Nurse Executive Career Overview
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How Long to Become
Varied based on experience
Job Outlook (2024–2034)
23% Growth for Medical & Health Services Managers
Average Annual Salary
Nurse executives are nursing leaders who use their knowledge and experience to guide various healthcare-related organizations toward success. For a nurse seeking a position of responsibility, increased earning power, and the ability to inspire and make decisions, this can be an exciting and fulfilling career path with countless possibilities.
Nurse Executive Career in Brief
A nurse executive can differ from managers. They use skills in leadership, operations, finance, human resources, communication, collaboration, and big-picture thinking to guide healthcare-related organizations to success.
Roles may include chief nursing officer, director of nursing (DON), or chief executive officer. Such a leader may supervise a number of individuals and interact with other executives, department heads, and boards of directors if serving in the nonprofit sector.
Key skills and responsibilities for the nurse executive role may include:
- Supervising direct reports
- Motivating others to perform, grow, and succeed
- Setting an example for others and creating a positive workplace culture
- Understanding direct patient care
- Possessing business-related skills (like finance or budgeting)
- Analyzing data
- Monitoring compliance with regulations and regulatory bodies
- Overseeing quality assurance and risk management
Career Traits
- Emotional intelligence
- High-level communication and interpersonal skills
- Conflict management/resolution
- Analytical thinking
- Leadership
- Ambition
- Awareness of technology and its role in healthcare
- Big-picture thinking
- Detail management
- Financial literacy
- Team-oriented and collaborative
Where Do Nurse Executives Work?
Common workplace settings for nurse executives include hospitals, clinics, home health agencies, nursing schools, community health, and many other settings.
- 1
Hospital
In the hospital setting, the nurse executive may serve as chief nursing officer, nursing director, or nurse administrator. Skills include an understanding of patient care in the hospital setting, collaboration with other disciplines, and compliance with regulatory bodies, such as The Joint Commission.
- 2
Assisted/Independent Living
In these settings, the nurse executive may serve as chief nursing officer, nursing director, or nurse administrator. Skills involve having familiarity with the needs of patient (especially the elderly and those with living disabilities), managing multidisciplinary collaboration, and an understanding of the financial aspects of running an organization.
- 3
Home Health
Nurse executives may serve as chief nursing officer, nursing director, or nurse administrator. Skills include knowledge of the field of home health, compliance with regulatory bodies, and the management of a multidisciplinary workforce.
Why Become a Nurse Executive
Serving as a nurse executive can be an interesting, intellectually stimulating, and a satisfying career path. This role can also demand a great deal, with high-level responsibility for many aspects of an organization’s 24/7 operation, such as the management and oversight of a large community of employees.
Advantages to Becoming a Nurse Administrator
Positive patient outcomes- A guide to helping a healthcare organization to success
- Median salary of $117,960
- Professional satisfaction
Disadvantages to Becoming a Nurse Administrator
High levels of responsibility (for example, budgets, human resources, strategic growth, regulatory compliance, etc.)- Work-related stress
- Difficult not to bring work home
- Always feeling like you must have all the answers
- Feeling distanced from direct patient care
- Around-the-clock responsibilities
How to Become a Nurse Executive
- 1
Earn a bachelor of science (BSN) degree
Earning a BSN degree from an accredited nursing university provides the grounding in clinical skills, leadership, research, and critical thinking that every nurse needs as an entry to the profession.
- 2
Pass the NCLEX exam to receive a registered nurse (RN) license
Passing the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) is the initial gateway to becoming a licensed nurse and embarking on your nursing career.
- 3
Earn a master of science in nursing (MSN) or doctoral degree
Licensed RNs can begin logging clinical nursing hours. Graduate nursing programs and certification organizations may require specific hours or years of work experience.
A doctorate (also known as a terminal degree) confers upon the recipient the highest level of nursing education. A doctorate in nursing can be helpful in terms of marketability and credibility in a competitive field. - 4
Pass a certification exam
Certifications that a nurse executive can choose to pursue are nurse executive certification, nurse executive advanced certification, and executive nursing practice certification. Certification can increase marketability, knowledge, and expertise.
- 5
Get board certification (optional)
Earning the designation of board-certified nurse executive and becoming a respected nurse leader identifies that you are an ambitious individual dedicated to achieving advanced knowledge and expertise.
How Much Do Nurse Executives Make?
Although the BLS does not differentiate among various types of nurse leaders in its data beyond “Medical and Health Services Managers,” in general, there is a projected 23% job growth between 2024 and 2034, which is considerably faster than other industries.
Indeed.com reports that the average salary for a director of nursing in the U.S. is $107,690 as of October 2025, whereas the BLS states that $117,960 is the median salary for medical and health services managers. At the same time, Salary.com reports the median salary for a chief nursing executive as of October 2025 to be $244,200.
This disparity may reflect how each website chooses to classify and categorize various nurse leadership positions.
Resources for Nurse Executives
American Organization for Nursing Leadership
Formerly known as the American Association for Nurse Executives, AONL focuses on “the professional development of nurse leaders through innovative and competency-based learning experiences.” It offers online and in-person services for nurse leaders of all kinds, including but not limited to, executives, nursing directors, nurse managers, and clinical leaders.American Nurses Association
As the flagship national nursing organization, the ANA seeks to champion nurses through advocacy, education, outreach, certification pathways, and a large network of affiliated state-based nursing associations.American College of Healthcare Executives
Membership in ACHE is highly regarded within the healthcare community. It currently has 48,000 members from all types of executive healthcare leadership roles. Nurse leaders can stand out by getting the ACHE certification called Fellow of the American Colleges of Healthcare Executives.Organization of Nurse Leaders
ONL’s mission is “to advance a culture of health through excellence in nursing.” The organization “works in full collaboration with local and national professional healthcare organizations to promote excellence in nursing leadership, and by extension, high-quality and high-value patient care.”
Frequently Asked Questions About Nurse Executives
A nurse executive uses skills in leadership, operations, finance, human resources, communication, collaboration, and big-picture thinking to guide healthcare-related organizations to success.
