How to Become a Nurse Director

So you want to be a nurse director, but don't know where to start? Let me help you.

It's been five months since I took a nurse director job at a hospice facility in North Carolina. I must say that it's a completely different beast compared to bedside nursing. While both positions utilize critical thinking skills and organizational functions, leading a group of highly capable employees with different priorities and demands requires better mental strength and emotional stamina.

What does a nurse director do?

A Director of Nursing, also known as a Nurse Director, is an advanced nursing role where you’re responsible for leading a nursing department or an entire healthcare system.

Nursing Directors typically have years of bedside clinical nursing experience as well as leadership skills, and an advanced education -- either a BSN, MSN or DNP. In my case, I got my BSN and 10 years of clinical experience.

As a nurse director, you have a lot of responsibilities, including overseeing the nursing staff, as well as communicating between the nursing and medical teams and other healthcare professionals throughout the organization.

You'll work with the day-to-day operations of a hospital unit, hospital, department, or other healthcare setting. Your specific responsibilities will depend on the work location, but based on Nurse.org's list, your duties may include:

1. Managing and leading all nursing personnel operations

2. Acting as a point of contact between the nursing staff and all other health consultants

3. Creating a standard of care that complies with state and national standards of care and law

4. Monitoring expenses, finances, and accounting

5. Collaborating with all health staff members and outside agencies to improve the quality of services provided and to resolve any problems

6. Overseeing hiring, firing, and development of nursing staff

7. Developing short and long-term goals for nursing department

8. Establishing new policies and updating existing policies to improve the standard of care for patients

Directors of Nursing generally work alongside other healthcare administrators, either from a central corporate location or an individual facility. Typically, Nursing Directors work during the first shift but may be needed to work off shifts including evenings, nights, and weekends depending on the work setting. They can work in a variety of settings including:

1. Hospitals

2. Long-term care facilities

3. Insurance companies

4. Healthcare Corporations

5. Government agencies

6. Academia

7. Private practices

8. Outpatient care centers

Now that you have an idea how nurse directors work, how would you know if you're fit to be one? What makes a good Director of Nursing?

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Directors of Nursing fall under the Top Executives category. Directors of Nursing must be good communicators, have strong clinical abilities and leadership skills. They need to be professional, compassionate, and flexible. They should also have experience in staff development, delegation, legal compliance, operations and budget management, and treatment planning.

How do you become one?

1. Attend Nursing School

The first step to becoming a Director of Nursing is nursing school. You’ll need to earn either an ADN or a BSN from an accredited nursing program in order to take the first steps to become a registered nurse.

2. Pass the NCLEX-RN

Your next step is to study for and pass the NCLEX examination to become a registered nurse.

3. Gain Experience or Continue Your Education

Nurses can choose to gain some nursing experience before going back to school or go directly into an MSN program depending on their unique situation. ADN-prepared nurses will need to complete an additional step of either completing their BSN degree or entering into an accelerated RN to MSN program which will let them earn their BSN and MSN at the same time.

4. Graduate with an MSN degree

In order to become a Director of Nursing, you’ll usually need at least a Master’s degree, typically in healthcare administration or nursing leadership.

5. Get Certified

There are several certifications for Directors of Nursing. The most specific is offered by the American Association of Directors of Nursing Services is the Director of Nursing Services - Certification (DNS-CT). In order to earn it, you’ll need to hold a current RN license and have the equivalent of two years of full-time long-term or post-acute care experience, with a minimum of one year of experience either as a DNS or relevant nursing leadership experience.

Becoming a Director of Nursing requires hard work, dedication, and determination. You need to be able to multitask, have strong leadership skills, clinical skills, and communication skills. This position requires years of dedication and multiple levels of advanced education and certifications. It is not a quick process and generally, individuals know they want to take an administrative path vs. bedside nursing path early in their career, but it’s a journey that’s well worth it!