We've traversed from Mount Mitchell to the Outer Banks to find six accredited nursing administration degree programs in North Carolina for ambitious RNs. Covering over 300 miles of the Atlantic Coast, North Carolina is the 28th largest state with 10.04 million residents. Across 15 metropolitan areas, the Old North State's diversified economy generates over $424 billion. Healthcare has a major presence here with nearly 150 hospitals. Wake Forest Baptist Medical, Cone Health, Wakemed Health, and Memorial Mission Hospital are among North Carolina's 20 largest employers. In fact, Durham-Chapel Hill has America's seventh highest concentration of nursing jobs at 12,650! Transitioning from the bedside to the boardroom is possible with these MSN programs for North Carolinians.
East Carolina University
College of Nursing
Marketing the slogan "Tomorrow Starts Here," East Carolina University is the Tar Heel State's third largest public, sea-grant research institution within the APLU that's serving over 28,500 Pirates from its 530-acre urban headquarters and 206-acre Health Sciences campus in Greenville. Graded A+ for athletics and A for student life on Niche, ECU is America's 210th best national university and 118th top public college according to the U.S. News. The Social Mobility Index ranked ECU in the nation's top 20 percent. The College of Nursing delivers the 88th best master's nursing degrees countrywide.
Master of Science in Nursing: Nursing Leadership Concentration
ECU's Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program stands among the CCNE accredited nursing administration degree programs in North Carolina with a particular emphasis on rural underserved areas. The 42-credit Nursing Leadership Concentration is available fully online for clinical scholars to acquire the requisite knowledge for health policy decision-making. Nurses further specialize for Leadership in Acute Care Health Systems, Leadership in Community-Based Health Systems, or Leadership in Health Care Educational Systems. Most courses are delivered asynchronously via the Electronic Campus, but at least 210 practicum hours must be fulfilled face-to-face. Full-time, two-year and flexible part-time tracks are available. Advanced practice nurses could be interested in the Post-Master's Nursing Leadership Certificate too.
Accreditations
• Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
• Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS)
Contact
Health Sciences Building
Greenville, NC 27858
(252) 744-6433
[email protected]
http://www.ecu.edu/cs-dhs/nursing/masters_overview.cfm
Gardner-Webb University
College of Health Sciences
Affiliated with the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina, Gardner-Webb University is a private, nonprofit liberal arts institution serving "God and Humanity" with over 5,000 students on its 240-acre rural campus in Boiling Springs just an hour's drive from Charlotte. Named one of the Chronicle of Higher Education's "Best Colleges to Work for," GWU is ranked the 220th best national university by the U.S. News. The Carnegie Foundation also chose Gardner-Webb for the prestigious Community Engagement Classification. The College of Health Sciences offers America's 64th best online nursing degrees, including one of the accredited nursing administration degree programs in North Carolina.
Master of Science in Nursing: Nursing Administration Track
Partnered with the ACBSP-accredited Graduate School of Business, the Hunt School of Nursing delivers a MSN Nursing Administration Track for 30 to 36 credits. This comprehensive program prepares registered nurses with the organizational leadership skills to promote safe, quality patient care from a systems perspective. Designed for working adults, the curriculum is offered wholly online with just one capstone experience required. Coursework follows ACEN standards to cover health policy development, personnel management, budgeting, quality improvement, marketing, and more. Nurses could blend the program into the 69-credit MSN/MBA for greater business depth. Gardner-Webb admission will mandate valid RN licensure, minimum 2.7 GPA, and satisfactory GRE scores.
Accreditations
• Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN)
• Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS)
Contact
110 South Main Street
P.O. Box 997
Boiling Springs, NC 28017
(704) 406-4359
[email protected]
http://gardner-webb.edu/academic-programs-and-resources/colleges-and-schools/health-sciences/schools-and-departments/hunt-school-of-nursing/graduate-programs/masters-programs/master-of-science-in-nursing/index
Lenoir-Rhyne University
School of Nursing
Endowed for $98 million, Lenoir-Rhyne University is a private, co-educational liberal arts institution operated by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) to educate around 2,300 faithful students from a main 100-acre suburban campus in Hickory just 75 miles east of its Asheville location. According to the USNWR, Lenoir-Rhyne is the South's 56th best regional college with a 12:1 student-faculty ratio. Washington Monthly also picked Lenoir-Rhyne as the 209th best bang for the buck in the Southeast. The CCNE-accredited School of Nursing was established in 1910 to support caring, Christian individuals devoted to the management of illness.
MSN in Nursing Administration
Working RNs can seamlessly earn Lenoir-Rhyne's MSN in Nursing Administration online with full-time, tenured faculty on the Hickory or Asheville campus. The self-paced, non-cohort program allows nurses to sharpen their leadership competencies beyond the baccalaureate level and pursue upper-level administrative functions. Nurses who lack a bachelor's can finish the RN-to-BSN program online first. Grounded in Christian values, the 33-credit curriculum allows clinical practica to be completed close to students' home. Students study everything from medical informatics and bioethics to organizational behavior. Aspiring administrators must tackle a capstone project or master's thesis before graduation. Like other accredited nursing administration degree programs in North Carolina, it's approved by the State Board of Nursing.
Accreditations
• Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
• Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS)
Contact
625 Seventh Avenue NE
Hickory, NC 28601
(828) 328-7282
[email protected]
https://www.lr.edu/nursing-msn
Queens University of Charlotte
Blair College of Health
Opened in 1857 by the Concord and Mecklenburg Presbyteries, Queens University of Charlotte is a private, co-educational Christian institution endowed for $80 million to serve over 2,400 students from its 95-acre urban campus in the affluent Myers Park Historic District. Rated #2 nationally for percentage of students traveling abroad, Queens is named the South's 22nd best college, 17th most veteran-friendly school, and 28th top value by the U.S. News. Queens has hired five recipients of the "North Carolina Professor of the Year" Award. The Blair College of Health houses one of the accredited nursing administration degree programs in North Carolina as America's 180th best nursing school.
MSN in Nursing: Nurse Administrator Track
Conducted with accelerated, eight-week courses, the MSN in Nursing program gives Queens graduates the platform for transforming into collaborative nurse leaders with advanced clinical know-how. The 37-credit Nurse Administrator Track immerses RNs in one course online or on-site in Charlotte at any time. Nurses are admitted every Spring and Fall to synthesize business and nursing theory into administrative application. Coursework was revised for January 2017 with extra courses in financial management, leadership principles, and informatics. The curriculum follows the tenets from the Institute of Medicine core competencies. PSON has 40+ partnering agencies for the required administrator residency placement. Online learners could also declare the Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL) Track.
Accreditations
• Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
• Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS)
Contact
1900 Selwyn Avenue
Charlotte, NC 28274
(704) 337-2200
[email protected]
http://www.queens.edu/Academics-and-Schools/Schools-and-Colleges/Blair-College-of-Health/Presbyterian-School-of-Nursing/MSN.html
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
School of Nursing
Belonging to the Southeastern Universities Research Association (SURA), the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public, doctoral RU/VH institution established in 1789 that's now enrolling nearly 30,000 students upon its 729-acre urban campus along lively Franklin Street. Honored on Parade magazine's "College A-List," UNC Chapel Hill is distinguished as America's 30th best university, 12th best value, and fifth top public college by the USNWR. UNC Chapel Hill also tied for the 10th most Fulbright Scholar recipients nationwide. The School of Nursing stands out for conferring the 21st best MSN degree in the United States.
Master of Science in Nursing: Health Care Systems Administration
RNs can develop upon their baccalaureate education by finishing the face-to-face Master of Science in Nursing program at UNC Chapel Hill. As one of the most flexible CCNE accredited nursing administration degree programs in North Carolina, this 36-credit curriculum offers five Health Care Systems concentrations. Nurses could focus on Administration, Clinical Nurse Leader, Education, Informatics, or Outcomes Management. Starting each August, students with at least three years of experience sharpen the skills to apply evidence-based leadership practices. If needed, there's a RN to MSN pathway for associate degree holders. The Administration Track will include at least 240 clinical hours at facilities like UNC Health Care or NC Children's Hospital.
Accreditations
• Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
• Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS)
Contact
Carrington Hall, CB#7460
Chapel Hill, NC 27599
(919) 966-3731
[email protected]
http://nursing.unc.edu/academics/graduate-practice-programs/master_of_science_in_nursing/
University of North Carolina at Charlotte
College of Health and Human Services
Sitting atop 1,000 wooded acres off Route 29 in University City, the University of North Carolina at Charlotte educates over 28,700 Niners as a public, doctoral-granting research institution. Graded A- for location and diversity on Niche, UNCC is the 202th best national university and 110th best public college according to the U.S. News. Washington Monthly ranked UNC Charlotte as the 122nd top master's-level university. As a NLN Center of Excellence in Nursing Education, the College of Health and Human Services is the country's 114th top nursing school with accredited nursing administration degree programs in North Carolina.
Master of Science in Nursing: Nurse Administrator Major
Boasting a 100 percent ANCC Certification pass rate, the Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program admits bachelor's-level registered nurses without GRE requirements. UNC Charlotte confers six specialty majors, including Nurse Administrator. Taking a systems population perspective, this 36-credit curriculum equips nurses for advanced practice positions managing the daily clinical operations of nursing departments. Over 27 months part-time, students engage in online courses for informatics, strategic planning, budgeting, program improvement, and more. Online instruction is paired with 360+ clinical practicum hours at local healthcare systems. Nurses may also conduct research with top-notch faculty, including a NIH Grant recipient. Graduates are qualified or the Nursing Administration Advanced (CNAA) credential.
Accreditations
• Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
• Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS)
Contact
9201 University City Blvd.
Charlotte, NC 28223
(704) 687-7970
[email protected]
http://nursing.uncc.edu/degree-programs/graduate-msn-and-certificates
According to Nurse.org, nursing administration is the 10th top-paying specialty with a median yearly salary of $79,064. As if that isn't enough incentive, nursing administration jobs are also booming with projected 10-year growth at 17 percent. Earning the business and clinical know-how to handle the backstage operations of patient-centered nursing is intensive though. Most healthcare employers like psychiatric hospitals, pediatric centers, nursing homes, dialysis units, and rehabilitation facilities will require a master's degree. When you head back to school, consider these accredited nursing administration degree programs in North Carolina.
Related Resource: 30 Most Affordable Online Nursing Administration Degrees (MSN)