If you love being a nurse but want to take your career a step further, you should consider becoming a Director of Nursing.
As is true of hands-on nursing, administrative nursing positions also come in many forms. There are many career options to consider. These include positions in long-term and short-term facilities such as hospitals, home health programs, and nursing homes.
Director of Nursing duties include supervising nursing staff, overseeing budgets, communicating with senior staff, managing data and records, and maintaining high quality of care within the nursing department. Is an administrative nursing career right for you?
Do You Enjoy Working with People?
If you enjoy being a nurse, you probably already know that you like to help people. Directors of Nursing also help people, but instead of being directly involved with patients, Directors of Nursing work with doctors and nursing staff. They oversee patient care, determine policy, and coordinate other administrative aspects of nursing departments. The ability to communicate effectively and collaborate with staff is critical to a Director of Nursing’s success in managing and directing people.
Are You a Clinician Ready to Learn More?
People who consider a career as a Director of Nursing are typically nurses with years of experience. These professionals are clinical experts who realize that they want to further their education to learn the management side of the healthcare industry.
Having a seasoned clinician in a management role can be invaluable to a healthcare organization when working to determine complex, multi-faceted policy changes or when making tough decisions that affect both the clinical and administrative sides of an organization.
Do You Want Strong Job Prospects and Excellent Pay?
According to the BLS, the job outlook for health services managers, which includes Director of Nursing careers, is outstanding. Employment for health services managers is expected to grow 20 percent by 2026.
Even better news awaits graduates who expect to work in Massachusetts, as Massachusetts has one of the highest rates of employment for health services managers in the country. The average annual wage for health service managers in the Commonwealth is $128,730. Specifically, Director of Nursing positions with high levels of employment can be found in:
- General Medical and Surgical Centers
- Physician Offices
- Outpatient Care Centers
- Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Centers)
- Home Health Care Centers
Are You Ready for Next Steps?
While in the past many Director of Nursing jobs have only required a Bachelor’s degree, more employers are now looking for nursing administrators with a Master’s degree.
BC’s Online Master of Healthcare Administration is a program that can prepare experienced nurses to become Directors of Nursing. With an employer aligned curriculum, flexible online classes, and on-campus events that keep you connected, there has never been a better time to advance your nursing career.