Graduate education in nursing is the minimum requirement for a wide variety of leadership positions, including the following options for which you can prepare with the Master of Science in Nursing degree.
The Clinical Nurse Leader designs, implements, and evaluates care at the unit level based on professional standards, protocols, and research. Responsibilities include coordination of interdisciplinary teams in provision of quality care, promotion of best practices, and advocacy for care improvements. Web resource:www.aacn.nche.edu
The nurse administrator is accountable for staffing, resource acquisition and distribution, and patient care services within a health care system. Responsibilities include development and maintenance of programs consistent with the organizational mission and vision, interdisciplinary collaboration for provision of quality care that is cost effective, staff support, and patient satisfaction. Web resource:www.nursesource.org/executive.html
The nurse educator develops and utilizes nursing and health curricula for academic preparation of new nurses, staff development of current health professionals, and community education projects. Responsibilities include provision of quality educational experiences based on the mission of their employer, needs of the students, and the latest scientific evidence. Web resource:www.nursesource.org/nurse_educator.html
Nursing salaries, according to the 2008 National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses:
| Management/Administration: Senior Management | $96,735 |
| Management/Administration | $78,356 |
| Consultant | $76,473 |
| Informatics Nurse | $75,242 |
| Management/Administration: Middle Management | $74,799 |
| Management/Administration: First-Line Management | $72,006 |
The nurse faculty salary conundrum
Unfortunately, some experts are concerned that nursing faculty salaries are not keeping up. Regardless of their education, nursing faculty members rarely seem to crack the $70,000 mark. The average salary for nurses engaged in instruction as their primary job in 2008 was $65,844, according to the sample survey data.
http://www.nursezone.com/Nursing-News-Events/more-news/The-Top-Nursing-Salaries_35674.aspx(visited November 2010)
