Hospital administrators do more than just manage hospitals. As a direct link between the stakeholders and the hospital staff, hospital administrators have to act beyond strategic planners and display effective communication to ensure top-notch patient service and care. Although job duties might vary, the usual responsibilities of hospital administrators include overseeing scheduling, hiring and admissions, budgeting, and financing. The job title also includes compliance and facility maintenance to optimize asset and resource use. Since this senior position thrives on an analytic and pioneering approach, this might be the job for you if you are great at making logical and innovative decisions.

In return for the high vigilance hospital administration requires, the paycheck is hefty too. The average salary of a hospital administrator is about $87,904.With more experience, the number on the payroll increases. Moreover, the BLS report projects a 32% job growth for hospital administrators between 2019 to 2029, ensuring you will always have a job waiting for you. With a lucrative salary, high stability, and interesting responsibilities, hospital administration might be on your “possible careers” list. You might be wondering how to become a hospital administrator with no prior administrative concentration. As a nurse, is this career open to you? Is it even possible to switch from a nursing background to a hospital administrator? Luckily, the answer is yes! Let’s look at this job and the transition in detail.

Journey of BSN to Hospital Administrator

Many entry-level hospital administrators require just a bachelor’s in hospital management. But since the job description of hospital administrators is quite extensive, this role usually demands more than just a bachelor’s. Many organizations look for candidates with a master’s degree as it provides proof of skills required for the job. This demand for qualified candidates is where the transition of nursing to administration comes into the picture.

The minimum requirement to sign up for a master’s in health administration program is a bachelor’s in any health-related degree. Your current BSN credentials are already in agreement with the basic program pre-requisites, giving you an easy entrance to the program. When choosing a program, you can enroll in a Master of Healthcare Administration (MHA) or go for an MHS/MBA dual degree program. Besides in-person classes, online distance programs have made it easy to maintain a job-learning balance.

After completing the master’s program, you stand a good chance of securing a hospital administration role.

Pros of Switching from a BSN Background

As discussed previously, many senior openings prefer a candidate with a master’s degree. A BSN equips you with insight and knowledge, creating a strong base you can utilize in your professional career.

As a hospital administrator, you need to be ready to make decisions. Decisions you make will leave a significant impact if you better understand the challenges you’d be facing. As a BSN-holder, you can work as a registered nurse (RN) and have hands-on experience. It would not only add to your resume but also assist you in your administrative voyage.

While you work closely with the administration, working as an RN will help you identify the practices that need attention. You will understand where the communication gap lies or how the organizational structure needs repair. Moreover, most organizations tend to promote their experienced employees as experience and qualifications increase. You can advance to a non-clinical administrative role within the same working environment with relatively little effort once you attain the desired credentials and certifications.

How to Make a Strong Entrance Into the Administration World?

Build your Resume

Get certifications. Although these might not be necessary for hospital administrator jobs, certifications will give you an edge over your peers. They will make you stand out in the pool of candidates. Certifications such as the Fellow American College of Healthcare Executives (FACHE) certification show future employers that you have a thorough knowledge and insight to work as an efficient administrator. Other possible certifications are from organizations such as the Association for Healthcare Administrative Professionals (AHCAP), the Professional Association of Health Care Office Management (PAHCOM), and the American Association of Healthcare Administrative Management (AAHAM). These associations often offer more than one certification; you can select one that matches your desired placement best.

Build Connections

Like any other job, experienced and well-connected candidates win the race here too. Establishing strong contacts with healthcare leaders can assist in building positive professional relationships. These acquaintances can open doors to better job offers: through referrals or by aiding observant learning. The knowledge gained through passive learning from professional contacts in hospital administration can help you master administrative skills with ease.

Develop the Right Skillset

As a future hospital administrator, you would need to rely on analysis and intuition simultaneously. Being able to gauge the effects of every action, develop goals, and evaluate how each policy will be translated to adapt operations will require strong analytic skills. Your communication skills need to be sharp to cater to different audiences. Building on interpersonal skills can lead to transparent work environments and quality health provision. Strong leadership skills are a must-have as you would need to train and recruit staff, establish goals, and motivate your team.

Lastly, being tech-savvy and having technical skills can help you utilize informatics and healthcare analytics for better decision development. Working on these skills will smoothen the transition and hiring phase.

In Conclusion

From managing the outpatient clinics to multiple treatment centers, hospital administrators are the backbone of effective medical care. They make the hospital operational. The entrance to hospital administration isn’t limited to bachelor’s in hospital management, and BSN holding candidates can get MHA to carve a pathway into the administration world.

Additionally, getting certifications from recognized organizations and building on skills and connections will facilitate the transition and effectively take the integral role of the hospital administrator.