like more choice, check out the page on Online RN to MSN Programs. It contains a full listing of distance learning programs in every state.

Kansas’s Healthcare Landscape

Kansas is a state in transition. Metropolitan areas have been growing larger, while rural counties have been shrinking. Residents in Kansas City may have access to top-notch medical centers. Others have to fight for basic services. In the Commonwealth Fund’s Scorecard on State Health System Performance for Kansas, the lowest ranked factor is often Disparity. And—as of 2019—the state had not expanded Medicaid.

To add to this, Kansas healthcare experts are concerned about baseline factors:

In response to these problems, the state has made some efforts. The Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services (KDADS)’s Behavioral Services Commission runs a number of mental health services & programs and the KDADS funds 25+ Community Mental Health Centers (CMHCs). However, these centers will need consistent funding & investment from the government in order to be effective.

Various healthcare providers and Kansas organizations are also actively working to tackle the obesity epidemic and support healthy lifestyles. Examples include Children’s Mercy Healthy Lifestyles Initiative (HLI) for the Kansas City area, Kansas Health Foundation (KHF) projects, and health promotion efforts from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHEKS). But it’s going to be a long haul.

Kansas Nursing Challenges & Opportunities

Kansas APRNs would like to help—especially in the areas of primary care and public health—but they’ve been feeling stymied by restrictions. As of 2019, Kansas NPs operate under restricted practice. They must have a collaborative & written protocol with a responsible physician and they are not recognized as primary care providers.

Without full practice authority, Kansas NPs who would like to work in rural communities are hamstrung. They can’t treat patients without permission, and they need to find a doctor who’s willing to work with them. So some are leaving town. That’s bad news for residents in HPSAs and medical underserved areas who are experiencing critical shortages in primary care and mental health providers.

This is a fluid situation, so we recommend you check up on state laws regularly. Full details are available in the KSBN’s section Nurse Practice Act (NPA). Visit the Kansas Advanced Practice Nurses Association (KAPN) for the latest legislative updates.

Jobs for Kansas RN to MSN Graduates

Career Outlook for RN to MSN Graduates

You can get a bird’s-eye-view of the job situation in Kansas by visiting the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)’s pages on Nurse Practitioners and Nursing Instructors & Teachers, Postsecondary. We favor the job & wage maps, since they allow readers to compare individual regions and nearby states. Bear in mind that Kansas has a low cost of living when you’re looking at wage numbers.

Generally speaking, Kansas has a high concentration of NPs, but most of them are centered in the Kansas City area:

  • This is where you’ll find many of the Best Hospitals in Kansas and Missouri, including the University of Kansas Hospital, St. Luke’s Hospital, North Kansas City Hospital, Children’s Mercy Hospital, and Shawnee Mission (in Overland Park).
  • KU Med, Shawnee Mission, and Children’s Mercy are Magnet Facilities.
  • When it comes to teaching opportunities, Kansas City is the home of the KU School of Nursing, the UKMC School of Nursing and Health Studies, Saint Luke’s College of Health Sciences, and plenty more.
  • Networking helps in Kansas City. Folks are sometimes hired via staff referral, so it pays to start paving the ground ahead of time. You’ll find potential mentors in our list of KS nursing associations & organizations.

Once you get outside of Kansas City, you may need to be more imaginative. Stormont Vail Hospital in Topeka is a Magnet Facility that often appears in the rankings of Best Hospitals in Kansas. But you could also consider health systems and community hospitals that are members of the Kansas Hospital Association (KHA). For example, Wichita has Via Christi St. Francis, the Kansas Heart Hospital, and the Wesley Medical Center.

If you’re thinking of heading into the countryside, the Kansas Office of Primary Care and Rural Health has details on the state’s HPSAs, rural health clinics, critical access hospitals, and workforce programs. Kansas offers a State Loan Repayment Program to healthcare professionals who are willing to work in HPSAs and APRNs/NPs in primary care and mental health can apply.

Career Resources for Future APRNs

Kansas Nursing Job Boards

Kansas APRN Salary & Wage Data

Kansas Nursing Organizations

State Board of Nursing

Kansas Nursing Associations & Coalitions

Kansas Nursing Specialty Organizations