Which is the role of the nurse administrator in a health care setting

Becoming a Nurse Administrator

Nurse administrators are advanced-practice registered nurses (APRNs), meaning that they must hold a post-graduate nursing degree. Because nurse administrators manage staff and have high-level responsibilities, they must have extensive experience in nursing and impeccable leadership and management skills.

A typical nurse administrator job description can include any of the following:

  • Master's degree in nursing or healthcare administration
  • Valid nursing and CPR certification
  • Nursing leadership experience
  • Excellent knowledge of healthcare legal regulations and hospital procedures
  • Ability to lead and develop personnel
  • Outstanding communication and problem-solving skills
  • Understanding of basic budgeting and financial reporting

To search and apply for open nurse administrator positions, visit our job boards.

What Are the Education Requirements for Nurse Administrators?

Upon completing an undergraduate nursing degree program, such as a Bachelor's of Science in Nursing (BSN), and securing RN licensure via the NCLEX-RN exam, nurses are eligible to enter a Master's of Science in Nursing (MSN) program. While an MSN is usually sufficient for the role, some nurse administrators opt to pursue a doctoral degree in nursing (DNP). This is a specialty best suited for experienced nurses.

Read more on Master’s in Nursing Administration programs.

Are Any Certifications or Credentials Needed?

Most employers appreciate a nurse administrator with credentials. There are a few certifications available for this type of specialty. The American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) offers a Nurse Executive certification as well as a Nurse Executive-Advanced certification. The American Organization of Nurse Executives (AONE) offers certification in Executive Nursing Practice. Eligibility for these certifications vary, but generally a nurse must hold a valid RN license, have held an administrative or management position, and have a certain number of recent continuing education credits. Read more for further clarify on nurse executive certifications.

Where Do Nurse Administrators Work?

Nurse administrators are most often employed at hospitals, though they generally work in offices and don't have a patient-facing role. Some nurse administrators oversee multiple hospitals within a system, so they may spend part of their time traveling from hospital to hospital. Nurse administrators may also be found in larger medical facilities, such as long-term care facilities.

What Does a Nurse Administrator Do?

Nurse administrators are a vital part of the executive team, overseeing nursing staff and handling personnel matters. They help develop policies and procedures, coordinate between nurses and other departments, and develop budgets. They make departmental decisions and generally set the tone for how things are run. Attending meetings and communicating with nursing staff and other hospital executives are a large part of their role.

What are the Roles and Duties of a Nurse Administrator

Nurse administrators are generally responsible for the following:

  • Recruiting, hiring, and training nurses
  • Conducting performance evaluations
  • Budgeting and reporting financial matters
  • Helping to decide what equipment must be purchased
  • Developing policies and procedures and making sure staff are compliant
  • Acting as a liaison between departments, nursing staff, and hospital executives
  • Developing a strategic vision for the hospital or department

Nurse Administrator Salary & Employment

As advanced-practice RNs, nurse administrators earn a median salary of roughly $81,033 annually, though pay can range between $58,518 and $121,870 per year. Salary is dependent on location, experience, credentials held, and other factors.

As the demand for registered nursing grows, nurse administrator job outlook remains good. Highly skilled and advanced nurses will always be needed for managerial and supervisory roles, and ambitious RNs can look to nursing administration jobs for higher pay and increased responsibility. Additionally, nurses who want more regular hours and are interested in an office-based environment might be suited to a nurse administrator role.

Helpful Organizations, Societies, and Agencies

  • American Association of Nurse Executives
  • National Association of Directors of Nursing Administration
  • Journal of Nursing Administration

  1. Finding a job
  2. Nursing Administration: Primary Duties and Required Skills

By Indeed Editorial Team

Published May 17, 2021

The Indeed Editorial Team comprises a diverse and talented team of writers, researchers and subject matter experts equipped with Indeed's data and insights to deliver useful tips to help guide your career journey.

Nursing administrators perform essential tasks that help improve the nursing departments of hospitals, doctor's offices and other healthcare facilities. If you're hoping to work in nursing administration, it's important to understand what the role entails and the qualifications necessary for the position. In this article, we discuss what nursing administration is, the primary duties of a nurse administrator and the skills required for the job.

What is nursing administration?

Nursing administration involves different executive-level nursing tasks that help oversee nurse departments in hospitals and other healthcare organizations. The nurse administrator fulfills the responsibilities by managing medical staff and reporting the nurse department's development and productivity to the hospital's CEO. Most often, the nurse administrator conducts their duties in an office setting supporting nurses and other medical professionals through a clerical position that rarely interacts with patients and other hospital members.

Nursing administrator job duties

Nursing administrators perform several job duties during their workday, including:

  • Developing nurses' skills through effective training programs

  • Creating important policies and procedures for medical staff

  • Budgeting and creating financial reports for executives

  • Setting performance goals for nurses and other employees

  • Conducting performance evaluations for nurses and other professionals

  • Ensuring the department is keeping accurate patient records

  • Creating the work schedule to ensure all shifts have enough nurses

  • Planning and conducting staff meetings

  • Reporting to hospital executives and the CEO with department updates

Nursing administrator skills

Here are a few skills that nursing administrators use throughout their career:

Leadership

Nursing administrators use powerful leadership skills throughout their careers as they oversee the nursing department and coordinate the development of its employees. Whether they're helping nurses develop new skills through training programs, or they're conducting important staff meetings, nursing administrators need to understand how to be powerful leaders in their healthcare organizations.

Related: 10 Effective Leadership Skills to Lead a Team

Communication

Communication is a crucial skill for nurse administrators to have because it allows them to coach nurses more effectively and relay important information to hospital executives. If a nurse administrator notices an employee is having trouble talking with patients or filling out medical records, it's important for them to effectively communicate with the individual on how they can correct those issues. When a nurse administrator provides information to hospital executives, it's important for them to use powerful communication techniques to discuss their department goals and current developmental progress.

Organization

Nursing administrators use impressive organization skills throughout their career when they create the department's schedule and conduct performance evaluations. When creating the schedule, nurse administrators need to understand how many nurses they require per shift, and how to best use their current group of employees. As they conduct performance evaluations, it's important for nurse administrators to create a powerful system or questionnaire to assess the nurses' abilities and achievements.

Read more: What Are Organizational Skills? (With Examples)

Business administration

The duties of a nurse administrator can be similar to the duties of a business administrator, especially with budgeting and finances. It's important for nursing administrators to know how much of the department's budget they're using and how to efficiently allocate their current resources, or save money if possible. Ensuring the hospital has enough money to perform its duties can help nurses treat patients more effectively.

Related: Business Administration: Definition and 12 Career Paths

Nursing administrator work environment

Nursing administrators perform their duties anywhere that nurses do, including hospitals, long-term care facilities and doctor's offices. Though nurse administrators can spend a lot of their working hours on their feet, they often perform a majority of their duties in offices, conducting important clerical work to help the nursing department operate efficiently. Because they perform most of their job duties in the office, nursing administrators can work more consistent hours compared to other nursing professionals, often Monday through Friday from nine to five.

Nursing administrator qualifications

Here are the major qualifications required to become a nursing administrator:

Education

A nurse administrator must first become a registered nurse (RN) before pursuing management and administrative positions. To become a registered nurse, individuals must earn an undergraduate degree from an accredited university. Though some nurses may choose to pursue an associate nursing degree, it's beneficial for them to obtain a bachelor's degree because it can teach them more extensive information about the nursing career and position them for higher education. The most common undergraduate degree that students receive for a career as a nurse is a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN).

After gaining relevant work experience, aspiring nurse administrators often pursue a graduate education, either receiving a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) or a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree. Some programs that offer a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree also offer a focus in administration, allowing individuals to gain a well-rounded education suitable for a nursing administrator position. When pursuing graduate education, it's important for students to find a program that's certified by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) or the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN).

Read more: A Guide to MSN Nursing Programs

Experience

Some hospitals ask that individuals have five years of experience working as a registered nurse and one year of experience working in a management position before pursuing a nursing administrator's role. While working as an RN, it's beneficial to seek management opportunities to gain occupational experience and help make their resume more noticeable to future employers. A few great ways to pursue leadership opportunities include:

  • Volunteering for work committees

  • Shadowing supervisors to learn leadership skills

  • Pursuing mid-level management positions, such as the charge nurse

Read more: How To Become a Registered Nurse: Career Guide and Requirements

Certifications and licenses

To become a registered nurse and earn beneficial nursing experience, individuals must first pass the National Council Licensure Examination for registered nurses (NCLEX-RN) exam, which tests their knowledge of the nursing profession and provides them with a license to practice as an RN. After they gain the necessary nursing and management experience, individuals must then receive the Nurse Executive-Board Certified (NE-BC) credential from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC).

Nurse administrators can receive the NE-BC certification by meeting the necessary educational requirements and passing a certification exam. The credential lasts for five years, but nurse administrators can renew it through continuing education.

Please note that none of the companies mentioned in this article are affiliated with Indeed.

What is the concept of nursing administration?

Nursing administration is a leadership role in a given healthcare setting. This strategic management of staff, patients, and facilities is done by implementing policies written by the nurse administrator or more senior staff.

What is the role of a nurse administrator in a healthcare setting quizlet?

Nurse Administrator - manages patient care and the delivery of specific nursing services within a health care agency.

What is the role of a nurse in a healthcare setting?

Nurses assess and observe patients, help doctors create a care plan, and carry out that care plan with medication and treatment administration. Nurses use a variety of medical equipment for both monitoring and performing treatments. They may also do diagnostic tests, take vitals and interpret the results.

What is the difference between nursing administration and nursing management?

Nurse executives are the top leaders responsible for leading overall nursing operations, while nurse administrators manage specific departments according to workplace policies and protocols. Nurse managers work on the unit, managing the day-to-day activities of the staff.