Masters in Nursing Healthcare Management

This degree is an interesting cross between an advanced practice nursing degree (MSN) and the Master of Health Administration (MHA). For further cross-fertilization you can also throw in the MBA in Healthcare Management, a standard area of concentration for business students today. The Masters in Nursing for Healthcare Management includes elements of all three, with the important core of the degree being the Master of Nursing curriculum. This is one of the MSN options that can be found in many of the online master's in nursing programs; it can be an interesting alternative to the Master of Nursing Nurse Administration degree because it focuses so heavily on management skills. Some nurses opt for a dual MSN/MHA degree but that isn't necessary when this nursing specialization option is available.

The focus is necessarily on management, so the curriculum will include courses on managed health care models and methods, on health care systems, and on human resource management. Usually there will be classes in the regulatory issues associated with healthcare delivery, and there will certainly be classes on the budgetary management for healthcare delivery institutions, facilities and organizations. Managing a budget and to some extent, the billing process is critical to management of any healthcare system. Financial resources for healthcare systems are not limited to insurance companies; there is Medicare, the Medicaid organizations operated by states, and various secondary insurance programs that many seniors carry to supplement Medicare.

There is also a strong public health element to the curriculum for this degree in most schools of nursing. The Master of Nursing in Healthcare Management can result in job placement with a government agency or a public health facility. Public health management is an integral part of overall healthcare management in this country and will continue to be as long as there are fifty million uninsured people living in the United States. For nurses interested in a management and policy career in healthcare this degree is an excellent choice. It is also an option that is readily available as an online program from accredited schools of nursing that offer both full time and part time programs.