Any RNs going back to school for MBA/Business School?

KLKRN, RN · Feb 28, 2008

Do you really want to do hospital management? By all means, I'd get the MBA but keep ALL your options open. There are many opportunities out there.

Also, I applaud your goals!

You go, Girl!

cameroondiva · Feb 28, 2008

Do you really want to do hospital management? By all means, I'd get the MBA but keep ALL your options open. There are many opportunities out there.
Also, I applaud your goals!
You go, Girl!

Thanks for your respond. i should have added this above but I absolutely DONOT want to work as a supervisor or a manager of any unit(s) in a hospital. Definitely not an option. I worked on a medsurg unit where the nurses with 20's exprience refused the manager position for the unit, the hospital had to put a nurse w/ 3 years! experience to manage the unit. After talking to those nurses who refused the position and past experiences with other managers i agreed w/ them i won't take the job. I want to work wayyy above that. I was reading the New York Times job section and i saw an ad where one medical facility was looking for a CEO and the job required MBA w/ 5yrs experience i would rather take that job. I'm still trying to figure out what jobs are available to nurses w/ business degress in administration.

MikeyJ, RN · Feb 28, 2008

Thanks for your respond. i should have added this above but I absolutely DONOT want to work as a supervisor or a manager of any unit(s) in a hospital. Definitely not an option. I worked on a medsurg unit where the nurses with 20's exprience refused the manager position for the unit, the hospital had to put a nurse w/ 3 years! experience to manage the unit. After talking to those nurses who refused the position and past experiences with other managers i agreed w/ them i won't take the job. I want to work wayyy above that. I was reading the New York Times job section and i saw an ad where one medical facility was looking for a CEO and the job required MBA w/ 5yrs experience i would rather take that job. I'm still trying to figure out what jobs are available to nurses w/ business degress in administration.

Hospital CEO's are typically not those with nursing backgrounds -- but rather very strong business backgrounds. You could pursue CNO (Chief Nursing Officer)... it is sometimes titled something different... however, landing a CNO job without any prior charge nurse and unit management experience is probably not possible.

Getting an MBA will not automatically make you a shoe-in to upper management positions. There are many many many people out there with MBA's with years and years of experience (probably some with other CEO experience) that will be fighting for hospital administrative jobs (especially CEO positions).

bradleyshanetaylor · Feb 29, 2008

im a young nurse like you, im 24, and my plans are to work in the icu for the next 2 yours and try for crna school. i will apply for up to two years, and if i dont get in, i have always thought it would be fun to get my mba and work in admin in a large hospital. so this is something im very interested about too...

Xbox Live Addict · Feb 29, 2008

I am slowly chipping away at a BA in English. My ultimate goal is law school.

I do think it's telling that the positions of power in health care institutions are earmarked for people with primarily business backgrounds, rather than in health care. Hospital's gotta protect that bottom line, after all, and make the shareholders happy at all costs.

cameroondiva · Feb 29, 2008

I am slowly chipping away at a BA in English. My ultimate goal is law school.
I do think it's telling that the positions of power in health care institutions are earmarked for people with primarily business backgrounds, rather than in health care. Hospital's gotta protect that bottom line, after all, and make the shareholders happy at all costs.

I see your point. Unfortunately i know that a hospital is a business first and foremost but still you would think that these hospitals would want to hire someone with a business degree with healthcare experience for their administrative positions rather than someone with only a business background. untill you have worked as a floor nurse you never truely understand the obstacles nurses face everyday in the hospital. Someone has to look out for the nurses. that is one of the reasons i'm pursuing this degree. we need some changes in healthcare management. I'm willing to take my chances with this career path. "A journey of a thousand miles begin with a single step"

Christen, ANP · Aug 21, 2008

I have thought about pursuing this degree as well, but haven't done much research on it yet. What sort of pre-reqs are required before starting the MBA program? I am tentatively planning on opening my own clinic eventually, and felt this would help me make sure I make money, not lose money.

I do know that our CNO at my hospital was a CNS and all of our nursing Directors (i.e., the Director of Critical Care, etc) have MSNs.

~Christen

oregonchinamom · Aug 21, 2008

I agree that it would be all but impossible not to have some sort of nursing management and expect to get a nursing executive position, MBA or no. However, it doesn't have to be clinical management (which, believe me, you do NOT want to do), it could be in something like Informatics, Performance Review, Utilization Management, etc. Clinical management is not the only, or even best, route to the executive level.

Trauma Columnist · Aug 21, 2008

In my area, the combined MSN/MBA degree plan is extremely popular. Plus, it gives you the option to do nursing with the MSN as well as be very knowledgeable in the business aspect of medicine.