One way to move up in your career is to move from the practical, hands-on side to the management side. Many nurses choose to go this path due to the benefits or because they want a new challenge.
There are a couple of different options that a nurse with a couple of years of work experience can choose from. For one, the decision needs to be made if you want to stay in a hospital or clinical setting or do you want to move into a different work environment.
A hospital setting will provide the most challenging, stimulating, and financially rewarding path in healthcare management. However, there are other areas that may be just as rewarding.
There is no shortage of degree options either. You can do a Master’s in Business Administration in Healthcare, which will allow you to go into the management side in a hospital setting. Moving from staff nurse, unit manager, or head nurse to senior level administrative positions such as assistant director, director, vice president, or chief nurse. An MBA in Healthcare is a very popular option, can be done completely online and usually takes two years.
As a healthcare professional, there is a degree intended for you to move into management. It is known as a Master’s in Healthcare Administration. It is similar to an MBA in Healthcare, but it is intended for people with experience in the healthcare realm. An MHA will teach you all about the management aspects of human resources, finance, marketing, operations, information systems management, leadership, etc.
If you are interested in going into government or the non-profit side, then a Master’s of Public Administration is the degree for you. An MPA will train you in public policy and public management. You will learn about governance, economics, policy analysis, ethics, planning, public management, program evaluation, etc. This is the degree if you are interested in working for your state’s Board of Nursing, or if you would like to become a government consultant on healthcare.
As you can see there are many options that you can pursue outside the normal career path of nursing. Take a look and choose wisely.
