CAREER GUIDE MSN—Leadership & Management

Where is the future of nursing headed? If you have a passion for your career and strong ideas about how nursing administration can be made more efficient and effective in hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare environments, perhaps your calling is in nursing leadership and management.

The American Nurses Association (ANA) has certain standards for nurse administrators to uphold and promote, and the organization is committed to empowering nurses to be professional, competent leaders in healthcare. Among the advanced knowledge and skills you’ll need to have in order to make an impact on your profession are how to build and motivate a team, how to implement sound financial principles in a healthcare environment, and how to exercise strategic leadership focused on evolving trends and directions within the healthcare industry.

From developing systems that improve patient care and implementing programs for staff development to understanding regulatory standards governing the massive healthcare industry, there’s a lot to learn, and it’s a big responsibility. But with the right education and training, you can build the confidence and earn the credentials to claim your place as a valuable leader and manager in a variety of nursing settings.

The healthcare industry is expanding rapidly, and the job outlook for managers with industry-specific leadership skills and training is off the charts. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of medical and health services managers to grow 20% by 2026, much faster than the average for all occupations. The American Nurses Association (ANA) states that nurses graduating from bachelor’s and master’s nursing degree programs are much more likely to receive a job offer upon graduating than any other field. That’s a solid reason to consider learning more about a career-focused MSN in Leadership and Management.

In 2016, the American Organization for Nurse Executives (AONE) conducted a salary and compensation study that revealed that half of nurse leaders’ salaries fall between $90,000 and $150,000. Those with a doctoral or master’s degree were the most likely to earn more than $160,000.

The median annual wage for medical and health services managers, according to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, was $98,350 in May 2017. Clearly, if you want to elevate your career in nursing and rise through the ranks of professionals committed to leadership in healthcare, opportunities are abundant for anyone with the right knowledge and skills and a commitment to nursing management. Start by earning your Master of Science in Nursing, and there’s no telling how far your credentials will take you.