Should You Get an MBA as a Nurse Practitioner?

At NPHub, we value honest and useful education. That’s why we try to empower NPs in their search for preceptors. We know that it might be hard sometimes to find a clinical site for your rotations, but we’ve got you covered on that part. You can trust us to find the best preceptor for you so you can focus on the other aspects of your career, like getting another diploma or starting a business.

Getting an MBA is an interesting lateral move that some NPs take in order to find new opportunities. However, at the same time, not many NPs are considering it because it doesn’t make sense to them. Why would any nurse practitioner want to get into business anyway? The job has to do with treating patients, not doing human resources or administrative work.

That is a fair point, and they’re not wrong to think that, but this doesn’t mean an MBA is useless for NPs. If you’re looking for your next career move, it might be great for you to consider this degree as a door-opener. You can learn a lot of skills that you won’t get from the conventional nurse practitioner experience.

But, what kinds of positions can I get with an MBA?

Great question. There’s a lot of different jobs that you can apply to with a Masters of Business Administration. Not everyone wants to do the same thing all the time, and it’s completely O.K. if you want to keep moving forward. Let’s look at some great jobs that you can apply to if you do get your MBA after working as a nurse practitioner.

Healthcare Manager

According to Herzing University, healthcare management is a fast-growing career that offers lots of options, job security, and a decent salary. You won’t be dealing with patients, but you will have to find ways to make their healthcare experience better. This is what the job is all about.

An MBA is great for you to jump from clinical practice to management, and enjoy the challenges and rewards that come with it. The median salary for healthcare management is $100,000, and you can expect a more common, nine-to-five work schedule with lots of room for personal growth.

Nurse Manager or Nurse Administrator

Have you ever dreamed of leading your team of nurses? Are you interested in overseeing patient care and making critical decisions to improve the quality of healthcare in your organization? If that sounds like you, then you should look into becoming a nurse manager.

This is one of the most celebrated jobs in the nursing world, and according to nurse.org, they have a median salary of $115,000 (not too bad, right?). They are also in high demand, which means that you won’t spend a lot of time unemployed after you finish your second master’s degree.

Chief Nursing Officer

This is the highest executive position that you can aspire to as a career nurse. You will be in charge of maintaining an efficient work relationship between nurses, staff, and physicians. You will also be in charge of maintaining the quality standard of healthcare for your organization. You will be, without a doubt, the boss of all nurses.

The average salary is $120,000 but you can earn as much as $200,000 in high-paying environments. You will probably need more than just an MBA to get to this level, but a good one can be your first step towards being a top executive.

What else can I learn from an MBA program?

The jobs mentioned above are just three out of many positions available for nurses that choose to get an MBA. If you have the time (and the money) an MBA program can teach you a lot about the other side of healthcare, which is the business side. You will be able to make better decisions and also understand why some things aren’t working (and how to improve them).

You will have a much stronger point of view when it comes to voicing your opinions, and you might get to help around with some non-nursing stuff. This will turn you into even more of an asset for your organization.

Moving into a higher administrative position shouldn’t be the only reason you’re getting your MBA, but rather a desire for understanding how things work from the inside, which might also come in handy if you decide to start your own practice (or healthcare-related business).

What type of MBA should I get as a nurse?

An MBA in Healthcare is the best option out there for nurse practitioners. It focuses specifically on the inner workings of healthcare businesses, policy, and management. A good MBA program in healthcare will prepare you to understand the financial and managerial aspects that are in the background of healthcare facilities, giving you the chance to advance further in your career. You might find this MBA under a few different names, like “MBA in Healthcare Management.” Do some research online to find options near you today.

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