Essential Information
Nursing management certificate programs include both classroom and online learning. Prospective nurse managers take classes in leadership, management, budgeting, accounting, operations, and healthcare. They learn to identify and analyze issues between clinical nursing practice and healthcare administration to better provide leadership and resolve the conflicts that often take place between quality healthcare outcomes and business practices. The certificate program may also be applied to a school's registered nurse or nursing master's degree program.
For students who are already nurses, they need a high school diploma or GED in order to enroll. In addition, they must pass an admissions test and include a personal statement of intent for the course. For those without a nursing license, they must have a bachelor's degree in registered nursing and be admitted to a graduate school program in the field. Students will be required to pass a professional certification exam upon graduation.
Certificate Programs in Nursing Management
Students apply the skills they've learned toward business practices. Courses in management, problem solving, organizing, and human resources are incorporated into the curriculum, along with classes covering:
- Administration and leadership
- Data management
- Nursing management
- Human resources
- Budgeting
- Operations
Employment Outlook and Salary Info
Nurse managers may find employment in hospitals, private offices and community health centers, working with fellow nurses, physicians and administration. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), medical and health services managers, including nurse managers, earned a mean salary of $118,800 in May 2020. The BLS expects general registered nurse employment to grow 7% from 2019-2029, which is much faster than the average for all occupations, and employment of medical and health services managers to increase by 32%.
Continuing Education and Certification
Nurse management certification is available through the American Organization of Nurse Executives (AONE) through the partnership of the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses. This certification can be applied for online and studied for with a book provided through the AONE. Nurses passing the exam will be certified as nurse managers.
To take the exam, potential nurse managers must have a valid and unrestricted license as a registered nurse, a bachelor's degree in nursing and two years of experience in a nurse manager role or non-manager role. The American Organization of Nurse Executives' website provides testing centers, reading preparation lists, and costs for the test.
Nurse management certification programs prepare current and future nurses to effectively direct hospital staff and nursing units to ensure the best care possible in the workplace.
