Nurse Administrator Degrees Lead to Upper Level Management Careers
| School Overview | |
|---|---|
| Serves: | USA |
| Accredited by: | NWCCU |
| Enrollment: | Monthly |
| Financial Aid: | Yes |
| Scholarships: | Yes |
Online MSN in Nursing Leadership Through Western Governors University
Leadership jobs are the next big career opportunity for nurses. RNs with clinical experience under their belts, an interest in business and administration, as well as career motivation, are being sought for mid- to upper level management and supervisory roles within a wide spectrum of healthcare systems.
Western Governors University offers the Masters of Science in Nursing (MSN) in Leadership and Management. This contemporary degree blends general masters level nursing know-how with modern business concepts and skills. Graduates are prepared to exercise robust decision-making and critical thinking skills, manage nursing and healthcare staffs, develop and manage budgets and financial reports, and provide integrative solutions to healthcare's business challenges.
Requirements for Admission to the MSN
Applicants interested in the WGU MSN in Leadership and Management must have a previously completed Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree, plus a valid RN license. This program, because of its design, requires no minimum GPA, but candidates must have career motivation and self-determination. Online programs have the convenience of flexibility and 24/7 studies, but students must create their own regimen, a demand that some simply cannot manage.
Curriculum
WGU is founded on a competency-based educational model. In fact this is the only online university that functions on this design. Participants are assessed on their initial academic competency within a field and in partnership with a degree mentor, devise an Academic Action Plan that determines the course of their curriculum. But curriculum is non-traditional; mentors/advisors design assignments and course requirements as students complete various competency assessments in a totally customized degree program. Students are regularly reassessed for more granular knowledge covered in "domains of study."
The general information associated with a MSN degree is covered in the initial stages of the program. Knowledge competencies for the general MSN include: advanced nursing research, policies, ethics and organizational structure of health systems, and nurses in advanced practice.
Specialized topics include: role of nurses in leadership and management; human resources, financial management, supervising, and project management. WGU is accredited by four separate regional agencies.
Career Opportunity
Healthcare is as changeable as is the rest of business and industry and in some ways may be emulating global shifts in leadership. Nurses with graduate educations are being urged to join healthcare systems in leadership roles where they may link nursing staffs and departments with larger healthcare infrastructures, and work on integrative projects that provide solutions for industry-specific problems. Outside of hospital systems, nurse administrators are also finding lucrative opportunities within private healthcare, some are now even shattering the glass ceiling and landing upper-level executive and CEO jobs they would historically have only been able to dream about.
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