Director of Nursing: Job Description & Skills
A director of nursing uses their management skills and clinical knowledge to direct a health facility. Read on to learn what this career entails and see the skills you will need to be successful in this role.
Career at a Glance
A director of nursing oversees the care of patients and makes important decisions within a health facility, which impacts the overall processes and patient health outcomes. The following table shows the key facts about the education requirements, salary and projected growth for a career as a director of nursing.
<table border="1"><tr><td> <b>Degree Required</b> </td><td> Bachelor's degree required; master's preferred</td></tr>
<tr><td> <b>Education Field of Study</b> </td><td> Nursing</td></tr>
<tr><td> <b>Certification and Licensure</b></td><td> State license required; additional certification preferred</td></tr>
<tr><td> <b>Median Salary (2022)</b> </td><td> $93,657** (Nursing Director)</td></tr>
<tr><td> <b>Job Outlook (2020-2030)</b> </td><td> 32%* (Medical and Health Services Managers)</td></tr>
</table><p><i>Sources: *U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), ** PayScale.com</i>
</p><h3 id="section---WhatDoesADirectorOfNursingDo">What Does a Director of Nursing Do?</h3><p>A nursing director is a registered nurse who assumes a managerial position and takes responsibility for the nursing care within a health care setting. They manage staff, have budgeting responsibilities, are involved with recruitment and carry out disciplinary action when required. As a director of nursing, you will need to ensure the facility or department is up to standard and follows relevant policies and guidelines. You may supervise budgeting and order processing for the department and oversee nursing programs. Working as a director of nursing may require you to be on call in the case an emergency situation arises.
</p><h3 id="section---WhatQualitiesAndSkillsAreRequiredToBeADirectorOfNursing">What Qualities and Skills Are Required to Be a Director of Nursing?</h3><p>A director of nursing must be knowledgeable about patient care in practice as well as in theory. An effective director of nursing will take occasional shifts on the ward and work directly with patients to maintain clinical knowledge and skills. You will need to be detail orientated and have strong analytical skills in order to identify potential problems and current issues in the work environment. You will need excellent leadership and communication skills to work effectively with members of staff and patients. A nursing director will need to be able to encourage and motivate staff, as sometimes nursing can be a challenging field, and creating a supportive environment can help the department run smoothly. Some additional desired skills for this role are staff development, legal compliance, operations and budget management, treatment planning and critical care.
</p><h3 id="section---HowDoIBecomeADirectorOfNursing">How Do I Become a Director of Nursing?</h3><p>A person pursuing a career as a director of nursing would initially need to become a licensed registered nurse. A bachelor's degree in nursing is required; however, most employers prefer nurses who have obtained a master's degree. You may want to consider a nursing bridge program if you have an diploma or associate's degree and would like to acquire a bachelor's degree in nursing. You will need at least 2-10 years of experience as a registered nurse as well as management experience. Some employers insist on a master's degree, particularly in a hospital setting, and so advanced education will increase your chance of employability. The National Council Licensure Examination - Registered Nurse (NCLEX-RN) is a license required to operate as a registered nurse; additionally, you may need further licenses and certification depending on your state.
</p><h3 id="section---HowMuchDoesADirectorOfNursingEarn">How Much Does a Director of Nursing Earn?</h3><p>According to <i>PayScale.com</i>, directors of nursing earn a median annual salary of $93,657 as of 2022. The BLS reports the average data on medical and health services managers but does not provide detail specifically about directors of nursing. However, the BLS states that in 2020 medical and health services managers made a median salary of $104,280 annually. The BLS also reports the top earning 10% of medical and health services managers made over $195,630, and the lowest earning 10% made less than $59,980 annually in 2020. Managers in hospitals earned the most, while managers in nursing and residential care settings earned the least in the field, on average.
</p><h3 id="section---WhereDoesADirectorOfNursingWorkAndWhatSTheCareerOutlook">Where Does a Director of Nursing Work and What's the Career Outlook?</h3><p>The BLS reports that most medical and health services managers, which include directors of nursing, work within hospitals. Although, they can also find employment in physicians' offices, residential care facilities, outpatient clinics and government institutions. Working as a director of nursing often requires a lot of paperwork, so often directors work in office settings. The field of medical and health services management is one of the fastest growing fields according to the BLS, with an estimated growth of 32% in job openings expected between 2020 and 2030. As healthcare facilities are expected to grow in size and complexity during this period, more medical and health services managers will be required to keep up with the demand.</p>