PhD & Master's in Nursing Administration Online Graduate Programs

Online Nursing Administration Graduate Degree Programs offer busy, licensed working registered nurses the opportunity to advance their education while maintaining a full schedule. Most nurse administrators hold Master’s degrees and/or a Post-master’s certificate – programs that provide the foundation for continued doctoral study. A nursing administration degree combine business knowledge with compassion for patients. Earning an online graduate degree may be a convenient way to take your nursing career in a forward direction, especially if you have leadership or administrative aspirations.

Online Nursing Administration Graduate Degree Programs Overview

There are a variety of different Online Nursing Administration Graduate Programs to choose from depending on what your current education level is. If you are an RN but do not currently have a BSN, you would need to look into an online graduate program that takes you from RN-BSN-MSN.

The typical prerequisite for an online Master in Nursing Administration program is a BSN. Furthermore, the usual prerequisite for an online PhD in Nursing Administration is an MSN. Applicants must also hold active RN licenses and be able to prove RN work experience. Many programs require the submission of GRE scores.

Some Online programs require a certain number of credit hours and include other hours devoted to a clinically based practicum based on a student’s career goals. Students may also complete a scholarly project, write a master’s thesis, or a doctoral dissertation.

Potential Benefits to Online Nursing Administration Degree Programs

While nursing is by nature, a hands-on field, many graduate nursing schools offer both campus and online Nursing Administration Graduate Programs. The same faculty often teaches these programs, so you are still benefiting from quality instruction, although the virtual classroom means no commute time.

In a 100% online Nursing Administration graduate program, students take all the courses online, and take their clinical placement within their community of residence. Other programs may require that students visit the campus annually for a three-to-four-day orientation session.

If you are thinking about pursuing an Online graduate degree in Nursing Administration, you need a computer, possibly a web-cam and reliable Internet. Classes may stream live or you may be able to access them when you are able to. Research is done via online libraries and students stay connected to classmates and faculty via email, group online discussions and other digital tools. If this sounds like the right learning format for you, use the GradSchools.com directory to search for online Graduate Degrees in Nursing Administration by program level.

FUN FACT: Many employers require prospective medical and health services managers to have some work experience in either an administrative or a clinical role in a hospital or other healthcare facility. For example, nursing home administrators usually have years of experience working as an RN^[i]

Types of Online Nursing Administration Degree Programs

Online Nursing Administration Degrees are available as:

Online Masters of Science in Nursing Administration programs are often designed for nurses seeking to advance from RN (registered nurse) or BSN (bachelor of science in nursing) to administrative positions. MSN Nurse Administration programs typically cover subjects such as:

• Nursing administration
• Finance
• Health policy
• Healthcare management
• Health planning
• Nursing informatics
• Nursing research

Searching for online Masters programs in Nursing Administration? Some of the listings you might find may include: Online RN-BSN-MSN –Nursing Management and Executive Leadership or online Master of Science in Nursing- Nurse Executive Leader

Online Graduate Certificates in Nursing Administration, such as online Post-Master’s Certificate: Nursing Administration may be a great way for nurses to boost their present credentials and develop expertise in a particular area.

Online Doctorate programs in Nursing Administration are essentially research-focused programs where students gain an understanding of nursing economics, health care policy analysis and patient care delivery systems. Review options such as Doctor of Nursing Practice – Leadership Track (MSN-DNP)

What Can I Do With An Online Nursing Administration Degree?

Nurse Administrators are licensed registered nurses who are responsible for managing nursing staff in healthcare facilities. A Nurse Administrator’s workflow includes creating nurse work schedules, giving performance reviews, staying up to date on current ethical and legal standards, attending administrative personnel meetings, and developing new employee training. Workplace settings for Nurse Administrators range from hospitals, to nursing homes, private doctor’s offices, home health care organizations, or urgent care facilities.

Medical and health services managers held about 333,000 jobs in 2014, and employment is projected to grow 17 % from 2014 to 2024.^[ii] If you hope to become one of the next generations of Nurse Managers, look into an Online Nursing Administration Graduate Degree on GradSchools.com today!

[i] bls.gov/ooh/management/medical-and-health-services-managers.htm | [ii] bls.gov/ooh/management/medical-and-health-services-managers.htm