Health Care Management or Nursing possibly a quicker route into healthcare?

[NurseAngela76]

:idea:I read a post about choosing Healthcare Management or Nursing. I love healthcare and I really like business as well. I researched healthcare management and I really like the idea of running a unit a RN degree alog with a degree in healthcare management sound great. I am currently in my pre-clinical Nursing stage and waiting for Nursing school is at least a year and a half (thats community colleges) I could go right through a healthcare management degree and be done in no time. Also many of my friends who graduated Nusing school this past month could not find a job, some who were Techs have lost their jobs cause they passed the boards. I am really concerned about the length of time it will take to get finished with my pre-reqs for nursing school, getting into Nursing School and to complete Nusing School. I was so surprised to find I have more pre-reqs to my pre-reqs. If I added it all up right it'll take at least 4 years to get a ASN and 6 if I went the straight BSN routhe from scratch.

I love Nursing, and I really want to be a Nurse but the Healthcare management field seems very tempting for me. Im 33 and I ahve kids to think about. Has anyone looked into this field or have a RN and a degree in healthcare management? I was just hoping for some feed back and suggestions on if this would be a smart choice since everyone and their brother is going into Nursing and it seems to take longer than ever to become a Nurse.

[GoosbyLPN]

HCM is route Im gonna take, but will have my LPN to back me up...I feel the same way Im 33 and have kids to think about

[linearthinker, DNP, RN]

I don't know a lot about it. I am only personally acquainted with one person in HCM. He is the practice manager (note: not the "office manager") for a cardiology practice that employs 14 physicians and about 60 staff. I know his salary is 6 figures plus profit sharing, but I also know he has a MBA from Wharton, not a Bachelors in HCM. Actually, I have no idea what his undergrad is in, but he got it at Swathmore, that much I do know.

I have never known any instance of a non nurse managing any nursing unit or supervising nursing activity in any way. These seem to be diametrically opposed careers to me, one a business path with relatively low day to day interaction with people, the other a science discipline with comparatively high day to day interaction with people. I find them an odd juxtaposition. They really have nothing in common other than then words "health care."

Good luck, whatever you decide.