Registered nurses, or RNs, are essential to the functioning of the healthcare field. They provide kind, compassionate, and efficient care to patients when the doctor is unavailable, and even perform some duties that no one else can. With their experience on the floor, RNs have a distinct advantage. Their experience can directly translate into the jobs of managers and administrators in healthcare. They may have a better understanding of how to complete these jobs, and they may be able to do it in a way that comes across as warm and kind, especially when they take the steps to obtain a degree in these positions.
Types of Degrees
After RNs obtain their bachelor’s degrees, they may choose to remain at this level for the duration of their career. This is a valid option for many, but some RNs desire more. For those who want to enter healthcare administration and management jobs, they will need to pursue a higher level of education. Of course, there are many options that an RN must consider before settling on a specific master’s degree program, including what type of degree to pursue.
There are several types of advanced degrees RNs can pursue to further their education and advance their career. Some of the most popular options include:
Some will pursue a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN). This degree will bring them a deeper understanding of the science behind evidence-based medicine. Many of these programs will allow students to specialize in an area, such as in leadership and administration. Regardless, an MSN will bring RNs more knowledge that will allow them to make better decisions in administrative positions.
Obtaining a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree is also an option. What, an MBA? What does that have to do with healthcare? Well, most MBA programs will allow students to specialize in something like healthcare administration. Programs with this specialization often ensure that the material is appropriate for nurses and other members of the medical profession.
Why Do This?
Growing Field Leads to More Job Openings
One of the most obvious benefits of getting a degree in healthcare administration and management is that healthcare as an industry is growing. An aging population partly drives this growth, requiring more medical care than was necessary in the past. The field’s growth is constantly opening up new jobs in management and administrative positions. Being a nurse who has the knowledge to perform these duties makes one better prepared to handle the day-to-day challenges of being an RN. Furthermore, RNs who obtain an advanced degree will also receive more training for tackling new challenges and responsibilities.
Obtaining an advanced degree might also open the door for higher-paying jobs. It’s not uncommon for places of employment to offer higher salaries to those who further their education. Just as well, these degrees mean that RNs can apply for other higher-paying jobs since they will be more likely to meet said job’s education requirements.
Versatile Degree with Transferrable Skills
Degrees in healthcare administration and management are extremely versatile. With the added bonus of experience in the healthcare field, RNs with such degrees have virtually endless options when deciding how to drive their careers. RNs who earn advanced degrees may find work in diagnostic laboratories, hospitals, private practices, nursing homes, and more. This degree effectively leaves the door open to continue a career in nursing, or to begin a new journey using the nursing experience as time spent gaining valuable skills and insight.
Those with degrees in healthcare administration and management have many opportunities for potential advancement in their current place of employment. They will have the opportunity to become a nurse manager or a nurse administrator, for example. Some may become a director of nursing. Nurses with these higher degrees have better qualifications to provide ethical and compassionate care to patients through administrative tasks and greater responsibilities.
Even if a nurse decides not to pursue a career in administration or management, they will gain a deeper understanding of how the business of medicine functions. This will undoubtedly aid them in providing better care to patients. It can also make them look more desirable to new hospitals or places of employment when seeking different job opportunities. This is because nurses can show they will provide better care while also demonstrating the drive to learn more by holding a higher degree.
Many RNs Can Benefit from Furthering their Education
Nursing is an amazing career that allows people to change the lives of many different people for the better. With the healthcare field growing rapidly, many nurses may find further fulfillment in their careers by providing care in a unique way. Administration and management can make or break a patient, and nurses with a degree in these fields will be able to ensure that they can tackle any problem that comes their way.
