A Master’s in Nursing (MSN) degree can open many doors for nursing professionals. One of those doors – and top career prospects – that MSN graduates can pursue is that of the Nurse Administrator. This position is vital to all healthcare settings, as a Nurse Administrator is an executive-level nurse that supervises nursing staff, nursing departments, or nursing facilities.

If you are interested in a challenging, rewarding, leadership role in healthcare, then nursing administration is a great choice for you. A Master’s in Nursing from Goodwin College will provide you with the skills and tools needed to pursue this high-level position within the healthcare system.

What exactly is a Nurse Administrator?

Once you’ve earned your Master’s in Nursing, you will be qualified to take the leap from being a registered nurse, whose sole responsibility is patient care, to focusing more on managing a nursing department and overseeing the quality of that patient care. Nurse Administrators typically work at the executive level, and supervise a set of departments in healthcare settings like hospitals, nursing care facilities, and medical laboratories.

Although Nurse Managers sometimes have similar responsibilities as a Nurse Administrator, Nurse Managers tend to have a much narrower focus and typically only manage one department or group. Nurse Administrators, on the other hand, have a much wider scope of departments and staff that they manage, and often report to the CEO or Vice President in their organization.

What are the responsibilities of a Nurse Administrator?

The responsibilities of a Nurse Administrator vary based on their place of work and specialties, however, their general responsibilities include:

• Overseeing and supervising the nursing staff
• Ensuring nursing services meet regulatory requirements
• Creating budgets and managing overall finances of the facility
• Exploring opportunities for cost savings and greater efficiencies
• Maintaining records on all facility services and resources
• Serving as a leader by motivating the nursing staff and departments

Above all, a Nurse Administrator’s main responsibility and priority is to ensure that patients are receiving the best possible care. The Master’s in Nursing program at Goodwin College teaches the skills needed to do so. Here, MSN students are required to complete a graduate-level course called “Healthcare Quality: Communication and Informatics,” which explores quality improvement systems and strategies in healthcare transformation, further helping produce positive health outcomes for diverse populations. The knowledge learned in this course, as a well as the other graduate nursing courses offered through Goodwin’s Master’s in Nursing program, will prepare you for the demands and responsibilities of healthcare leadership.

How does one become a Nurse Administrator?

There are several paths you can take to become a Nurse Administrator. The first step is to become a Registered Nurse and hold a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing (or, BSN degree). Once you’ve done that, the most common next step would be to earn a Master’s in Nursing from an accredited college. Goodwin’s MSN program is particularly helpful in the journey to becoming a Nurse Administrator, as the curriculum covers advanced nursing and leadership concepts and theories. Through Goodwin’s MSN program, you will acquire the skills needed to advance and succeed in the growing and increasingly competitive nursing field.

Goodwin’s Master’s in Nursing program is designed for the working RN and offers flexible course options. Our program can be completed in a little as 20 months part-time, and all coursework can be done fully online – allowing you to continue working full-time if desired. Earning your Master’s in Nursing at Goodwin College will prepare you for a demanding, yet rewarding career as a Nurse Administrator.

Contact us today about learn more about earning your MSN Degree at Goodwin College by calling 800-889-3282 or by visiting us online.