Become a Nurse Administrator in 3 Steps

Nurse Types / Nurse Administrator

Nurse administrators are healthcare leaders who help direct policies and manage staff in healthcare organizations.

If you enjoy working at the highest levels of healthcare and serving as a leader within your team, then nurse administration might be for you.

This article will explore the steps to becoming a nurse administrator, including:

• What is a nurse administrator?
• What do nurse administrators do?
• Where do nurse administrators work?
• What are specific types of nurse administrators?
• How do you become a nurse administrator in 3 steps?
• What are additional requirements of nurse administrators? 
• What are the salary and career outlooks for nurse administrators? 
• FAQs

What is a nurse administrator?

Nurse administrators oversee nursing staff within a healthcare organization or hospital and are involved in high-level policy decisions that impact how care is provided. 

In order to become a nurse administrator, you should have many years of clinical experience. Nurse administrators draw from a deep well of hands-on nursing knowledge to evaluate hospital policies, staff performance, and resource allocation.

However, this is not a bedside role, and nurse administrators rarely interact with patients. Instead, nurse administrators work with other members of the leadership team within a healthcare organization.

Qualities of a successful nurse administrator

Nurse administrators are experienced nurses, and most have advanced degrees. They should be able to manage minute details of budget and staffing needs while also understanding larger strategic goals.

To be a successful nurse administrator, you should:

• Be organized and meticulous about details
• Be adept with record-keeping systems and specialized software for budgets and personnel management
• Show strong accounting and financial management skills to track and implement budgets
• Enjoy mentoring and coaching other nurses
• Demonstrate strong communication skills, both written and verbal
• Exhibit good social-emotional skills to assist with conflict resolution among staff
• Employ effective negotiation skills to advocate for policies and resources

What do nurse administrators do?

Nurse administrators are involved in both management and personnel. Here are some of the tasks a nurse administrator might perform:

• Conduct personnel management, including performance reviews and workplace conflict resolutions
• Review and implement budgets to ensure sufficient resources within the department
• Order supplies and make major purchasing decisions for a clinic or hospital unit
• Assess healthcare policies that affect day-to-day nursing care for efficiency, quality, and safety
• Ensure nursing staff follow policy regulations and standards of care
• Help staff access the training and resources they need to provide quality care

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A day in the life of a nurse administrator

Most nurse administrators work during standard business hours and rarely work weekends or nights. During a typical day, they might:

• Attend hospital administration meetings to advocate for budgetary requirements
• Counsel a new charge nurse about good delegation skills
• Prepare annual performance reviews for nursing staff
• Develop a training presentation to educate staff nurses about a new safety protocol
• Review hospital nursing standard operating procedures (SOPs) for accuracy and clarity
• Review timecards and scheduling needs within the department
• Analyze the existing onboarding checklist for new nurses to ensure new staff are adequately trained 
• Send out a reminder to staff nurses about annual tuberculosis testing requirements or other licensing needs
• Advocate for first-year nurses to attend an educational conference to acquire Continuing Education Units and new certifications

Nurse administrators will deal with any task related to personnel or management within the department or clinic. They must think strategically about every decision and consider how even small budgetary items could affect larger departmental goals. 

Patient safety and well-being are the core of all nurse administration duties. A nurse administrator must consider how staffing needs, training programs, hospital SOPs, and budgetary requests will ultimately affect day-to-day patient care.

Where do nurse administrators work?

Nurse administrators work at the highest level of clinics, hospitals, and hospital systems. They primarily work in office environments.

Potential opportunities include:

• Hospitals and hospital systems
• Large clinics 
• Travel nursing companies
• Nurse staffing agencies
• Hospital management organizations

Closely related fields

Some nurse administrators work in a specific area, like health information. This field deals with the maintenance and security of electronic systems for patient records. Nurse administrators in this field should be comfortable working with new and emerging technology, large amounts of data, and laws that affect patient records.

Clinical Nurse Specialists are also advanced nursing professionals who oversee other nursing staff, but they are more involved in bedside care than nurse administrators.

Nurse managers may continue to progress in their careers to higher levels of administration and management.

For example, Chief Nursing Officers and Directors of Nursing work at the highest levels of an organization or hospital where they oversee nursing staff and nursing policies for the entire organization. Other nurse administrators oversee entire organizations, like nursing homes or long-term care facilities. 

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How do you become a nurse administrator in 3 steps?

Nurse administrators have advanced training and experience. Here’s how to become a nurse administrator in three steps.

Step 1 – Become a registered nurse 

Earn a BSN and MSN

Nurse administrators must first become registered nurses with advanced degrees, like a Master’s or Doctorate in a related field.

The first step is to become a registered nurse. While it’s possible to become a registered nurse with an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN), a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) prepares potential nurse administrators for higher level degrees like:

• Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)
• Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN)
• Doctor of Nursing Practice (DPN)
• Ph.D. in Nursing 
• Masters in Health Administration (MHA)
• Masters of Business Administration (MBA)
• Masters of Public Health (MPH)

Nurses who are interested in advancing their careers have options, even if they currently have an associate’s or bachelor’s degree in another field. RN-to-BSN programs can help nurses achieve their BSNs in a streamlined program. Accelerated BSN programs provide the opportunity to obtain a BSN in as little as 16 months for individuals with bachelor’s degrees in other fields.

Pass the NCLEX exam

After finishing your BSN, it’s time to take your board exams. The NCLEX is a national exam that certifies you have the minimum knowledge to practice safely as a nurse.

After passing the NCLEX, you can apply for a nursing license in the state where you wish to work.

Step 2 – Accumulate experience

Helpful skills and experience

Nurse administrators should have several years of clinical experience before considering this career path. This experience allows potential nurse managers to understand the workflow and daily requirements of staff nurses.

In addition, aspiring nurse administrators should have some leadership and managerial experience. This could come in many forms, like:

• Serving as a charge nurse
• Working as a nurse preceptor
• Volunteering for hospital committees
• Serving as part of Joint Commission or other accreditation efforts
• Acting in a managerial position for professional nursing societies

Potential nurse administrators might also explore professional resources, such as:

• The American Organization for Nursing Leadership, which provides educational and credentialing opportunities for nurses in this field. 
• The Organization for Nurse Leaders provides a similar resource for nurses specifically in New England.
• The American College of Health Executives provides resources and education for healthcare leaders from many different disciplines. It’s open to students in health management programs as well.

Changing specialty to a nurse administrator 

Nurse administrators come from many nursing specialties. To change careers to nurse administration, the most important prior experience for a nurse to have is:

• A deep understanding of the daily needs and challenges facing staff nurses
• Experience serving as a leader and manager of healthcare staff

• A minimum of five years of clinical experience
• An advanced degree in healthcare administration or similar

Step 3 – Obtain certifications

Nurse administrators have several options for advanced certifications to help demonstrate their skills and expertise.

These include:

• Nurse Executive Certification (NE-BC): To be eligible for the NE-BC exam, you must have 2,000 hours of managerial experience in the last three years, as well as 30 hours of relevant CEUs. This certification is for nurse administrators who manage a single unit or department. 

• Nurse Executive, Advanced Certification (NEA-BC): This certification is for nurse administrators who manage multiple departments or work in larger hospital systems. The eligibility criteria are the same as the NE-BC certification, except the 2,000 hours of experience must include managing systems or organization-wide processes.

• Certified Nurse Manager and Leader (CNML): To sit for this exam, you must have at least one year of experience in a managerial role as well as a BSN degree.

• Certified in Executive Nursing Practice (CENP): This certification is for nurse managers with 2-4 years of executive-level experience and either a BSN or Master’s degree in a nursing-related field.

What are additional requirements of nurse administrators? 

Nurse administrators are experienced nursing professionals with years of clinical and managerial experience. 

Other beneficial skills include:

• Good computer skills, especially with specialized personnel software
• Strong communication skills, including advanced negotiating ability
• Financial savvy to help make major purchases and justify budget recommendations for staff salaries, labor costs, and necessary supplies
• An eye for the big picture and larger strategic decisions
• The ability to collaborate with all levels of healthcare staff

What are the salary and career outlooks for nurse administrators? 

Medical and health service administrators earn an average salary of $101,340 per year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). In comparison, the average salary for registered nurses is $82,750 per year. 

Average salary varies based on where you live, prior experience, and additional certifications and degrees. Setting also plays a big role in salary, with nurse administrators in hospitals earning nearly $120,000 per year.

Average Salary by Setting, BLS.com

Healthcare and hospital administration is a growing field, and the BLS reports that the field of medical and health services managers will grow by 32% between 2019 and 2029. Both registered nurses and nurse administrators have many opportunities for employment due to an aging U.S. population requiring more healthcare resources.

Discover the best-paid cities for nurses.

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Job satisfaction

Nurse administration is a good career choice for nurses who:

• Enjoy strategic decision making
• Appreciate the opportunity to train and mentor other nurses
• Desire a more regular schedule, without nights or weekend shifts
• Want to help improve nursing care from the top level

This area of nursing is potentially less stressful than bedside nursing due to the opportunity for more regular hours, a higher salary, and the opportunity to be more involved in decision-making. There is also the potential for upward mobility into Chief Nursing or Director of Nursing opportunities.

Next steps 

There are so many ways to use a nursing degree, and nurse administration is an excellent option for nurses who are looking for a change from bedside nursing and who are interested in improving daily nursing care.

Nurse administrators can grow in this career by acquiring additional educational degrees or certifications. 

Other options include taking on additional responsibilities in a larger organization, research or publishing, or academia. 

If you have questions about nurse administration, be sure to check out the Incredible Health forum. You can talk to other nurse administrators about how to get started in the field and the best way to gain experience.

Ready to learn more about nursing administration jobs in your area? Incredible Health career resources can help you prepare for your next career leap. Create a free profile to get started today!

FAQs

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