title: Nurse executives: new roles, new opportunities.
abstract: As women have been nursing since the earliest days of recorded civilization, so nurses have been associated with health care since the earliest days of recorded medical history. Gender and function have been inextricably woven in ways that created a struggle for success within a male-dominated industry. Nurses, as women, have been undervalued as, until recently, their role in health care has been similarly undervalued. Changing realities in the health care environment have created an opportunity for women's unique skills and talents to be revalued in a way that offers new opportunities for nurses. Teamwork, global thinking, multitasking, creativity, and flexibility are characteristics that have assumed new importance in the marketplace. Nursing leaders possess these attributes, along with a strong clinical foundation that is integrated with knowledge of sound business principles. This combination now positions nurse executives to reach the highest levels of heath care administration. Critical to this achievement is the professional credibility obtained through education at the master's degree level in health care and nursing administration programs that provide the essential tools for professional success. New opportunities for nurse executives afford educators in health care and nursing administration similar opportunities to develop and market programs to this large group of health care professionals who are seeking graduate education in increasing numbers.
authors.forename: C S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Kleinman
mesh_terms: D002322:Career Mobility; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003659:Decision Making, Organizational; D004511:Education, Nursing, Graduate / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000639:trends; D005260:Female; D005783:Gender Identity; D006801:Humans; D007587:Job Description; D007857:Leadership; D009718:Nurse Administrators / Q000193:education / Q000592:standards / Q000639:trends*; D011361:Professional Competence; D014481:United States; D014931:Women, Working