Become a Nurse But Don't Work As One

Nurses General Nursing

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I'm very interested in gaining the knowledge and degree of nursing, but I'd rather work on the administrative side of healthcare instead of the patient care side. Is it feasible to attend nursing school, pass the boards and then pursue more of an admin or office-setting type job? I haven't applied to nursing school yet so I'm trying to make sure I'm approaching this the right way. Thanks.

Wait, so flying_ace2 is hot?

I KNEW it.

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Specializes in Pharmaceutical Research, Operating Room.
Wait, so flying_ace2 is hot?

I KNEW it.

Hahahahahaha yep, I'm so on fleek!! Or I'm fly!!! Or whatever the Hell the kids are saying these days!!! :wacky:

*also, if someone could clarify what "on fleek" actually means, I'd really appreciate it. I have no idea.....

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Hahahahahaha yep, I'm so on fleek!! Or I'm fly!!! Or whatever the Hell the kids are saying these days!!! :wacky:

*also, if someone could clarify what "on fleek" actually means, I'd really appreciate it. I have no idea.....

"On fleek"is "on point."

But with "eek".

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Specializes in Pharmaceutical Research, Operating Room.

Ahhhhh thank you. Can't keep up with the vernacular.

*Goes to shake fist angrily at those damn kids and demand that they get off my lawn*

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Specializes in Critical Care.

Usually you need some bedside nursing experience first to help you do a good management job having an idea of what your nurses are going thru and hopefully having their back! I wouldn't want a nurse manager without nursing experience. Sadly many soon forget their experience when they go into management and suddenly it becomes all about the almighty dollar. I watched the metamorphoses of a union proud pro nurse pro worker turn into a big business capitalist upon a promotion to supervisor. Suddenly her concern was all for business and she acted like the money for staffing was coming out of her own pocket. Maybe it was, don't know for sure, but a supervisor at a competing hospital system gets a 10% bonus so maybe she did too. Never asked. She would even cheat you out of the pay you deserved to save a buck! I'm not kidding! So I learned my lesson not to do any favors such as working a double shift or picking up overtime!

She wasn't the only one, a fellow coworker was cheated out of her bonus pay for working overtime by another supervisor who had promised it for working extra and then reneged after the fact. Sad! The coworker then made a decision to work part time for the benefits and pick up the rest of her hours agency making alot more money, and no pleas of short staffing would sway her after being swindled out of money she was promised! I think it was the right decision for her!

Vent aside I suppose you could try to get a job at a doctor's office or Assisted Living facility, but I still think you should have at least a couple years of experience as a nurse. If management is your thing, take some additional business and management courses while in school and plan on a Masters in either Business or Health Care Management. I'm not anti-business personally, but feel there needs to be a balance between business interests and workers rights and needs. If you can do both your workers will love you!

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"on fleeK' = on point, chic, and/or beautiful. I think its passe now, like "gee whilikers" (darn it)

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Why not just get a degree in healthcare admin?

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Might be an option. Would have to peek at a course curriculum to see what that major covers. :writing:

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Might be an option. Would have to peek at a course curriculum to see what that major covers. :writing:

It does not cover hands on patient care.

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Nursing school only teaches a fraction of the necessary knowledge. Experience teaches the rest.

Practicing nursing under an administrator with no on the ground experience is most nurses' nightmares.

I was once interviewed by Registered Nurse for an Nursing Informatics position, and she admitted that she had zero bedside experience since she graduated in 1970s. She was really nice, but seemed really out of touch/disconnected with how technology translates into clinical application and patient care. She looked at my resume and said, "wow, I had no clue RPNs did all of these skills," she chuckled then continued "... I haven't given direct patient care in over 40 years. My god if I could remember how to do any of this. My only direct patient care experience was in nursing school. Right after I graduated I was scooped up for an administration job and I've been here ever since".

Not gonna lie, when I have rough days at the hospital I feel envious of her situation. I'm especially envious of her nice calm office when my dementia patients send their food, fists, or feces flying.

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Specializes in ER, Med/Surg.
And even if you *did* manage to find a job, you'd be hard pressed to garner *any* respect from the nurses in direct-patient care positions.

Our current manager came from our OB unit, she worked in a NH for a few months after nursing school, worked on our OB unit for maybe a year, now is our manager and just got her DSN...

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Specializes in ER, Med/Surg.
Wait, so flying_ace2 is hot?

I KNEW it.

Pics?

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