Nursing Administration Schools

Nurse administrators or head nurses oversee the activities of nursing staff. They work in administrative roles at hospitals, clinics and community centers. Nurse administrators are responsible for coordinating nursing care services, developing agency policies, supervising their staff and evaluating the overall performance of an organization's nursing services. Nurse administrators must have strong interpersonal and leadership skills, and a master's degree is the minimum requirement for a nurse administrator career. Several schools offer a degree in nursing administration.

Program Objectives

• Nursing and health care administration programs are designed to prepare students for management roles. Depending on the program, students have the option of obtaining certificates in specialized administrative fields like human resources, marketing, entrepreneurship or finance. Graduates from a nursing administration program earn a Master of Science degree. Students receive training in operations management, health care finance, consulting and project management. Nursing administration programs provide opportunities for minors in fields like health care informatics, occupational health nursing, organizational dynamics and quality improvement and safety processes in health care.

Degree Requirements

• A typical Master of Science program in nursing administration runs for two to three years on a full-time basis. Students take core courses in nursing administration as well as business electives. Some elective courses and certificate programs require relevant work experience. Courses that are commonly taken by graduate nursing administration students include human resource management, organizational and behavioral psychology, consumer behavior and corporate finance. Students who seek minors in fields like health informatics must take additional courses including applied health informatics, business and strategic planning and advanced roles in administrative nurse practice.

Certification

• Graduates from a Master of Science program in nursing administration are eligible to become certified through the American Nurses Credentialing Center. The eligibility criteria for nurse executive certification includes holding a current Registered Nurse license and having a bachelor's degree or higher in nursing. Prospective applicants must also have held mid-level supervisory or administrative nursing roles for at least 24 months. Faculty who have held teaching positions in nursing administration qualify for certification. Additional requirements for certification include completion of 30 hours of continuing education in nursing administration.

Continuing Education

• In addition to qualifying for re-certification, nursing administrators must take continuing education courses to stay current on the latest trends in their profession. Among several national nursing associations, the American Nurses Credentialing Center, or ANCC, offers continuing education courses to qualified nurse executives. The National Commission for Certifying Agencies and the Accreditation Board for Specialty Nursing Certification accredit ANCC. Nurse executives can take part in advanced courses and seminars hosted by ANCC.