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Best Online Degrees in: Nursing Administration

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Explore a Bachelor's Degree in Nursing Administration

Mostly offered at the post-baccalaureate level, online nursing administration degrees can be found at the bachelor's level, but in conjunction with a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing. Online nursing administration degrees combine advanced nursing practices with administrative and business principles. Students learn skills in leadership, management, economics, and budgeting. Students also receive additional training in medical diagnostics equipment operation. In most cases, an online degree in nursing administration will take four to five years to complete. Some programs may take up to six years to complete because they combine a bachelor's degree in nursing and a graduate course in nursing administration.

Class Curriculum

Online bachelor's degree programs in nursing administration provide students with a wide range of administration knowledge, in addition to traditional nursing skills. Basic level courses in the program will include courses in anatomy, physiology, microbiology, chemistry, nutrition, psychology, in addition to some liberal arts courses. More advanced major-specific courses will include courses in nursing, leadership, economics, organization theory, and more. Almost our courses will include a capstone administrative practicum, and supervised work experience in the form of an internship. Some common courses offered in a nursing administration are:

  • Case Management. This course helps students learn to identify appropriate resources and client needs in the field, and differentiates various case management types Students learn techniques like, clinical pathways and extended care pathways, and also focuses on helping students learn practical problem-solving skill to use in the field.
  • Community and Family Health. In this course, students practice essential skills needed to assess, develop, implement, and evaluate community change strategies to promote improved health in the patient community. Students will evaluate a number of current topics involving community health, including health intervention, wellness promotion, disease control, and how to provide healthcare to diverse populations.
  • Modern Medical Ethics Issues. Students examine a number of pressing, contemporary debates in medical ethics, including the social context in which they arise. Students discuss a variety of topics, including bioethics, research ethics and informed consent, medical record confidentiality, and application of scarce medical resources.

Most online bachelor's degree programs in nursing administration allow students to complete coursework at their own pace within an allotted time for a specific class or assignment. However, all programs require the completion of an internship in a hospital, clinical, or other nursing environment in order to gain hands on experience.

Additionally, all states require nurses, and nursing administrators to be licensed in the state where they work as an RN. In most cases, this means professional nursing administrators must have a bachelor's degree, pass a licensing exam, and complete a state-approved training program.

Building a Career

Graduates of an online bachelor's degree in nursing administration should be able to obtain an entry-level position in the field as an assistant administrator. Some positions may require that graduates first gain several years of experience as an actual practicing nurse before moving into administration. Most jobs in the field will require the individual to be an RN, while others may require additional certification or licensing, depending on their administrative roles. In the field, nursing administrators focus their efforts specifically on managing a team of nurses within a specific department of a hospital, clinic, or other health care facility. Higher-level managers will be responsible for establishing and carrying out policies, goals, and procedures for the entire facility. They also evaluate the quality of their staff's work, and may develop reports and budgets for their department.

According to the the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment for health care managers and administrators is expected to grow faster than average for all occupations, with jobs increasing by 22% through 2020. The Bureau also reported that the median annual income for health care administrators and managers is $84,270. However, those in entry-level positions typically earn considerably less, with the lowest 10% of workers in the field earning less than $51,280.