Who is a Nurse Administrator? – Careers And Salary

If you are motivated and analytical, have leadership skills and are interested in the business side of healthcare, you may be a nurse administrator. Thus understanding who is a Nursing Administrator is necessary to pursue a career in the field of study.

Due to the unprecedented growth in health care, nursing administrators are often very popular. They play an essential role as a leader and team builder while planning and supervising medical services and helping provide the best possible care to their patients.

By the time you’re through with this article, you’ll get to know who a nurse administrator is. However, Kindly click on the table of contents to have an overview of the sections in this article.

Who Is A Nurse And Nurse Administrator?

Good nurses are an important part of the healthcare system, and that importance extends to the role of a nurse administrator. Furthermore, many nurse administrators start their careers as registered nurses, so they understand the daily tasks and challenges of nursing.

They are expected to achieve the high-quality goals of an organization by leading and coordinating a team of medical staff.

The nurse administrator role combines business insight with the emotional intelligence needed to build trust and positive understanding with staff, patients and families.

Nursing administration goes beyond clinical knowledge and experience to include management, budgeting, human resources, and strategic planning skills, to name just a few.

What do Nurse Administrators do?

Nursing administration includes a wide range of nursing duties at the management level. Nurses typically manage staff in a range of medical departments or hospitals and complete administrative tasks such as performance assessments, attending meetings, developing training and staffing procedures and more.

Basically, a nurse administrator usually reports directly to a hospital director and can supervise nurse administrators. This role is usually office-oriented and of a managerial nature, with little or no direct interaction with the patient.

Nursing administration is a general term that can apply to a number of job titles, including a cost nurse, nurse manager, head nurse, and head nurse. Additionally, each of these functions includes different levels of responsibility and different tasks.

Some nursing administrators are more focused on administrative tasks such as budgeting, scheduling staff, maintaining the policy and hiring new employees. Others are more closely involved in direct patient care and also supervise the daily work of other nurses.

What Nursing Administrators do on a daily basis

A variety of options are available for those interested in nursing leadership. As your career progresses over time, you can be in charge of one department, or you can oversee multiple medical units at the same time.

Some nurses even have executive-level functions that work alongside the CEO to manage organization-wide systems and initiatives.

The best nurse administrators are not in honor of this career; instead, they go to work every day to fulfill a mission and to promote patient care.

Additionally, a nursing administrator must be passionate about his role and be enthusiastic about providing optimal care to as many people as possible.

Job Description Of A Nurse Administrator

The job description of the nursing administration can include a number of important tasks:

  • Recruiting, interviewing, hiring and training staff
  • Create work schedules and approve leave requests
  • Directly supervise, supervise and assess the work of staff
  • Perform performance agreements
  • Manage budgets, order medical equipment and approve expenses
  • Keep track of facility services and resources used
  • Perform tasks to ensure efficiency and cost savings
  • Initiate quality improvement measures
  • Communicate with other department heads
  • Ensure compliance with laws and regulations

Nurse Administrator Certification/Programs – How to become a nurse administrator

To be eligible for a position as a nursing administrator, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) is of utmost necessity. You can obtain a bachelor’s degree through a traditional BSN program, an RN-to-BSN program or an accelerated BSN program.

However, more and more employers prefer to have candidates for a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), especially for more advanced leadership roles that focus on the business side of health care.

These types of MSN programs are offered both online and in traditional classrooms. The courses are more advanced than a bachelor’s degree and focus specifically on topics related to healthcare economics, finance, strategic planning, ethical considerations, and organizational behaviour.

SEE ALSO: How to Become an Appraiser in 2024: Schools, Licenses, Salary, Cost, Requirements

Advanced Degrees and Certificates To Prepare You For A Role In Nursing Administration

  • RN-to-MSN in Nursing Administration: Advance from an Associate’s degree in nursing to an MSN without having to earn a BSN in advance. Most programs require 24-36 months.
  • MSN in Nursing Administration: moving from a BSN to an MSN and learning more about health care economics, policy, and leadership practices. Programs usually take 12-36 months to complete.
  • Graduate Certificate in Nursing Administration: Extend your credentials beyond a BSN or MSN and acquire specialized knowledge of healthcare administration. The acquisition of these programs can be in a year or less according to a part-time schedule.
  • Dual Master of Science in Nursing / Master of Health Administration (MSN / MHA): Complete a dual degree program that combines advanced nursing practices with courses in business activities and behavior of organizations. Most programs require 18-24 months.
  • Dual Masters of Science in Nursing / Masters of Business Administration (MSN / MBA): register for this type of training to have a chance for advanced skills in nursing and business management. These programs often last 24-36 months.
  • Certificates Postdoctoral nurse administrator: You can obtain a designation as certified by a nursing board (NE-BC) or a nurse executive (NEA-BC) through the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) by fulfilling a series of conditions and an exam.

Nurse Administrator Salary – What is the salary of a Nurse Administrator?

According to the US Bureau of Labors Statistics (BLS), medical and health service managers earn an average salary of $98,350 a year.

The wage rates vary per level of responsibility, years of experience, location, and type of employer. Hospitals tend to pay the highest median salary of $107,230 a year, while nursing and care institutions pay the lowest for $82,950.

In addition, your level of education can also influence your salary potential and help you qualify for more advanced positions. Masters in nursing administration jobs may include middle manager, director level and executive roles.

For a reference point, here’s how the nurse administrator’s salary can be put in comparison to other jobs of like nature:

  • Registered nurse: $70,000
  • Nursing practitioner: $103,880
  • Human Resources Manager: $110,120

Nurse Administrator Jobs (Career) – What can I do with training as a nurse?

Nurses can manage a large team of nurses in a city hospital or work with a small team in a competent nursing home.

The nursing manager assists staff members to work together to achieve critical organizational goals, such as high-quality care, financial responsibility, and legal compliance.

They can also broaden their reach and manage multiple teams and departments for an entire hospital or facility. However, the nurse Administrator can find jobs in various healthcare institutions, including:

Healthcare Institutions

  • Hospitals
  • Outpatient care centers
  • Doctors offices
  • Nursing and care homes
  • Government institutions

While searching for nurse administrator duties, you can hear various titles, including:

  • Charge nurse or nurse shift supervisor
  • Nurse Manager
  • Clinical nurse leader
  • Director of nursing
  • Chief nursing officer
  • Vice president of clinical operations
  • Nurse executive

Nursing administrators are nurses with advanced practice (APRNs), which means that they must have a postgraduate degree as a nurse. Because nursing administrators manage staff and have high-level responsibilities, they must have extensive nursing experience and impeccable leadership and management skills.

A typical job description for a nurse can include the following:

  • Master’s degree in nursing or healthcare administration
  • Valid nurse and CPR certification
  • Nurse leadership experience
  • Excellent knowledge of legal requirements in health care and hospital procedures
  • Ability to lead and develop staff
  • Excellent communication and problem-solving skills
  • Insight into basic budgeting and financial reporting

What are the educational requirements for nursing administrators?

After obtaining an undergraduate nursing program, such as a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), and securing RN licensing through the NCLEX-RN exam, nurses are eligible for a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) – program.

Although an MSN is usually sufficient for the role, some nurse administrators choose to follow a doctorate in nursing (DNP). This is a specialty that is best suited for experienced nurses

Where do Nursing Administrators work?

Nursing administrators are often employed in hospitals, although they generally work in offices and do not have a patient-focused task. Some nurse administrators oversee multiple hospitals within a system so that they can spend part of their time traveling from hospital to hospital.

Nursing administrators can also be found in larger medical facilities like long-term care facilities.

Online Nursing Administration School

According to the Bureau of Labour Statistics, the request for managers in health services is projected to increase by 20% between 2016 and 2026. By earning an MSN in nursing administration, nurses can improve their careers in this area, requiring well-prepared nurses.

Due to the demanding and hectic nature of the job, nurses can rarely free up time from work or family obligations to participate in a traditional campus program.

Therefore, the pursuit of an affordable online nursing administration degree is probably a good choice for working professionals. With the increasing complexity of modern medicine and the need for good leadership to manage nurses, there is a strong need for administrators with these nursing degrees.

Online nursing administration schools enable working nurses to acquire the skills needed to take on leadership roles while continuing to do their job.

Nursing leadership requires skills in both nursing and business. Nursing school online helps to learn RN’s financial skills, human skills, and management skills.

It will also deepen their understanding of nursing. Students will also learn to apply nursing informatics to their care plans, improve treatment outcomes by leveraging the power of information.

Nursing administration degrees prepare nurses to implement the latest developments in nursing theory in the real world. Most of the schools that offer online masters in Nursing Administration includes;

Fort Hays State University-Hays, Kansas

Fort Hays State University offers our most affordable online MSN in nursing administration. This 36-hour hour program is perfect for RNs who want a career in administration. The class size is intentionally kept small to offer more individualized attention.

Courses are offered 100% online.

Texas A & M University-Corpus Christi, Texas

Texas A&M University at Corpus Christi offers affordable online MSN in the field of leadership in nursing systems. It is designed for part-time students who can complete online courses and continue their jobs.

Clinical experiences can be entered into the student’s own community.

University of West Georgia-Carrollton, Georgia

The Tanner Health System School of Nursing at the University of West Georgia is considered one of the best graduate schools in the country. The 100% online affordable MSN in leadership in the field of healthcare systems does not disappoint.

The rigorous curriculum helps students develop their skills and expertise in managing care and the care environment.

New Mexico State University-Las Cruces, New Mexico

New Mexico State University offers the online affordable CCNE-accredited MSN in the nursing administration program. It has a strong curriculum that prepares graduates for administrative leadership positions or for doctoral studies.

Courses are online, but students are expected to come to the campus once a year for an orientation of three to four days.

McNeese State University-Lake Charles, Louisiana

McNeese State University has an affordable online MSN in the nursing administration program. It is through a consortium agreement with Southeastern Louisiana University, the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and Nicholls State University.

The program is accredited by the CCNE and can be completed on a part-time or full-time basis. McNeese State University has an online MSN with a rigorous curriculum and the latest technology.

CONCLUSION

Looking at the great demand for nursing administrators, to manage the administrative arm of the medical units, the need for nursing administrators has increased. So it is, therefore, a profitable venture to pursue a career in the field.

You may also look up for other viable Administrative Nursing programs, check out the link

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