Masters in Nursing Nurse Administration

This is one of the MSN specializations that is readily available through an online graduate nursing program. Because the clinical requirements for this specialization are less stringent than for some of the medically oriented options such as pediatrics or oncology, the MSN in Nurse Administrator degree is a common option for online universities with a school of nursing. The nurse administrator specialization is an excellent choice for a RN who would like to retire from shift work on a clinic or hospital floor and become involve in an administrative or management role. Senior nurses who provide the oversight for nursing personnel in many institutions today hold a Master in Nursing Nurse Administrator. It's an excellent combination of advanced practice nursing training and the administrative skills required to manage a nursing unit.

Some graduates with this degree may move into an administrative role with a public health agency or facility. Nurse administrators are valuable employees in any institution that combines clinical care with other services that may intertwine in some fashion with medical treatment. A substance abuse treatment or detox unit for addicts and alcoholics generally has a senior nurse in charge of a shift, working under the physician or psychologist that provides executive oversight. Some nurse administrators move into the administrative structure of a large provider with major treatment facilities and become human resources experts for nursing personnel. And some work their way into facility management.

Most Master of Nursing Nurse Administrator programs have classes on healthcare financing and on budget management. Nurses on this academic track learn about the unique sources and uses of funds in a healthcare structure and how the constantly changing regulatory environment can impact the revenue picture. In large medical facilities often a nurse administrator will be charged with managing a nursing budget, often in a pressurized environment. Health care facilities, especially public health care facilities, have been impacted by the general funding crisis that has overtaken so many state and local jurisdictions. Virtually no state has been immune to budget problems, and public health is a budget item that has become voracious in recent years. A nurse administrator with management skills can contribute by managing fewer personnel more effectively and maintaining a respectable level of healthcare quality.