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<p>Nursing shortages are hitting “crisis levels,” according to a <a href="https://www.relias.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/B2B_NurseSalaryReport_2022.pdf">2022 report</a> by health care company <a href="https://www.relias.com/">Relias</a>, and that’s happening as demand remains robust for the industry. In fact, advanced nursing jobs including nurse practitioners, nurse anesthetists, and nurse midwives are expected to grow 40% between 2021 and 2031, <a href="https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/nurse-anesthetists-nurse-midwives-and-nurse-practitioners.htm">according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics</a>. </p><div class="paywall-selector"></div><div class="paywall">



<p>As a result, various types of advanced nursing roles can command six-figure salaries. <a href="https://fortune.com/education/articles/how-nursing-schools-are-addressing-high-demand-for-nurse-practitioners/">Nurse practitioners</a>, which often require a <a href="https://fortune.com/education/health/best-online-msn-nurse-practitioner-programs/">master’s degree in nursing to land</a>, earn <a href="https://fortune.com/education/articles/how-much-can-you-make-with-an-online-masters-degree-in-nursing/">median salaries of more than $120,000</a>, according to the BLS. A C-suite level job as a chief nursing officer has a salary range between $180,000 and more than $300,000, with the median salary landing right around $250,000, <a href="https://www.salary.com/research/salary/alternate/chief-nursing-officer-cno-salary">according to Salary.com</a>. Other <a href="https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/chief-nursing-officer-salary-SRCH_KO0,21.htm">salary reporting sources</a> cite average chief nursing salaries between $180,000 and $200,000.</p>



<p>While registered nurses and nurse practitioners work more with patients on a day-to-day basis, chief nursing officers (CNO) set the vision for the practice to provide “safe, timely, efficient, equitable, and patient-centered care,” <a href="https://www.himss.org/speaker-beth-brooks">Beth Brooks</a>, a clinical adviser to Vivian Health, tells <em>Fortune. </em><a href="https://www.vivian.com/nurse-practitioner/travel/salary/">Vivian Health</a> is a national health care hiring platform that also provides employment data for nursing jobs. </p>



<p>CNOs are also tasked with improving the patient experience and reducing the per-capita cost of health care, Brooks adds. They develop and manage an annual operating budget as well as a long-term capital expenditure plan. Because some large health systems employ between 5,000 and 10,000 registered nurses (RNs), the “span of control can be large” for CNOs, she says.</p>



<p>“There is always a need for nurse leaders in executive practice—whether in community-based organizations, home care or hospice organizations, hospitals or health systems, long-term care or skilled nursing facilities, ambulatory and outpatient settings, primary care practices or boardrooms,” Brooks says. </p>



<p><em>Fortune </em>sat down with Brooks, a registered nurse who also has her Ph.D. in nursing science, to identify four key steps to become a CNO. Brooks has held health care leadership positions at for-profit companies, universities, and health care systems. She also serves on four journal editorial boards, two journal review panels, and several advisory boards. Here’s a quick look at the steps she recommends:</p>



<ol><li>Earn a bachelor’s degree in nursing</li><li>Continue your education with a master’s degree and/or a terminal degree</li><li>Practice and show leadership in nursing</li><li>Work to land managerial roles</li></ol>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-1-earn-a-bachelor-s-degree-in-nursing">1. Earn a bachelor’s degree in nursing</h2>



<p><a href="https://nursejournal.org/registered-nursing/how-to-become-a-rn/">Many registered nurses</a> complete a bachelor of science degree in nursing (BSN). A traditional BSN program takes four years to complete, although there are accelerated nursing programs offered at many top nursing schools that can take as little as 16 months to complete.</p>



<p>After earning your BSN, <a href="https://www.aanp.org/news-feed/explore-the-variety-of-career-paths-for-nurse-practitioners">you must pass</a> the National Council Licensure Examination (<a href="https://www.ncsbn.org/nclex.page">NCLEX</a>) to get your <a href="https://www.ncsbn.org/nursing-regulation/licensure.page">RN license</a>. Not only will you need your BSN to practice as an RN, but you’ll need it to apply to grad school. Earning a master’s degree in nursing will allow you to take that next step of becoming a nurse practitioner.</p>



<p>The <a href="https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/registered-nurses.htm">median base salary for RNs</a> is more than $77,000, BLS data shows. </p>



<p>“Generally speaking, a nurse who aspires to a leadership role will complete one-to-three years as a staff nurse leading a team to provide bedside nursing care, followed by experience as a charge nurse or assistant manager,” Brooks says. “Typically these are the entry-level management positions. After three-to-five years of management experience, many nurse leaders return to graduate school.”</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-2-continue-your-education-with-a-master-s-degree-and-or-a-terminal-degree">2. Continue your education with a master’s degree and/or a terminal degree</h2>



<p>In order to become a nurse practitioner (NP), nurse anesthetist, or a nurse midwife, you typically<strong> </strong>must earn at least a <a href="https://fortune.com/education/health/best-online-msn-nurse-practitioner-programs/">master’s degree in nursing</a>. Many top nursing schools, including the <a href="https://fortune.com/education/articles/yale-is-launching-specialized-nursing-online-masters-and-grads-could-land-six-figure-salaries/">Yale School of Nursing</a>, offer online programs that typically take a couple years to complete. </p>



<p>Between May 2021 and April 2022, the number of NPs in the U.S. jumped 9% to more than 355,000, <a href="https://www.aanp.org/news-feed/nurse-practitioner-no-1-ranked-health-care-job-reports-increase-in-numbers">data from the American Association of Nurse Practitioners</a> shows. Plus, Nearly 90% of NPs have a master’s degree, and about 5% have a doctorate in nursing, <a href="https://nihcm.org/publications/meeting-the-demand-for-primary-care-nurse-practitioners-answer-the-call">according to the National Institute for Health Care Management Foundation</a>.</p>



<p>“Due to the complexity of today’s healthcare systems and the broad span of control, many CNOs also complete a terminal degree such as the science-based Ph.D. or clinically-based doctor of nursing practice in executive leadership,” Brooks says. Some chief nursing officers may also <a href="https://fortune.com/education/business/best-mba-programs/">earn an MBA</a>, a master’s in health administration (MHA), or a <a href="https://fortune.com/education/health/best-online-masters-in-public-health-programs/">master’s in public health (MPH)</a>, she adds.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-3-practice-and-show-leadership-in-nursing">3. Practice and show leadership in nursing</h2>



<p>Because the CNO role requires experience overseeing up to thousands of nurses, a good first step in your path to the C-suite is to gain management experience by overseeing smaller units.</p>



<p>“The best way to prepare for a career in nursing executive practice is to volunteer to lead project teams at the unit or department level such as quality improvement, patient safety, value-chain analysis and the like,” Brooks says. </p>



<p>Many nurses aspiring for the C-suite also chair shared-leadership committees, evidence-based practice, policy and procedures, and innovation committees, she adds.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-4-work-to-land-managerial-roles">4. Work to land managerial roles</h2>



<p>Beyond leading project teams or smaller units, CNOs typically progress through the ranks by becoming a department manager with around-the-clock accountability, Brooks says. Then, nurse executive leaders who aspire to the C-suite will work toward promotions as a vice president, executive vice president, senior vice president, or a chief nursing executive. </p>



<p>Often, the CNO will also be responsible for other clinical areas including pharmacy, nutritional services, radiology, and respirateory therapy, Brooks adds. </p>



<p>“Nursing executive practice is a dynamic, rewarding and challenging specialty area within the nursing profession,” Brooks says. It requires “business acumen, communication and negotiation skills, emotional intelligence, and leadership focused on quality patient outcomes.”</p>



<p><em>Check out all of </em>Fortune’<em>s <a href="https://fortune.com/education/">rankings of degree programs</a>, and learn more about specific <a href="https://fortune.com/education/careers/">career paths</a>.</em></p>
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A C-suite level nursing job can bring salaries between $180,000 and more than $300,000, with the median salary landing right around $250,000.

The 4 key steps to earning a $200K salary as a chief nursing officer

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