To become a nurse manager, one must complete a registered nursing program, obtain a nursing license, gain experience as a registered nurse, and receive additional education. Most employers prefer a bachelor’s degree in registered nursing, and experience in a hospital or clinical setting is necessary. Additional education in business or healthcare management can also be helpful. Research the hospital or facility offering the position before an interview.
Every day, in hospitals across the country, nurse managers perform essential functions such as hiring staff and overseeing patient care. The steps required to become a nurse manager generally involve receiving an education, obtaining a nursing license, and gaining experience. Postgraduate work is generally recommended as well.
To start the process, you typically must attend a registered nursing program after completing high school. While there are several types of nursing programs, most employers prefer to hire nurse managers with a bachelor’s degree in registered nursing. Bachelor’s degree programs generally require four years of study to complete. Programs combine face-to-face courses in science and anatomy with hands-on clinical experience working with patients.
After graduating from college, you will need to receive a license from your local government before you can treat patients and eventually become a nurse manager. Specific requirements vary from location to location, but successful completion of a written exam is generally required. For example, hopeful registered nurses in the United States take the National Board Licensing Examination.
Most employers will not hire newly licensed nurses with no experience to work as nurse managers. To know how to properly direct patient care, nurse managers must have the opportunity to learn in real life from a variety of patients. Working in the field as a Registered Nurse (RN) also benefits you by helping you hone your skills. Once you become a nurse manager, your previous experience will come in handy if you need to perform routine tasks while covering for your employees, such as installing ports or catheters.
The amount of experience you will need to gain before becoming a nurse manager varies, but working in a hospital or other clinical setting gives you the opportunity to develop your skills. Try volunteering to help your unit or floor manager. By helping to create team agendas or mentoring staff training, you will learn valuable skills that can be listed on your resume or mentioned in an interview. Asking for additional responsibilities also demonstrates initiative – a desirable trait for a manager in any field.
Receiving additional education can allow you to become a nurse manager more quickly. You might consider taking some basic business courses at a local college in subjects such as management and accounting. These types of courses can help prepare you for some of the essential roles of nurse managers, such as developing and working with a budget.
You can also advance your education by earning a degree in nursing. Many colleges and universities offer part-time courses in the evenings and weekends that lead to a master’s or doctoral degree in the field. Alternatively, you may wish to major in hospital administration or healthcare management – two areas of concentration that are typically suitable for nurse managers.
When you’ve found an administrative position that you qualify for in terms of education and experience and you’ve landed an interview, spend some time in your research by researching the hospital or facility offering the position. Formulate some answers to questions about key topics surrounding the work that nurse managers do, such as recruiting staff, motivating subordinates, and developing strategies to improve patient care. Preparing in advance can help you relax and be yourself on the day of your interview.
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