MBA Healthcare Administration...but no management experience, waste of time?

[Jory, MSN, APRN, CNM]

I am asking this question for a friend of mine who isn't on this board.

I have a co-worker who has a BSN that also has a BS in Communications. She has been a staff RN for about five years. Like most facilities, the ones around here have got on the "gotta have a master's degree" for all management positions in the hospitals, to run clinics, etc. She also has about 15 years of work experience in another industry, non-healthcare related.

She really and truly has no desire to become a nurse practitioner. She has amazing people skills. She is great at taking complex projects and making them simple and has this great ability to think objectively.

She is considering an MBA with a Healthcare Administration emphasis, but she is scared to death to start the program (that she has been accepted to already), because co-workers are discouraging her, claiming that she is 100% wasting her time because she isn't a manager already. She has already deferred her admission once and is getting cold feet again.

She has two children and her husband left her a year ago, so she really, really needs to advance.

She knows she isn't going to waltz out of school and get a six-figure job...she is realistic, but she really needs to do better than the $22/hr she is doing now, which barely pays the bills.

Would she be wasting her time?

[Kooky Korky, BSN, RN]

It doesn't sound like she really wants to go to school, based on what you say. I have no way of knowing, of course.

[samswim4]

I don't understand why there's a question!!!

If she wants to advance and needs a masters to do it, then why hasn't she.

She's not going to get into management if she doesn't have a masters degree.

Seems pretty simple to me...just saying.

P.S. That would be a great degree for nursing management.

Don't listen to the nay-sayers!

[direwolfRN]

It will help her land to a managerial position but I guess not as fast as applicant who have the same credentials with experience.

[Psychcns]

If she has amazing people skills and is willling to be a manager, she could apply for leadership postiions while pursuing her Masters.

[MatrixRn]

The MBA with Healthcare admin is a great degree for a nurse who wants to pursue or who already works in management. Ignore the naysayers.

FYI The ex dept of education recently wrote a book called 'Is college worth it?' There are excerpts of this book out there, but more to the point is that either scenario 6 or 9 (I cannot remember which) is your friends situation.

The writer says in the situation where a practicing nurse is looking to get a leg up an MBA in HCA is a good option and to look at online schools, profit and non profit. He goes on to specifically recommend Western Governors Univ.

Hope that helps.

[MrChicagoRN, RN]

Some people with no interest in investing in themselves will try to discourage others from pursuing success.

Is She currently building & demonstrating her leaderships already?

If interested in leadership she should be volunteering for charge nurse, participating in committees and QI projects.

That will allow her to build her skills as she proceeds through the program.