The nurse executive in the 21st century: how do we prepare?

A revolution is occurring in health care. Hospital restructuring, mergers, and closures are occurring at an unprecedented rate. The role of the nurse executive is being scrutinized as never before. There is considerable debate on what is the best educational preparation for nurse executives given their increasing management and fiscal responsibilities in organizations today. This article reviews the evolution of graduate education in nursing administration as well as current research on graduate education for nurse executives. Job trends for nurse executives in industry and health care are also explored.