What is a registered nurse manager and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

5 min read

Quoted experts

Dr. Beverly Malone Ph.D.,

Kim Raines

A registered nurse manager is a healthcare professional who supervises a team of registered nurses. They are responsible for ensuring that their team delivers high-quality patient care, adheres to policies, and maintains a safe work environment. The role involves overseeing staffing levels, managing budgets, conducting performance evaluations, and providing leadership and support to their team. A registered nurse manager must hold a nursing degree, be licensed as a registered nurse, and have several years of clinical experience.

What general advice would you give to a registered nurse manager?

Dr. Beverly Malone Ph.D.

President and CEO, National League for Nursing

With the pandemic making health care and nursing more important than ever before, graduates will need to enter the workforce with courage, caring, and commitment. We know that COVID-19 will likely be in their workplaces, so we need to make sure they have the appropriate personal protective equipment they need to care for those in need. New nurses also need to make sure they have the appropriate training to handle a pandemic, and they should have the courage to have conversations with their employers about the protection they need. This will be new and not part of the conversation you would have had prior to the pandemic.

You also need to talk to your employer about flexibility around taking time away from your work to recharge and refresh. New graduates should also consider their work-life balance to maintain their well-being. Those looking for new jobs will need to consider their well-being as a priority as they compare positions and opportunities.

ScoreRegistered Nurse ManagerUS Average

Salary

5.8

Avg. Salary $74,459

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 8.96%

Black or African American 10.95%

Hispanic or Latino 9.32%

Unknown 4.28%

White 66.05%

Gender

female 89.71%

male 10.29%

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 a registered nurse manager?

Pros

High salary compared to other nursing positions
Ability to make a positive impact on patient care and outcomes
Job security and stability
Variety of settings to work in, including hospitals, clinics, and long-term care facilities
Ability to work with a diverse group of healthcare professionals

Cons

High levels of stress and responsibility
Long hours, including weekends and holidays
Administrative tasks can take away from direct patient care
Managing staff conflicts and addressing performance issues
High levels of accountability for patient safety and regulatory compliance

Key steps to become a registered nurse manager

Explore registered nurse manager education requirements

Most common registered nurse manager degrees

Associate

47.8 %

Bachelor's

38.4 %

Master's

7.1 %

Start to develop specific registered nurse manager skills

Skills	Percentages
Patients	20.13%
Home Health	12.87%
Care Management	5.64%
CPR	3.95%
Customer Service	3.19%

Complete relevant registered nurse manager training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New registered 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 a registered nurse manager based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real registered nurse manager resumes.

Obtain the necessary licensing

Becoming a licensed registered nurse manager usually require a college degree. However, you need to pass an exam to become a licensed registered nurse manager in most of states. 43 states require registered 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 registered nurse manager certifications

Registered 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 registered nurse manager certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for registered nurse managers include Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) and Certified Case Manager (ACM).

More About Certifications

Research registered nurse manager duties and responsibilities

Manage day-to-day operations of regulatory compliance unit responsible for multiple Medicare, Medicaid and commercial products.
Case manager for individuals recently discharge from the hospital as well as individuals having difficulty managing their diabetes.
Manage patient pain relief and sedation by providing pharmacological and non-pharmacological intervention, monitor patient response and record care plans accordingly.
Educate residents and their family members regarding diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation and discharge planning.

Prepare your registered nurse manager resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your registered 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 a registered 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 registered nurse manager resume templates

Build a professional registered 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 registered nurse manager resume.

Apply for registered nurse manager jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a registered nurse manager job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do registered nurse managers rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Registered nurse manager reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Dec 2021

Pros

Caring for patients

Cons

Staffing ratios, unfairness, constant expectations. Healthcare is a business but doesn’t treat nurses like business employees

A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2020

Pros

helping people and saving lives

Cons

the pay is not good not enough for the lifestyle I would like to live

A zippia user wrote a review on Jan 2020

Pros

The feeling I get when helping people.

Cons

Nursing isn’t what it was 12yrs ago when I started. It is all about “family centered care” and not what is actually best for the patient. Not only am I a nurse and caring for the patient, but I’m the house keeper, waitress, and coffee go getter. There is no more respect for nurses and their patients.

What is a registered nurse manager and how to become one

What general advice would you give to a registered nurse manager?

What are the pros and cons of being a registered nurse manager?

Registered nurse manager career paths

Key steps to become a registered nurse manager

Explore registered nurse manager education requirements

Most common registered nurse manager degrees

Start to develop specific registered nurse manager skills

Complete relevant registered nurse manager training and internships

Obtain the necessary licensing

Gain additional registered nurse manager certifications

Research registered nurse manager duties and responsibilities

Prepare your registered nurse manager resume

Choose from 10+ customizable registered nurse manager resume templates

Apply for registered nurse manager jobs

How did you land your first registered nurse manager job

Average registered nurse manager salary

How do registered nurse managers rate their job?

Registered nurse manager reviews

Registered nurse manager jobs by state