Opportunities for career progression are critical. Fulfilling career growth helps people strengthen their well-being, achieve their professional goals, and feel a greater sense of job satisfaction.
Career advancement is particularly important for nurses, who face a number of challenges in areas such as staffing shortages, stress, and burnout. Nurses who want to progress along a clinical career path have several options for advancement, but another good option is moving from nurse to administrator roles.
Making the career transition from bedside nursing to healthcare administration offers the opportunity to acquire new skills and put nursing expertise to use in new and rewarding ways.
Why Move From Nurse to Administrator?
Nurses seek administrator roles for several reasons. For example, nurses’ motivations to pursue administrative positions can include a desire for:
- A deeper sense of personal accomplishment and satisfaction
- More independence on the job
- Greater flexibility to balance work with family obligations
- Educational opportunities
Other reasons nurses move into administration or management can include:
- Less physically demanding work environments
- Opportunities to lead and mentor
- New challenges
Registered nurses (RNs) can also be inspired to move into administration to have a different kind of impact in healthcare. Administrative roles can allow nurses to have greater influence on improving both patient health outcomes and staff performance. For example, administrative roles offer nurses the opportunity to develop policies and manage staff in ways that improve the effectiveness of healthcare.
What Makes Nurses Good Administrators?
RNs have a wealth of experience and expertise that can make them ideal candidates for administrative positions. Nurses make effective leaders in administrative roles, for example, because they have a deep understanding of healthcare and can apply practical solutions to challenges. Their experience also allows them to develop:
- Strong communication skills and the ability to express themselves clearly
- Emotional intelligence and empathy, which contribute to strong work cultures and trusting relationships
- The ability to work well under pressure and exercise good judgment
Working in nursing also allows nurses to refine several transferable skills that they can apply when shifting from nursing to administrative positions. For example, nurses typically have transferable skills in areas such as:
- Critical thinking
- Attention to detail
- Problem-solving
- Active listening
- Time management
- Adaptability
Performing a Self-Assessment Can Identify Skills for Administrative Roles
Self-assessments are valuable for nurses who want to catalog their skills and identify abilities that can be valuable in administrative roles. Reflecting on skills through a nursing self-evaluation can be a useful way to:
- Identify transferable soft skills
- Highlight how learned skills have led to meaningful contributions
- Pinpoint additional skills to develop for transitioning into administration
- Establish clear goals for career advancement in administrative roles
Moving from RN to Healthcare Administration: How Nurses Can Prepare for Administrator Positions
Nurses can take several approaches to skill development. The suggestions below can be helpful in preparing to move into administration.
Looks for Ways to Demonstrate and Strengthen Leadership Skills
Nurses can get valuable experience in leadership by:
- Taking the initiative to help, showing they’re valuable team players
- Volunteering to participate on committees
- Requesting feedback on specific skills they should strengthen
Find a Mentor
Working with a nursing mentor can help nurses:
- Identify new career opportunities in administration
- Learn about additional education that working in administrative roles could require
- Receive guidance on progressing along an intended career path
Join Professional Organizations for Nurses
Nurses who want to enter administrative careers can join professional nursing organizations to access resources for career and leadership development. These organizations offer networking opportunities and professional development courses and often have conferences where nurses can learn about career advancement. Professional nursing organizations include:
- American Nurses Association: Works to advance the nursing profession and offers professional development opportunities and conferences
- American Association of Critical-Care Nurses: Focuses on supporting critical care nurses and offers conferences and critical care educational resources
- American Organization for Nursing Leadership: Promotes professional development for nurse leaders at all stages of their careers
Choose Continuing Education Courses That Focus on Leadership or Administration
Most states require RNs to complete continuing education units (CEUs) to renew their nursing licenses. If state requirements allow flexibility in choosing courses, nurses who want to work in administrative roles can focus on courses that enhance administrative and leadership skills. For example, the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) offers nursing leadership courses in topics such as:
- Improving workforce well-being
- Allyship in nursing
- Strengthening resilience in nursing
Earn Certifications in Nursing Leadership
Certifications that develop leadership skills can be a good way for working nurses to prepare for administrative positions. For example, nurses can earn:
- Certified professional in healthcare quality (CPHQ) certification from the National Association for Healthcare Quality
- Clinical nurse leader (CNL) certification from the Commission on Nurse Certification
- Certified professional in healthcare information and management systems (CPHIMS) certification from the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society
Earn a New Degree
Nurses who want to work in administration can expand their expertise by earning additional degrees.
A business degree can help nurses acquire knowledge and skills in key areas such as budgeting, leadership, and management. Options include a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA), Master of Business Administration (MBA), or a more targeted degree such as a Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Management.
Where Can Nurse Administrators Work?
Exploring the industries and organizations that hire nurse administrators is a good way to get an idea of the opportunities for nurses who want to pursue administrative positions.
Administration for Healthcare Organizations
Working in administration for healthcare facilities may be the first thing that comes to mind when nurses investigate administrative jobs. These positions allow nurses to put their knowledge and skills to use in areas such as:
- Recruiting, hiring, and supervising nursing staff
- Managing the financial aspects of a healthcare organization that support nursing functions, such as budgeting or resource allocation
- Developing policies related to key healthcare functions, such as care delivery and best practices
- Promoting collaboration among healthcare professionals
Administration for Other Types of Organizations
Opportunities for nurses to move into administrative positions also exist in the corporate world and in the public sector. For example, nurses can fill corporate administrative positions at:
- Technology firms that focus on healthcare
- Insurance companies
- Pharmaceutical companies
- Medical device manufacturers
- Companies that offer wellness programs
- Law firms that specialize in healthcare cases
Government agencies also hire nurses to fill administrative positions and perform responsibilities such as:
Specific Administrative Roles for Nurses
Examining particular roles in nurse administration is a good way to learn about the options for nurses who want to move into administration. Many of these positions have specific educational requirements.
Nurse Manager
Working as a nurse manager is a great pathway for nurses to move into administrative positions.
Nurse managers oversee the daily operations of a nursing staff. They perform duties such as:
- Staffing and scheduling
- Coaching and mentoring
- Managing nursing budgets
- Monitoring quality of care
- Ensuring compliance with healthcare organization policies and legal requirements
To become a nurse manager, nurses typically need:
- At least a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), with some employers requiring a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)
- An active RN license
- At least five years of experience
Key skills for nurse managers include:
- Communication
- Sound decision-making
- Adaptability
- Ability to uphold and encourage high standards of care
Nurse managers earned a median annual salary of about $102,000 as of May 2026, according to Payscale. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects 23% job growth for medical and health services managers between 2024 and 2034.
Utilization Management Nurse
Bedside nurses also can move into administration by becoming utilization management nurses, also referred to as utilization review nurses. Working for healthcare organizations, private medical practices, and health insurance companies, nurses in this role review medical records, primarily for purposes related to insurance coverage and reimbursement. Their primary objective is to evaluate the appropriateness and effectiveness of treatment.
Duties of utilization management nurses include:
- Assessing care plans and the medical necessity of care
- Coordinating with healthcare providers and insurance companies regarding insurance coverage
- Implementing measures to maximize the cost-effectiveness and efficiency of care
- Educating healthcare professionals about cost management
To become a utilization management nurse, individuals typically need:
- At least a BSN
- An active RN license
- Two to three years of clinical experience
Key skills for utilization management nurses include:
- Critical thinking
- Communication
- Time management
- Ability to interpret medical records
Utilization management nurses earned a median annual salary of about $80,000 as of May 2026, according to Payscale. The BLS forecasts 5% job growth for all types of RNs between 2024 and 2034.
Nurse Informaticist
If they have a passion for technology, nurses can pursue administrative positions as nurse informaticists, also referred to as informatics nurses or nursing informaticist specialists. In this position, nurses combine clinical and information technology expertise to assess healthcare organizations’ technology needs, help plan and implement automated healthcare systems, and train healthcare staff to use these systems.
Duties of nurse informaticists include:
- Overseeing healthcare system implementation
- Training healthcare staff on using electronic health records (EHRs)
- Assessing technology solutions that can assist healthcare professionals
- Recommending specific automated healthcare technology
- Coordinating with healthcare technology vendors
To become a nurse informaticist, individuals typically need:
- At least a BSN, with some employers preferring an MSN
- An active RN license
- At least one year of clinical experience
- Specialized training in informatics, which can be demonstrated by earning the nursing informatics – board certified (NI-BC) certification from ANCC
Important skills for nurse informaticists include:
- Training skills
- Data management and analysis skills
- Ability to advocate for systems that will meet both clinical and operational needs
According to Payscale, nurse informaticists earned a median annual salary of about $85,500 as of May 2026. The BLS projects 15% job growth for health information technologists and medical registrars between 2024 and 2034.
Director of Nursing
After several years of experience in management roles, nurses can rise to a position as director of nursing. In this senior-level position, individuals conduct strategic planning for nursing operations and serve as liaisons between nursing staff and administration.
Duties of a director of nursing include:
- Creating and implementing nursing policies and procedures
- Collaborating with heads of other departments
- Addressing patients’ concerns, as well as those of their families
- Implementing evidence-based nursing practices
- Crafting strategic plans for nursing services
To become a director of nursing, individuals usually need:
- A BSN
- An active RN license
- Some type of graduate degree in a discipline such as nursing, business, health administration, or health services management
- Several years of nursing experience in positions of increasing responsibility
Although not always required, earning a certification can be useful when nurses aspire to move into administration and become directors. Valuable certifications include:
- Nurse executive – board certified (NE-BC) certification from ANCC
- Nurse executive advanced – board certified (NEA-BC) certification from ANCC
Important skills for directors of nursing include:
- Leadership and management
- Communication
- Critical thinking
- Ability to work under pressure
As of May 2026, nursing directors earned a median annual salary of about $107,000, according to Payscale. The BLS forecasts 23% job growth for medical and health services managers between 2024 and 2034.
Moving From Nurse to Administrator Lets Nurses Find New Ways to Make a Difference
Nurses who move into administrative positions have the opportunity to use their valuable skills to make significant contributions to strengthening healthcare. Making the transition from nurse to healthcare administrator allows nurses to advance in their careers, address new sets of challenges, and continue to conduct meaningful work.