Nursing Administration

Overview

Nursing administration programs prepare registered nurses to manage staff and services in hospitals and nursing homes.

Nursing administration programs include topics such as:

Budgeting and financial management
Medical personnel policies
Managed care
Health care law and policy

Schools

Community colleges and other two-year schools offer associate degree programs in nursing administration. An associate degree usually takes two years to complete. After earning an associate degree students can transfer to a college or university for further study.

Several colleges and universities offer bachelor's degrees in nursing administration. A bachelor's degree usually takes about four years of full-time study.

Many universities offer graduate degrees in nursing administration. A master's degree typically requires two years of study beyond a bachelor's degree. Doctor of nursing (DNP) degree programs usually require two or more years of study beyond the master's degree.

See schools that offer this program.

Graduate Admissions

Admission to graduate programs is competitive. You need a bachelor's degree in nursing, good grades, and good test scores.

Additional requirements at some schools include:

Graduate Record Exam (GRE) General
Miller Analogies Test (MAT)
Letters of recommendation
Personal statement
Undergraduate course work in statistics
Clinical nursing experience

Typical Course Work

Graduate Program Courses

This graduate program typically includes courses in the following subjects:

Advanced Statistics
Community Health
Ethics of Health Care
Health Care Delivery Systems
Health Care Finance
Health Policy and Law
Human Resource Management
Managed Care Systems
Nursing Administration Practicum
Nursing Administration Theory
Nursing Informatics
Organizational Communication
Research Methods
Theories of Nursing

Graduate programs that lead to a doctoral degree in nursing typically include:

Required courses
Clinical rotations
Preliminary exams (doctoral degree only)
Dissertation and dissertation defense (doctoral degree)

Nearly all nursing administration programs require students to spend a significant part of their school time in practicum. This means that students work in health care settings such as hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, and health care businesses. Students work alongside professional nurse administrators. They perform duties such as supervising staff, monitoring patient care, writing reports, and running meetings. Students are closely supervised at all times.

Through the practicum, students learn firsthand what it's like to be a nurse administrator. Practicums also give students valuable experience that they can use to apply for jobs after they receive their certificate or master's degree.