What is an assistant nurse manager and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

5 min read

Quoted expert

Wendy Bowles PhD, APRN-CNP, CNE

An assistant nurse manager provides support to the head nurse in managing the daily operations of a nursing unit. They assist in developing and implementing policies, managing staff schedules, overseeing patient care, and coordinating communication between healthcare providers. Assistant nurse managers also play a role in training new nursing staff and ensuring compliance with regulatory standards. They work closely with the head nurse to maintain high standards while managing the administrative responsibilities of the unit.

What general advice would you give to an assistant nurse manager?

Wendy Bowles PhD, APRN-CNP, CNE

Associate Clinical Professor, Associate Dean for Baccalaureate Programs

To maximize your salary potential you should consider going back to school and pursuing your doctorate degree from a high quality, reputable institution. There are many programs that offer BSN to doctorate pathways and that will enhance earnings potential.

ScoreAssistant Nurse ManagerUS Average

Salary

6.1

Avg. Salary $78,364

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

10.0

Growth rate 6%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

6.3

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.44%

Asian 8.87%

Black or African American 12.23%

Hispanic or Latino 8.85%

Unknown 4.25%

White 65.37%

Gender

female 84.93%

male 15.07%

Age - 43

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 43

Stress level

10.0

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

9.1

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

7.8

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being an assistant nurse manager?

Pros

Higher salary and career advancement opportunities compared to staff nurse role
Exposure to various aspects of healthcare management and administration
Ability to mentor and train nursing staff
Opportunity to participate in quality improvement initiatives
Opportunity to develop leadership and management skills

Cons

High level of responsibility and accountability for patient outcomes and staff performance
Need to balance administrative duties with patient care responsibilities
May have to deal with conflict resolution among staff members or patients and their families
High risk of exposure to infectious diseases and workplace injuries
May have limited interaction with patients due to administrative duties

Key steps to become an assistant nurse manager

Explore assistant nurse manager education requirements

Most common assistant nurse manager degrees

Bachelor's

49.6 %

Associate

29.7 %

Master's

12.3 %

Start to develop specific assistant nurse manager skills

Skills	Percentages
Patients	17.25%
BLS	10.88%
Acls	5.78%
Customer Service	4.08%
Advanced Life Support	3.93%

Complete relevant assistant nurse manager training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New assistant nurse managers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an assistant nurse manager based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real assistant nurse manager resumes.

Obtain the necessary licensing

Becoming an licensed assistant nurse manager usually require a college degree. However, you need to pass an exam to become a licensed assistant nurse manager in most of states. 43 states require assistant nurse managers to have license for their work. You can see the list of states below.

State	Education	Exam	License url
Alabama	Degree required	State exam required	Registered Nurse (RN)
Alaska	Degree required	Third-party exam required	Nurse, Registered
Arkansas	Degree required	Third-party exam required	Registered Nurse (RN)
California	Degree required	Third-party exam required	Nurse, Registered
Colorado	Degree required	Third-party exam required	Registered Nurse

Gain additional assistant nurse manager certifications

Assistant nurse manager certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific assistant nurse manager certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for assistant nurse managers include Trauma Nursing Core Course (TNCC) and Adult, Pediatric and Neonatal Critical Care Nurses (CCRN).

More About Certifications

Research assistant nurse manager duties and responsibilities

Demonstrate clinical competency and compassion in providing care, using technology, administering medications, performing procedures and managing emergencies.
Prepare for HIPAA, CMS, UNOS and JCAHO reviews, ensuring require elements of compliance and documentation of such.
Nurse executive position reporting to the CNO.
Network point of contact for staff/employee influenza immunization measures.

Prepare your assistant nurse manager resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your assistant nurse manager resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on an assistant nurse manager resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable assistant nurse manager resume templates

Build a professional assistant nurse manager resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your assistant nurse manager resume.