The recent COVID-19 pandemic, an aging population, and modern advancements in medicine make the healthcare sector one of the fastest-growing industries today. Since there is an increase in demand for individualized and specialty care, many career opportunities with diverse roles are opening up.
Although nurses play a significant role in providing quality care to their patients, their profession can go far beyond this primary job responsibility.
As one of the top trending professions today, nurses must continuously strive towards career advancement. In managerial roles, they can move past patient care to make more significant changes at the industrial scale. Curious? Then follow on for Nursing: 7 Benefits of Choosing an Administrator Role!
Nursing careers now offer professionals the opportunities to work in administrative roles and other executive positions. Since the healthcare industry is complex and dynamic, individuals must be equipped with the proper skills and knowledge to face each challenge head-on.
Nurse administrators can lead their team towards a common goal and better health management systems with strong leadership and the appropriate management skills. Unfortunately, very few qualified professionals meet this criterion, and therefore, there remains a wide gap between supply and demand.
1. Variety of Options
Since healthcare is a dynamic industry, there is always a demand for managerial positions in different workplace settings. From clinical leadership to quality control and health information management, the job responsibilities may vary according to the work of your choice.
Choosing to become a nurse administrator means you’ll have an open road ahead. You can let personal interests and strengths guide your way to work in a role that best defines your career goals. In different healthcare settings, you can apply for various jobs, including:
- Head nurse
- Charge nurse
- Unit manager
- Nurse manager
- Chief nursing officer
- Director of nursing operations
2. Competitive Salaries
Like most careers, your salary may vary depending on your location, experience, level of education, and training. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, nurse administrators earn an average of $104,280 per year. They are among the highest-paid nursing professionals who enjoy competitive salaries in the job market. Even those who start at entry-level positions earn a far better income than registered nurses without an advanced degree qualification.
Since the demand for administrators in healthcare is increasing, the competition for qualified managers has also increased. Hospitals, clinics, and other workplace settings offer lucrative salaries to recruit the most competent professionals. As the need for quality improvement processes will likely increase in upcoming years, so will the pay. Hence, this is the right field for salary potential and growth opportunities.
3. Reasonable Academic Requirements
Unlike other healthcare professions, becoming a nurse administrator doesn’t require endless schooling. There are different paths to enrolling in an advanced degree program, but most nurses pursue RN to MSN bridge programs.
These allow registered nurses to register for a degree that makes them eligible for administrative roles. Even if you don’t have any work experience as a nurse, you can still pursue this degree to follow your dream career.
The advancements in technology and the popularity of remote learning have made it possible to pursue such programs online. You can now work towards your career advancement without compromising your work or personal life and take classes at your own schedule and pace.
4. Opportunities for Advancement
Nursing administration allows individuals to work in different healthcare settings. Being in different environments and working under varying conditions gives you a better sense of where you feel like you best fit. A specific skill may draw you to it, or a particular project might spark an interest in you.
For instance, you might discover that you’re a pro at budgeting or can offer outstanding patient care.
You can decide which field you want to work in with various advancement opportunities. You must also realize that a career can quickly grow stale if you aren’t working towards a defined goal. But healthcare offers you the chance to choose your area of interest and work at it with all your energy, enthusiasm and heart.
5. Impact Lives & Policies
Perhaps the most significant benefit of a career in nursing administration is that you’re in the position to impact individual lives and face industry challenges on a large scale. While you may not always be working hands-on with the patient, you’ll be offering support and guidance to professionals who are. Therefore, you and your work have the power to make a real difference in improving patient outcomes.
Your job responsibilities may include managing health information and ensuring patients go through the medical care process efficiently, without any delays. You may have to lead a team of individuals that gather clinical records for research and analysis and identify gaps in providing quality care.
You may even have to assign healthcare professionals specific duties that align with their strengths to get the maximum output from the facility you’re working in. But regardless of what your role is, your work can have a significant impact on how patients receive care.
6. Physically Less Demanding
Registered nurses working to provide quality care to their patients are often exhausted from working tedious hours. They have to work long shifts, with few short breaks in between that can take a physical toll on anyone.
Although no job is stress-free, the environment in which clinical nurses work is very taxing because every little decision can impact patients’ lives. Due to this, nurses may experience “burnout” when the strain of working with patients becomes too challenging to handle.
Nurse burnout is a serious condition that, if left unaddressed, can lead to feelings of hopelessness and even cause depression. Suppose you start to feel like you can no longer perform at the clinical level and are interested in working in managerial positions. In that case, you can switch to a nurse administration career. This profession is usually less physically taxing and involves more sedentary work – but it is more thought-intensive.
7. Pathway to a Doctorate
Those individuals looking to pursue more advanced degrees, like a doctorate, may find a career in nursing administration extremely beneficial. Since it helps you gain valuable experience, expand your network, and develop essential soft skills—you’ll be well-prepared to take the next logical step in enhancing your education.
Opting for an administrator position in your nursing career has numerous benefits. These include greater job prospects, better salaries, less taxing hours, reduced physical stress, and the chance to leave a lasting impact. It may offer nurses an opportunity to grow personally and professionally while helping the healthcare system reach new heights.
What do you think about thought-intensive professions like this? What could you bring to the table? Let us know in the comments below, and join in the conversation on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram!
