Nursing Career Question

icyounurse, BSN, RN · Feb 10, 2008

Well, if you worked as an RN to get some experience and had a masters in administration, then you could possibly get a nurse manager position, or a director position. The pay varies, but I have heard of everything from 55,000-75,000 a year, depending on the position/area/responsibilities. Hope this helps.

Oh, and nurse managers usually are in charge of a particular area (ICU, or Med-surg, ect) work directly with their staff, and go to meetings, and do lots of budget and paperwork and protocol type stuff, and they usually interview and hire new employees on their nursing unit. I hear its a pretty stressful job.

babiiprycess · Feb 10, 2008

Well, if you worked as an RN to get some experience and had a masters in administration, then you could possibly get a nurse manager position, or a director position. The pay varies, but I have heard of everything from 55,000-75,000 a year, depending on the position/area/responsibilities. Hope this helps.
Oh, and nurse managers usually are in charge of a particular area (ICU, or Med-surg, ect) work directly with their staff, and go to meetings, and do lots of budget and paperwork and protocol type stuff, and they usually interview and hire new employees on their nursing unit. I hear its a pretty stressful job.

really? is it more stressful than what a nurse does? do you know how the hours are? i want to be a nurse but the hours involved really scare me. i dont missing out on holidays with my family. i want to be in the healthcare industry but have the typical work day from 8/9-5.

ann945n, RN · Feb 10, 2008

really? is it more stressful than what a nurse does? do you know how the hours are? i want to be a nurse but the hours involved really scare me. i dont missing out on holidays with my family. i want to be in the healthcare industry but have the typical work day from 8/9-5.

If a "normal" schedule is what you are after you might look into outpt facilities, family practice and clinics.

nghtfltguy, BSN, RN · Feb 10, 2008

you will probably make a lot of money and you will work with the other *office* ppl..

the nurses that work the floor will not be jealous of you... but probably despise you cause you chose a career in office work and not patient care...

if you think reports and informational data is stressfull.. well.. try working a code...

but the fax machine or even the copy machine might run out of ink... or whatever...

your keyboard might even lose a button.... and there might be a time when you chip a nail reloading the staple device thingie.... lol.....

have fun office girl~~~

:cool:

wan't you to know im only teasing....

i always tease office ppl....

nghtfltguy, BSN, RN · Feb 10, 2008

i didnt mean that to be derogatory...

seriously.. i wish you the best of luck....

*office girl*

:cool:

babiiprycess · Feb 10, 2008

i didnt mean that to be derogatory...
seriously.. i wish you the best of luck....
*office girl*

thanks, i kinda knew you were teasing. i just have a lot of experience in business, i went to a business high school and most of my jobs were in companys/corporations and i didnt want to waste all the knowledge. i was just more curious of what positions i could hold with that type of degree. i still have 2 more years to go before I get my BS so there is a chance i might my mind.

nghtfltguy, BSN, RN · Feb 10, 2008

get out there and work with patients before you make up your mind office girl...

you might change that brilliant mind of yours and realize that paperwork is important... actually being with the patient and talking to them.. getting to know them... much more valuable....when ppl leave the hospital.. do you think them or their family members remember the office person hounding them for their insurance card?.... or the nurse that gave the medications and held their hand when they were crying cause they were so scared???

im glad you you have 2 years to figure it out...

im sure you will make the right choice.......

get to know them... they are not statistics.... they are ppl... sick ppl that need help.

:cool:

i want you to keep in touch w/ me... let me know how you end up......

elkpark · Feb 10, 2008

One of the reasons nursing management positions are considered "stressful" is that you have 24/7/365 responsibility for everything that goes on in "your" unit/department of the hospital/facility. You are the person ultimately responsible for staffing (like, when six people call in sick on Xmas day ...), quality of care provided, dealing with any conflicts between staff members/relationships with the medical staff/hiring and firing, staff resentment/morale re: staffing levels and approval of vacation/holiday requests for time off, and any incidents/accidents/bad outcomes. Hours are typically regular business/office hours, but you're on call for your unit/department all the time -- you are the person who gets called if anything goes seriously wrong, day or night, and it's your job to fix it ...

I've been in nursing for >20 years, and, frankly, there's not enough $$$ on the planet to pay me to take an administrative job in nursing. But there are lots of people who like it, and I have a lot of respect for the people who are good at it. A good nursing adminstrator is "a thing of beauty, and a joy forever!" :)

It will be v. difficult to get started in nursing administration, or to get anyone to take you seriously and have any respect for you as an administrator, without some serious (at least a few years), solid clinical experience.

NurseCherlove · Feb 10, 2008

It will be v. difficult to get started in nursing administration, or to get anyone to take you seriously and have any respect for you as an administrator, without some serious (at least a few years), solid clinical experience.

Hmmm. Do you think clinical experience is really necessary? I ask because with all the crap admin doles out onto the front line, one would think they have no idea at all about patient care!

llg, PhD, RN · Feb 10, 2008

Yes ... Clinical experience is important if you want to be a GOOD admimnistrator. But I guess it doesn't matter if you are content to be a bad one.

Also, I am glad that Elkpark pointed out that while many management jobs may APPEAR to be easy and have "cushy" schedules, they are actually much more difficult and stressful than they look. Be careful about making assumptions about jobs or people unless you have "walked a mile in their shoes."

hope3456, ASN, RN · Feb 10, 2008

really? is it more stressful than what a nurse does? do you know how the hours are? i want to be a nurse but the hours involved really scare me. i dont missing out on holidays with my family. i want to be in the healthcare industry but have the typical work day from 8/9-5.

Doesn't everyone??? If you want to work in healthcare, you should be willing to work nights and holidays just like the 'regular nurses.' That is part of being a good manager.