OVERVIEW
What is a Vice President of Nursing?
The vice president of nursing maintains executive responsibility for all nursing procedures in a healthcare setting. This position is often abbreviated to "VP of nursing" and involves oversight for nursing staff assignments, healthcare IT, patient management, and policy compliance.
The title and role of the vice president of nursing is sometimes used interchangeably with “chief nursing officer” (CNO). Though responsibilities remain largely the same, there may be subtle differences in these job titles. Although a VP of nursing spends a majority of their time coordinating nursing team efforts, all tasks are oriented toward ultimately improving patient care.
As a specialized career option, the role of a vice president of nursing requires a combination of schooling, real-life experience, and nursing certifications.
RESPONSIBILITIES
What Does a VP of Nursing Do?
The VP of Nursing is kept busy with executive tasks, coordinating nursing teams to facilitate high levels of patient care. On some days, the vice president of nursing might spend time communicating with medical center stakeholders or collaborating with fellow executives. On other days, they might spend hours recruiting new nursing staff members. The exact responsibilities of a VP of nursing can include:
- Guiding nursing teams, nursing administrators, and nurse managers toward sustained facility success.
- Identifying and implementing new policies to ensure continued compliance with all local, state, and federal regulations.
- Training all nursing staff on the use of any new medical technologies and procedures.
- Supervising all nursing staff members, gauging their performance, and identifying opportunities for further improvement.
- Reporting key performance benchmarks to healthcare organization stakeholders and executives.
- Supporting relationships between external vendors and the healthcare organization.
- Resolving high-level conflicts among nursing staff members or administrators.
- Recruiting new nursing staff members to complement existing nursing teams.
- Releasing employees whenever necessary.
These and other responsibilities allow a VP of Nursing to guide healthcare organizations toward success.
EDUCATION & BEST DEGREES
How Do I Become a VP of Nursing?
Before you can secure a VP of nursing position, you’ll first need to complete a few academic steps. You’ll start your pursuit by obtaining a bachelor’s degree in nursing. You’ll need to have experience working as a nurse so you understand the rigor and practical elements of the job. This will ensure you have the experience you need to move forward into a higher-level position, managing other nurses.
Many aspiring nursing executives continue their education by obtaining a master’s in nursing leadership and management. As students progress, they further hone skills in risk aversion, health management, and healthcare systems. A post-master's certificate in nursing leadership & management can be beneficial too. These and other fields contribute to your skillset, and can eventually qualify you for a role as a VP of nursing.
Best Degrees for a VP of Nursing
Health & Nursing
Nursing (Prelicensure) – B.S.
A one-of-a-kind nursing program that prepares you to be an RN and a...
A one-of-a-kind nursing program that prepares you to be an RN and a baccalaureate-prepared nurse:
- Locations: Due to in-person clinical requirements, students must be full time residents of FL, ID, IN, IA, KS, KY, NV, NM, NC, OH, OK, SC, TN, TX, UT to enroll in this program. The coursework in this program is offered online, but there are in-person requirements.
- Tuition: $6,430 per 6-month term for the first 4 terms of pre-nursing coursework and $8,755 per 6-month term for the remaining 4 terms of clinical nursing coursework.
- Time: This program has a set pace and an expected completion time of 4 years. Certain coursework may be accelerated to finish faster.
- WGU offers the prelicensure program in areas where we have partnerships with healthcare employers to provide practice sites and clinical coaches to help teach you and inspire you on your path to becoming a nurse.
- If you don't live in one of our prelicensure states or don't qualify to apply, consider getting our Bachelor's in Health and Human Services instead. This degree allows you to work inside the healthcare industry, while also working directly with patients who need help.
Skills for your résumé that you will learn in this program:
- Community Health
- Women's and Children's Nursing
- Pathology
- Physiology
- Research
Health & Nursing
Nursing (RN-to-BSN Online) – B.S.
An online BSN degree program for registered nurses (RNs) seeking the added...
An online BSN degree program for registered nurses (RNs) seeking the added theoretical depth, employability, and respect that a bachelor's degree brings:
- Time: 61% of graduates finish within 20 months.
- Tuition: $4,685 per 6-month term.
- Courses: 23 total courses in this program.
- Transfers: Students can transfer up to 90 credits.
Skills for your résumé that you will learn in this program:
- Healthcare Policy and Economics
- Information Technology in Nursing Practice
- Anatomy and Physiology
- Applied Healthcare Statistics
If you don't currently have an RN and don't qualify for your nursing prelicensure program, consider getting our Bachelor's in Health and Human Services instead. This degree allows you to work inside the healthcare industry in a unique way.
Health & Nursing
Nursing – Leadership & Management (RN-to-MSN) – M.S.
This program for RNs includes a BSN component and is a substantial leap...
This program for RNs includes a BSN component and is a substantial leap toward becoming a nurse leader.
- Time: 62% of RN-to-MSN grads finish within 37 months.
- Tuition: $4,685 per 6-month term during undergraduate portion and $4,795 per 6-month term during graduate portion.
- Courses: 32 total courses in this program.
Skills for your résumé you will learn in this program:
- Quality Outcomes in a Culture of Value-Based Nursing Care
- Nursing Leadership and Management
- Advanced Pathopharmacological Foundations
- Informatics for Transforming Nursing Care
If you're driven to lead, this online nursing degree will provide you everything needed to make that career a reality. This program is ideal for current RNs who are interested in earning both their BSn and MSN in an accelerated program.
Compare degrees
This program is not the only degree WGU offers designed to create leaders in the field of healthcare. Compare our health leadership degrees.
Health & Nursing
Nursing – Leadership & Management (BSN-to-MSN) – M.S.
For registered nurses with a bachelor's degree who are ready for...
For registered nurses with a bachelor's degree who are ready for additional career opportunities.
- Time: 61% of grads finish within 23 months
- Tuition: $4,795 per 6-month term
- Courses: 15 total courses in this program
This program is ideal for current RNs who have a BSN and are ready for the next step in their education.
Skills for your résumé you will learn in this program:
- Quality Outcomes in a Culture of Value-Based Nursing Care
- Nursing Leadership and Management
- Advanced Pathopharmacological Foundations
- Informatics for Transforming Nursing Care
Compare degrees
This program is not the only degree WGU offers designed to create leaders in the field of healthcare. Compare our health leadership degrees.
Health & Nursing
Nursing Leadership and Management – Post-Master's Certificate
A certificate for registered nurses with a master's degree in nursing who...
A certificate for registered nurses with a master's degree in nursing who are ready for greater responsibility in a leadership and management role.
- Time: Students typically finish this program in 12 months.
- Tuition: $4,795 per 6-month term. The cost to sit for the NAHQ Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality (CPHQ) exam is included in tuition.
- Courses: 8 total courses in this program.
Skills for your résumé that you will learn in this program:
- Strategic Planning
- Resource Management
- Business Case Analysis
- Evaluating Healthcare Improvements
How Much Does a VP of Nursing Make?
$152,605
The exact income of a VP of nursing can depend on several factors. These can include your employer, employer’s location, years of experience, education, and obtained certifications. On average, the salary of a vice president of nursing can average $152,605, with a range of roughly $120,000 to $200,000 earned each year.
What is the Projected Job Growth?
6%
Like other executive-level healthcare positions, VP of nursing careers are expected to enjoy a favorable job outlook in upcoming years. Employment for all registered nurses is expected to increase 6% from 2022 to 2032, a growth rate well above the average for all occupations.
SKILLS
What Skills Does a VP of Nursing Need?
A VP of nursing will rely on a dedicated skillset to help them complete daily tasks. Whether communicating with fellow nursing executives or reviewing policies for implementation, a VP of nursing is continually focused on improving patient outcomes.
To facilitate patient recovery and ensure long-term healthcare organization success, a VP of nursing might need the following skills:
- Nurse management. The ability to effectively manage nursing staff, motivating individual nurses and their supervisors toward consistently high levels of care.
- Interpersonal communication. The ability to correspond effectively with all nurses, nursing administrators, healthcare staff members, and patients on occasion.
- Problem-solving. The ability to identify and solve high-level problems that a nursing department might be facing.
- Research. The ability to stay up to date with any pending healthcare developments or compliance policy updates.
- Public speaking. The ability to address groups of nurses or executives.
- Leadership. The ability to guide the nursing department of a healthcare organization toward sustained success, leading by example as they implement policies that help each nurse do his or her job well.
- Staffing. The ability to perform recruitment, onboarding, hiring, and firing processes that contribute to a well-functioning nursing team.
- Data collection/analysis. The ability to gauge nursing performance benchmarks, draw helpful conclusions from the figures, and create user-friendly reports that identify opportunities for further improvement.
These and other skills help any vice president of nursing lead his or her nursing teams toward success. Once these skills are properly implemented, employees under a VP of nursing should clearly understand their roles and be able to advocate improved patient outcomes.
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No need to wait for spring or fall semester. It's back-to-school time at WGU year-round. Get started by talking to an Enrollment Counselor today, and you'll be on your way to realizing your dream of a bachelor's or master's degree—sooner than you might think!
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