How to advance from bedside nurse to upper level management

[TucsonGINurse]

I would love some advice from healthcare administrators or managers as to how you got into the position that you are in. I have been a nurse for about 8 years. I have my BSN and have one more year to go for my masters in healthcare administration. My career goal is to work in an upper level management position. My problem is that I lack the experience needed to get a position that I desire and I cannot financially afford to go backwards on pay in order to gain the experience. I lack hospital experience which is what everyone seeks. I started out as a NICU nurse after graduation, but relocated after 1 year of that. Since then I only have 1 year in a skilled nursing facility (LTC) and 5 years as a GI nurse in an outpatient setting. I was able to advance to Clinical Director in a GI center 3.5 years ago. I feel that I have learned and advanced as much as I can in this job and am ready to move on. The problem is that the facility that I manage is small and I have not gained any experience in the financial and insurance part of the business. My interview skills suck and I don't sell myself well. I know that I can learn anything and can excel in any management position, but just don't know how to get there. Any advice?

[HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD]

If you are aiming for a leadership position in an acute care environment, you need an MSN. Other grad degrees are just not marketable in today's "magnet" world. In other environments, it's best to get a grad degree associated with more financial know-how such as an MBA or MHA with healthcare finance focus. It is very difficult to move into healthcare managment without experience at the lower levels - particularly for acute care. It's just too complex to manage without understanding how everything works.

My friends that have made the leap in LTC all have their administrator's license. You don't have to have a graduate degree, but you do have to complete the training & internship requirements.