Those who want to become a nurse executive will need to earn both a bachelor’s and master’s degree related to nursing administration, health care management and medical business administration. They will also need to have a set of core competencies and health care business acumen.
Earn a Bachelor’s Degree
A four-year degree in health care administration will train nurse leaders to use the principles of management and the functions of leadership for strategic planning, market analyses, operations enhancement and organizational development. These programs teach students how to engage health care partners through cultural competence, professional communication, interpersonal skills and collaboration practices. Health care administration degrees also introduce students to important government agencies, health care organizations and related regulations.
Health care administration degrees will teach students about financial knowledge and economic principles for strategic decision making. This means that they will learn about health care economics and the business fields of microeconomics and macroeconomics. Students are also trained how to propose recommendations that will improve operational effectiveness and information management integration. Possible specializations include patient safety, quality management and health information management.
Earn a Master’s Degree
A master’s degree is mandatory for anyone who wants to become a nurse executive. There are many options available, such as a master’s in nursing management. One of the most popular options for nurse executives is to earn an MBA with a specialization in nursing administration. These programs come with classes on leadership in health care environments, so students will examine the challenges faced by nurse executives every day. Students must develop systems thinking and organizational leadership by synthesizing management theories, cross-cultural understanding and the principles of psychology.
MBA programs that offer a specialization in nursing administration will also teach students how to leverage technology to streamline processes, integrate information systems together and take advantage of big data analytics to monitor trends. Students will also take classes in legal and financial management, which will enable them to manage budgets and the ethical and regulatory issues facing health care administrators. Other academic topics include delivery of care administration, personnel management and health care customer service.
Earn a Certification
Most nurse executives earn a certification through the American Organization of Nurse Executives (AONE). This includes the popular Certified in Executive Nursing Practice (CENP) exam and credential. As an alternative, the American Nurse Credentialing Center (ANCC) offers the certifications of Nursing Executive (NE-BC) and Nursing Executive, Advanced (NEA-BC). All nurse executive certifications require candidates to maintain a current RN license. In order to be eligible for these exams, RNs will need a master’s degree with a few years of management experience. Those who have a bachelor’s degree can qualify with more managerial experience.
There are plenty of online resources available that will help RNs prepare for the exam, such as candidate handbooks, test taking strategies and sample answers and questions. The certification exams include 175 multiple choice questions and candidates are allotted three and a half hours to complete the test. Topics covered include clinical knowledge, administration policies, communication skills and patient safety and planning. Those who pass the exam must review the certification every three years by either taking the exam again or completing 45 hours of continuing education credits.
Related Resource: Nursing Home Administration
Nurse executives must know how to be an effective change agent, perform under pressure with multiple deadlines and establish and maintain effective working relationships.
