Donate
Alumni
Login & Email
If you're working in the nursing field and are ready to advance your career, have you considered pursuing a role as a nurse executive? With enough experience and the right education, you could use your leadership and decision-making skills in this critical role. Before you can decide whether this path may be right for you, though, it's important to understand what the role of a nurse executive entails and the qualifications you'll need to be considered for the job.
Understanding the Role of a Nurse Executive
Before we dive any deeper into the everyday roles and responsibilities of a nurse executive, it's important to understand what this job title actually means.
What Is a Nurse Executive?
In simplest terms, a nurse executive is the highest-ranking position within the profession. Those who work as nurse executives may have a variety of job titles ranging from Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) to Chief Nurse Executive (CNE), and responsibilities can vary slightly from one healthcare facility to the next.
Still, in general, most nurse executive roles involve the overseeing of a facility or organization's entire nursing department. These professionals may also be responsible for implementing and enforcing workplace policies, strategic planning, and hiring/training nursing teams while ensuring that healthcare regulations and compliance standards are being followed at all times.
While nursing executives may not spend a lot of time working directly with patients, they play a critical role in ensuring patients receive the highest standard of care through organizational planning, policies, and training.
Key Skills and Qualities of Nurse Executives
Nurse executives need to possess a number of qualities and skills to perform their jobs effectively, with some of the most important including:
- Leadership
- Verbal and written communication
- Strategic decision-making and problem-solving
- Knowledge of healthcare systems and policies
Duties and Responsibilities of a Nurse Executive
While no two days as a nurse executive will look exactly alike, there are a few common duties that these professionals tend to carry out on a regular basis.
Overseeing Nursing Operations
Nurse executives, including CNOs and CNEs, are responsible for directly supervising day-to-day nursing operations within a healthcare organization or facility. This includes:
- Managing budgets
- Hiring and training staff
- Scheduling staff
- Developing policies and protocols
Driving Quality Improvement
Nurse executives play a crucial role in optimizing the quality of patient care by researching and implementing evidence-based nursing practices while also monitoring patient outcomes to identify areas for improvement.
Upon pinpointing areas where improvement is needed, nurse executives may also be responsible for proposing new policies and other changes to optimize outcomes based on their own research and understanding of the field.
Building and Leading Teams
Meanwhile, nursing executives must also be strong leaders capable of inspiring teams and keeping them focused. Some specific responsibilities of nurse executives in this regard may include:
- Recruiting new nursing staff
- Retaining existing nursing staff
- Providing training, mentoring, and professional development
- Ensuring that facilities or departments are properly staffed to optimize patient care and outcomes
Steps to Become a Nurse Executive
Interested in advancing in your career as a nurse executive? If so, then there are several steps you may need to follow to qualify for this type of role.
Earn a Nursing Degree
Typically, nurse executives have advanced degrees (such as a Master of Science in Nursing or a Doctor of Nursing Practice). To be accepted into a graduate-level nursing program, applicants must have an undergraduate degree (such as a Bachelor of Science in Nursing) under their belts.
In an advanced nursing program, aspiring nurse executives can take coursework in such relevant topics as:
- Healthcare research
- Collaborative leadership and management
- Informatics and information technology
- Healthcare policies
- Human resource management
Gain Clinical Experience
Extensive clinical experience can also go a long way when it comes to qualifying for a nurse executive role. Nurses need to have a solid understanding of the day-to-day operations of a facility and the types of duties that nurses carry out in their own work. This hands-on experience helps to build a strong foundation in nursing practice.
Nurses with experience in leadership roles (such as supervisory and nurse manager roles) may also have the practical experience needed to move into nurse executive positions. In these leadership roles, nurses can build critical interpersonal skills while figuring out what it takes to lead teams of diverse backgrounds.
Pursue Advanced Education and Certifications
In addition to a BSN and plenty of experience working the frontlines of the nursing field, many nurse executives also obtain their master's degrees or even doctorate degrees in Nursing Administration or a related specialization. This, in addition to becoming Executive-Board Certified (NE-BC), can help aspiring nurse executives build the foundational knowledge and skills they need to confidently lead nursing teams and make strategic decisions.
Develop Leadership and Management Skills
Leadership and management skills are critical for any nurse executive, so being deliberate about building these skills is a must. For example, aspiring nurse executives may consider taking leadership courses or other dedicated training programs to help them build their leadership and strategic decision-making skills.
Meanwhile, joining a relevant professional organization, such as the American Organization of Nurse Executives (AONE), can be an excellent way to network with other professionals and explore potential opportunities within the field.
Career Opportunities and Advancement for Nurse Executives
Just about every healthcare organization or facility that hires nurses has a need for knowledgeable and skilled nurse executives. This means that no matter where your specific interests lie, you can find the setting that suits your needs while enjoying plenty of opportunities for advancement within the field.
Work Settings for Nurse Executives
Most often, nurse executives are hired by hospitals and larger healthcare systems to oversee nursing operations within individual facilities. This could include nursing departments within entire hospital systems or even smaller nursing teams within private practices.
In addition to hospitals and healthcare systems, other types of medical facilities may also hire nurse executives to oversee operations, optimize efficiency, and improve patient care. Some examples of possible work settings for nurse executives include long-term care facilities and private healthcare clinics.
Advancing in the Field
Nurse executives can take on any number of leadership positions within a hospital or healthcare system. However, the highest level for somebody in this line of work is generally considered the C-suite role, such as Chief Nursing Officer or Chief Nursing Executive.
How, exactly, do nurses advance into these types of roles? Formal education, lots of nurse leadership experience, and networking are key here. With a more robust professional network, nurse executives are more likely to have the connections to explore new career opportunities.
However, a lifelong commitment to learning and continuous professional development can make all the difference in a nurse executive's career trajectory. By taking advantage of professional development opportunities (including additional training, workshops, and classes) as they become available, you can build your skills and knowledge to qualify for the most sought-after roles in the field.
Challenges and Rewards of Being a Nurse Executive
As with any role in the nursing profession, some inherent challenges and rewards can come along with working as a nurse executive. The key, of course, is to be prepared for common obstacles and to make the most of the best parts of the job to remain fulfilled.
Common Challenges
There are many challenges that even the most experienced and skilled nurse executives may run into on the job, starting with maintaining a delicate balance between administrative and clinical priorities. This can be difficult because nurse executives may feel as though they're being pulled in many different directions. In addition to overseeing the day-to-day administrative functions of a facility, these professionals also need to remember their clinical responsibilities to ensure the best possible patient outcomes. This constant balancing act can be exhausting to maintain, especially when other challenges arise.
With recent staff shortages across the nursing profession, nurse executives may struggle with maintaining enough staffing to run efficiently while adhering to strict budgetary requirements. These nurse executives are under a great deal of pressure to retain staff while often working with shoestring budgets, requiring creative thinking and strategic problem-solving.
Rewards of the Role
Despite its inherent challenges, working as a nurse executive can also be extremely rewarding. After all, the work that these professionals carry out on a daily basis has a direct impact on healthcare outcomes on a large scale. Nurse executives can enjoy knowing they're making a real difference on the job daily, helping hospitals and other healthcare facilities run efficiently while ensuring that patients receive the highest possible standard of care.
Meanwhile, nurse executives have the autonomy and independence to be true innovators in the healthcare industry. As new technologies and best practices emerge, nurse executives can be among the first to recommend and implement them within their organizations. In this sense, nurse executives can enjoy the sense of accomplishment that comes with being true innovators in healthcare delivery.
Learn More in an Advanced Degree Program
Working in a nurse executive role can pose some challenges, but at the end of the day, it can also be extremely rewarding for those who want to make a positive difference in the healthcare field.
If you're interested in advancing your nursing career, earning an advanced degree is a practical first step. At Nebraska Methodist College (NMC), we're proud to offer an online RN to MSN program that's specifically designed for nurses aspiring to work their way into executive roles. Plus, because this program is offered online with plenty of flexibility, it's a great choice for working nurses with busy schedules.
Contact our team at NMC to request more information about this program or any of our other nursing programs offered. Eager to take the next step? Start your online application for admission today!