The healthcare industry is undergoing a rapid transformation. Technological advancements, shifting patient needs and organizational challenges have created a demand for healthcare leaders who can navigate a much more dynamic landscape. Lamar University’s online Dual Degree Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) and Master of Business Administration (MBA) program offers a unique opportunity for aspiring nurse leaders to develop a broad skill set that combines advanced nursing expertise with essential business knowledge.
Complementary Nursing and Business Skills
While nursing is a helping profession, those who want to make a more significant impact on patient care can benefit from growing their business acumen. Business-savvy nurses have the capacity and knowledge to approach healthcare operations in a way that values the human-centric aspect of nursing and the efficiency and innovation today’s businesses need to stay competitive.
Graduates of a dual MSN MBA program learn to skillfully approach some of the most pressing issues in healthcare to ensure institutions reach even more people. The following are examples of contemporary healthcare issues today:
Complex Healthcare System
The modern healthcare environment is extraordinarily complex and involves multiple stakeholders, including healthcare professionals, insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies and government and regulatory bodies. Many organizations want and need to improve care access, quality and affordability but struggle to overcome outdated policies, staffing shortages and reimbursement models.
Nurse leaders who synthesize clinical knowledge with managerial skills can streamline operations and better understand the resulting financial and patient implications.
Technology and Innovation
Technology is changing care delivery and, with that, healthcare business models. Institutions unable to successfully introduce innovative practices or adapt to emerging trends, like telehealth and AI-driven applications, may not keep pace with industry safety standards and expected patient outcomes.
Nurse leaders can advocate for new advances in treatment and care and identify the potential bottlenecks keeping smooth implementation at bay. Graduates of Lamar University’s online Dual MSN and MBA program are ready to rethink care delivery and create a workplace environment where nurses drive innovation and entrepreneurship.
Financial Management
Healthcare facilities do not have endless resources and are at risk of insolvency like any other business. So, with lives on the line and the jobs of hundreds or thousands of employees at stake, leadership must clearly understand financial management principles — including resource optimization, budgeting and working capital — and their impact on operations.
The combination of nursing and business expertise equips nurse leaders to make informed financial decisions that maintain organizational stability and benefit everyone, from patients and employees to the institution and community.
Interdisciplinary Collaboration
Communication problems between administrative and clinical staff are a common hurdle in healthcare. As a result, there is a crucial need for those who can understand the concerns of all parties.
Nurse-driven interdisciplinary collaboration can bridge those gaps and craft solutions that meet the needs of patients, staff and the greater organization. A degree that balances advanced nursing skills with foundational business knowledge provides graduates with interdisciplinary collaboration practice.
Critical Leadership Qualities
The leadership qualities learned in MBA programs, such as strategic planning and conflict resolution, are invaluable for today’s nurse leaders. These qualities help them to inspire and lead teams through sometimes challenging transformations and gain support and buy-in across groups and individuals. Lamar University’s program offers courses like Business Principles of Nurse Leaders that equip graduates with critical leadership qualities.
The Role of Nurse Leaders in Transforming Healthcare
As the healthcare system grows more complicated, nurse leaders are increasingly considered key change-makers. With their bedside and patient care expertise, they can quickly pinpoint the areas of care delivery that are not working well or contributing to nurse burnout and turnover. In addition, business-minded nurse leaders can leverage their managerial skills to promote operational efficiency — without sacrificing care quality or employee well-being — and influence policies that generate a more responsive and patient-centered healthcare model.
Online Dual MSN and MBA program graduates are equipped to address some of healthcare’s top challenges. With a business perspective built on direct patient care experience, these leaders can be at the forefront of innovation and healthcare transformation.
Learn more about Lamar University’s online Dual Degree MSN and MBA program.
