How to: Become a nurse manager or Director of Nursing

Nurses General Nursing

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Looking for advice from nurses who have worked in hospitals for a while. I am currently taking pre-reqs for nursing school. I have a BA with a 3.5 gpa, an MBA and 10 years management experience. I am not pursuing nursing. I looked at doing it years ago, but was discouraged by family members. Now here is my chance. My question is, what does a person need to do/accomplich to be promoted to nurse manager and then to director of nursing. What type of experiences, what departments should they work in. I really want to have a long career in a hospital and grow into leadership positions. What advice can you give? Are nurse managers salaried? What do they make. I live in NC. Thanks!!!

Specializes in High Acuity / Emergency / Trauma.
I have a cousin with an MBA who got a nursing degree specifically to get into hospital administration so it's not that uncommon. He did his first year on the floor and ended up being recruited by a pharmaceutical company however, so he is not doing what he set out to do, but he does make a TON of money!

Out of curiosity I have to ask, where does his education get him (position wise) in a pharm company? What does he do? I just don't see the MBA and an ASN/BSN adding up to a pharm research position but maybe I'm wrong.

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Specializes in COS-C, Risk Management.
Out of curiosity I have to ask, where does his education get him (position wise) in a pharm company? What does he do? I just don't see the MBA and an ASN/BSN adding up to a pharm research position but maybe I'm wrong.

My guess is sales.

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Specializes in Surgery, Tele, OB, Peds,ED-True Float RN.
Out of curiosity I have to ask, where does his education get him (position wise) in a pharm company? What does he do? I just don't see the MBA and an ASN/BSN adding up to a pharm research position but maybe I'm wrong.

A member of my family started out as a sales rep with a pharm. company and moved up to research director for a few of the different drugs. I know our BN program focused A LOT on research. You don't have to know how to do the research in the lab (although you do learn the basics in the microbiology, organic chem, and biochem labs). You just have to know how to read it and it's implications on practice for MD's, Nurses and Pharmacists. The BN program seems to me to be a great fit actually. You understand anatomy, pathophysiology pharmacokenetics, patient concerns AND research.

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Out of curiosity I have to ask, where does his education get him (position wise) in a pharm company? What does he do? I just don't see the MBA and an ASN/BSN adding up to a pharm research position but maybe I'm wrong.

He probably was good looking too. Have you ever seen an ugly drug rep??? Probably the biggest form of discrimination... no overwieght, older, or ugly drug reps... Just my two pesos!

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Specializes in COS-C, Risk Management.
He probably was good looking too. Have you ever seen an ugly drug rep??? Probably the biggest form of discrimination... no overwieght, older, or ugly drug reps... Just my two pesos!

Don't forget "snappy dresser."

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Specializes in High Acuity / Emergency / Trauma.
Don't forget "snappy dresser."

Ain't that tha truth... lol

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Specializes in Management, Emergency, Psych, Med Surg.

First: Be a good employee. Come to work, on time. Be a team player and learn how to problem solve. Don't run to the boss about every little thing. Don't tell on people and don't be a gossip. Ask to set up a meeting with your manager if you have a concern and be professional about it. Learn to document errors properly and how to write an incident report. If you make an error, report it yourself. Get along with people but you don't have to be everyone's buddy. Learn everything you can about your job. Know your own job so well that you can do it in your sleep. If you are asked to do an extra project or take on an orientee, do it. Read everything you can about how to manage people and know your nurse practice act and your hospital policies. Understand the legal aspects of nursing. Your first management job should be a full time charge nurse job with the accountability and authority to discipline employees and write employee reviews. When you get to the nurse manager level in my opinion you should have a minimum of a BSN. At that level you will be doing scheduling, budgeting, hiring, terminations, evaluations, disciplinary actions and your scope will become much wider in terms of risk and risk management. If your hospital is union, that is a whole other world that you will have to learn. I hope that you will have a good mentor. I have been lucky. With each of my nurse manager and director positions I have had wonderful mentors. There are some exceptional reference books out there that can help you. And you should take every course on management that you can find, even if you are not a manager yet. In addition, get certified in your speciality. If you are the ED manager you should have your CEN and you should also have ACLS and TNCC. Actually, you should get your certifications while you are still a staff nurse. You should be as qualified as your staff. They admire and expect this of their manager.

You are going to have to know how to keep a budget and how to manage the manhours on your unit. Hopefully you will have someone who really understands this who can fully explain the budget to you, show you how to read the budget reports and how you will have to justify any overtime or additional hours used. If you have trouble balancing your check book you better learn how to do it NOW because when you start doing the budget for your unit, it is going to get a lot more complicated. In addition, you will have to learn how to do a budget projection for the next year and how to budget for capital equipment purchases. It is a lot to learn so some basic accounting might help (don't go out and take a class...it is not necessary).

In addition, you need to know the following: the laws concerning sexual harassment in the workplace and your specific hospital policy concerning this issue, payroll policy and procedure, basic national labor law, some basic malpractice law (what it is , battery, assault, tort etc), how to properly document employee performance infractions, substance abuse in the workplace, your hospital policy for same and if and when you can request an employee drug screen.

As a nurse manager or director you will be a salaried employee meaning you will not be getting overtime. You will be exempt. You will be expected to work as many hours that are necessary to get the job done. You will have people coming at you from all sides. You MUST learn to delegate and the two things you want to learn to delegate ASAP is the schedule and the payroll. If there is anyone who can do those two things for you it will save you endless time and headache because believe me you won't have time to do them along with your other duties, especially when you have more than one department. If you have more than one department, as for a secretary.

If you need help or further reference information, send me an email and I will email you a list of resources. Good Luck. I LOVE MANAGEMENT.

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Diane.

I would love to have a list of resources and info. I am in a new position in our small rural hospital and i would like to rework things like our job descriptions and yearly evals as well as standing orders and lots of other way past due projects how do i get in contact with you. Any help is appreciated.

newdon

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Are you going into the accerlated program at WSSU and have you been accepted already? I am interested in the program at WSSU and would like more info from someone in the program.

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