MANAGEMENT EDUCATION FOR NURSES - HOSPITAL EXECUTIVES OPINIONS AND HIRING PRACTICES

Because registered nurses are assuming expanded roles in hospital mana gement, the appropriate educational preparation for these roles has be come a widely debated issue. A national survey of hospital CEOs and CN Os was conducted to assess their personal preferences for management e ducation for nurses and to gather information about their hospitals' p olicies and practices in hiring nurses for management positions at var ious levels within the hospital (from unit-level management to executi ve level). Both CEOs and CNOs preferred the joint MSN/MBA degree optio n as the best model for graduate management education for nurses, and they perceived greater demand in the future for hospital nurses with g raduate management degrees. However, hospital policies and practices w ith regard to degree requirements and preferences for nurses hired in management positions at all levels varied widely.