How to become a nurse manager

Be_Moore · Jul 18, 2009

You don't NEED an MSN. But it would definitely help. For reference, my manager is a PhD and is a published researcher.

SteffersRN87, BSN, RN · Jul 18, 2009

First of all, and this is a pet peeve of mine, you cannot become a BSN. A BSN is an educational credential. You can become an RN with a BSN credential. With that out of the way...

Most management positions require a BSN plus some assistant manager or supervisor experience. I worked at a large university medical center, and all of the managers were required to hold an MSN. With that said, there are MSN programs that specialize in nursing administration. However, if you were to take this route, there are MSN/MBA programs that combine a nursing administration curriculum with MBA coursework.

Once you start working, you will be able to decided if you have a feel for management.

oregonchinamom · Jul 18, 2009

My firm advice to you is to really understand what a nurse manager does before you aspire to become one. I say this because you have young children. To be a nurse manager that will satisfy your staff and superiors requires a 24/7 commitment. You are never really away from work, you are always on-call for emergencies (and their definition of an emergency may not be the same as yours) I'm sure that there may be some who thrive as nurse managers but in 18 months doing it I never found one thing that made it worth it. An average nurse manager will work 60 hrs a week for 40 hrs of pay, at any given time somebody is absolutely furious with you, and half the nurses you supervise will be making more money than you do (plus they get overtime).

I'm not saying that you wouldn't love it, but just really understand what you would be getting into.

thursmo · Jul 18, 2009

my nurse manager in the cath lab had zero experience as a manager and no higher education.

Otessa, BSN, RN · Jul 18, 2009

I believe there is a need to work in the nursing field and THEN decide if you want to be a Nurse Manager-hard to determine until that time.

llg, PhD, RN · Jul 18, 2009

Also ... if you work for a facility with (or wanting) certified as a Magnet facility, a master's degree will probably be necessary in the future. Currently, they are phasing in a requirement for a BSN for all managers (and bachelor's degrees in other disciplines do not count) ... and the general belief is that master's degrees will be required at some point in the future.

Of course, there are many hospitals not interested in Magnet certification. But as the standard of best practice increase in the top hospitals, the general trend will probably be felt throughout the healthcares system at least a little.

And I strongly agree with the above posters who say that you cannot know if you would like to be a nurse manager without first getting familiar with the profession of nursing and what the various people within it actually do.

PostOpPrincess, BSN, RN · Jul 18, 2009

Being a nurse manager with very young children....

NOT very conducive to a happy family life.

Mommy Of Two 87 · Jul 18, 2009

Thanks for your input, I guess I will think about it more :). I plan on getting my adn and then take the university of chicago rn bsn program a while after

llg, PhD, RN · Jul 18, 2009

Thanks for your input, I guess I will think about it more :). I plan on getting my adn and then take the university of chicago rn bsn program a while after

That sounds like a good plan. As you learn more about nursing, you can find your niche. When I was young and inexperienced, I thought I wanted to be a manager, too. I even started my MSN as a nursing administration major. But the more I learned, the more I realized that it was not the right career path for me. I ended up as a Clinical Nurse Specialist, educator, researcher, and philosopher. I leave the managment to the masochists. :lol2:

meluhn · Jul 19, 2009

My firm advice to you is to really understand what a nurse manager does before you aspire to become one. I say this because you have young children. To be a nurse manager that will satisfy your staff and superiors requires a 24/7 commitment. You are never really away from work, you are always on-call for emergencies (and their definition of an emergency may not be the same as yours) I'm sure that there may be some who thrive as nurse managers but in 18 months doing it I never found one thing that made it worth it. An average nurse manager will work 60 hrs a week for 40 hrs of pay, at any given time somebody is absolutely furious with you, and half the nurses you supervise will be making more money than you do (plus they get overtime).
I'm not saying that you wouldn't love it, but just really understand what you would be getting into.

I agree. Though I have never held a management position I always wanted to. After finding out more about it, I was finally offered a position and turned it down. Why would I want to take on the weight of the world and the wrath of all the staff for not that much more money? Now I happily do my job and forget about it until the next time I work. I think people are envious of managers because they never seem to be working as hard as they are. What they dont realize is that they have a different kind of work and a different kind of stress.