Nurse Management Qualifications
- Nurse managers must be decisive but diplomatic.nursing duties image by Pix by Marti from Fotolia.com
As the need for qualified nurses increases, so does the demand for nurse managers. Professionals who want a career as a head nurse, health care administrator, community health care executive or consultant must have a well-developed set of personal skills. The candidate must also have completed a specialized bachelor or master's nursing administration program, received considerable practical nursing and leadership training and completed requirements for national certification as a nurse manager. - Nurses need to be good communicators, empathetic and compassionate care givers and enjoy working as part of a health care team. These core personal skills are particularly important in nurse management. As a nurse manager, you will regularly interact with patients from all backgrounds, staff nurses with varying educational and professional experience, health care administrators, medical supply companies and physicians. You will also need to be well organized, computer savvy, detail oriented and work well under pressure.
- Minimum educational requirements for nurse managers include a current registered nurse (RN) license and a bachelor' of science in nursing degree. However, for nurses who want to advance beyond head nursing positions, a master's degree in health care or nursing administration is essential. Additionally, some universities, such as the University of Pennsylvania and Northeastern University, offer joint master's of nursing/MBA programs for nurses seeking careers in management. Coursework includes advanced role development in nursing, research applications, health policy and law, nursing and business, health care informatics and financial reporting.
- Nurse management training programs typically require applicants to have one to three years of practical nursing before acceptance, although in some cases credit may be given for practical training received as part of an undergraduate degree program. As part of nurse management training, you must also complete a set number of practice hours. For example, Western Governors University requires at least 40 hours of practical work in nursing management for completion of its master's program, and Northeastern University offers practical application opportunities at Tufts Medical Center, Cambridge Health Alliance and other hospice, long-term care and rehabilitation facilities.
- Another essential skill required of nurse managers is leadership. Because nurse managers often supervise nurses and other health care staff, they need to serve as strong role models to those working for them. As a nurse manager, you must appear decisive but diplomatic and take charge as needed. This helps to create an appealing yet effective environment for staff to work in and provide patients the best possible care.
- The American Nurses Credentialing Center, a branch of the American Nurses Association, is the accredited institution responsible for certifying nurse managers in the United States. The nurse executive (previously called "nursing administration") examination eligibility qualifications include a current RN license, a bachelor's degree or higher in nursing, employment as a nurse manager for at least 24 months in the past five years and completion of 30 hours of nursing administration continuing education in the past three years. The last criterion is not required for those with a master's degree in nursing administration.
