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What is a nurse administrator and how to become one
A nurse administrator oversees the nursing staff at a hospital or any other healthcare facility. Unlike regular nurses that are primarily responsible for patient care, a nurse administrator supervises the work of other nurses. You will supervise the nurses, assign duties and manage schedules.
A nurse administrator also oversees the day-to-day activities of nurses at the facility. You are also in charge of strategic management and the allocation of resources. Your responsibility in this position also includes upholding and ensuring that nurses comply with regulatory policies. You will also handle personnel issues and handle aspects of human resources, finance, and other administrative responsibilities.
A nurse administrator is a licensed nurse with field experience but with advanced training for administrative responsibilities. Thus a basic nursing education coupled with advanced administrative training is needed for this role. You are expected to be emphatic and considerate. You should also exhibit excellent leadership ability, have a team working spirit, and possess good oral and written communication skills.
What general advice would you give to a Nurse Administrator?
Lisa Rebeschi Ph.D.
Associate Dean of the School of Nursing Professor of Nursing, Quinnipiac University
Avg. Salary $72,224
Avg. Salary $59,228
Growth Rate 6%
Growth Rate 0.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.44%
Asian 8.89%
Black or African American 12.09%
Hispanic or Latino 8.80%
Unknown 4.24%
White 65.54%
Genderfemale 83.67%
male 16.33%
Age - 43American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%
Asian 7.00%
Black or African American 14.00%
Hispanic or Latino 19.00%
White 57.00%
Genderfemale 47.00%
male 53.00%
Age - 43Stress level is very high
7.1 - high
Complexity Level is advanced
7 - challenging
Work Life balance is good
6.4 - fair
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Nurse Administrator career paths
Key steps to become a nurse administrator
Explore nurse administrator education requirements
Start to develop specific nurse administrator skills
Skills 
Percentages Patients 32.71% Acute Care 8.51% Direct Patient Care 5.63% Infection Control 3.56% Rehabilitation 3.48% Complete relevant nurse administrator training and internships
Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New nurse administrators learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a nurse administrator based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real nurse administrator resumes.Obtain the necessary licensing
Becoming a licensed nurse administrator usually require a college degree. However, you need to pass an exam to become a licensed nurse administrator in most of states. 43 states require nurse administrators to have license for their work. You can see the list of states below.State Education Exam License Url Alabama Degree required State exam required Registered Nurse (RN) Alaska Degree required Third-party exam required Nurse, Registered Arkansas Degree required Third-party exam required Registered Nurse (RN) California Degree required Third-party exam required Nurse, Registered Colorado Degree required Third-party exam required Registered Nurse Gain additional nurse administrator certifications
More About CertificationsNurse administrator certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific nurse administrator certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.
The most common certifications for nurse administrators include Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) and Wound Care Certified (WCC).
Research nurse administrator duties and responsibilities
- Manage patient pain relief and sedation by providing pharmacological and non-pharmacological intervention, monitor patient response and record care plans accordingly.
- Instruct employees in first aid, safety, CPR, growth and development of children and nutrition.
- Care planning and coordinating with the MDS team on restraints, psychoactive medications, infections, falls and restraints.
- Make referrals for medical treatment: and follow-up with psychiatric rehabilitation programs, treating physicians, pharmacies and other treatment collaterals.
Prepare your nurse administrator resume
When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your nurse administrator resume.
You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a nurse administrator resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.
Choose From 10+ Customizable Nurse Administrator Resume templates
Build a professional Nurse Administrator resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Nurse Administrator resume.
Apply for nurse administrator jobs
Now it's time to start searching for a nurse administrator job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:
- Browse job boards for relevant postings
- Consult your professional network
- Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
- Watch out for job scams
How Did You Land Your First Nurse Administrator Job
Are you a Nurse Administrator?
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Average nurse administrator salary
The average Nurse Administrator salary in the United States is $72,224 per year or $35 per hour. Nurse administrator salaries range between $48,000 and $107,000 per year.
What Am I Worth?
How do nurse administrators rate their job?
Nurse Administrator reviews
Caring for patients
Staffing ratios, unfairness, constant expectations. Healthcare is a business but doesn’t treat nurses like business employees
helping people and saving lives
the pay is not good not enough for the lifestyle I would like to live
Seeing and facilitating the growth of the staff and department
Updated January 8, 2025
