The roles of a nurse manager: leading the nursing profession into the future
When around half a million registered nurses retire in the coming decade, they will not only leave a gap in urgently needed positions in clinical care. Your exits exhaust the pool of nursing managers – the experienced specialists who close the gap between bedside care and administrative tasks.
The United States Department of Labor Statistics predicts that 1.1 million new nurses will be needed to meet new demand and replace retirees, many of them in senior positions. Nurses who plan to switch management positions need skills that combine clinical expertise and leadership skills. Nurse managers are responsible for supervising nursing staff in a hospital or clinical setting . They monitor patient care, make management and budget decisions, set work plans, coordinate meetings, and make personnel decisions.
“The nurse manager is responsible for creating a safe and healthy environment that supports the work of the health team and contributes to patient loyalty. The role is critical to creating a professional environment and fostering a culture in which interdisciplinary team members can contribute to optimal patient outcomes and grow professionally, ”said the American organization of nurse officers.
Duquesne University’s online Master of Science in Nursing ( MSN) course offers trained nurses the opportunity to advance their careers and advance healthcare for future generations. The MSN program builds on high school practice to prepare graduates for advanced practice and management positions. Duquesne’s three MSN specialties – Family (Individual Across the Lifespan) Nurse Practitioner, Forensic Nursing and Nursing Education and Faculty Role – allow registered nurses to choose their path.
Duties as a nurse manager and leader
Nurses in leadership positions are expected not only to make important decisions to support patient care, but also to perform certain tasks that include:
leadership
case management
treatment planning
recruitment
budgeting
scheduling
drain planning
mentoring
Develop educational plans
records management
Nurse managers need strong communication and leadership skills. You should be able to coordinate resources and personnel and achieve goals. You need to be effective leaders who can strike a balance between working with caregivers and health facility managers.
The Agency for Health Research and Quality, a branch of the US Department of Health, said that the manager change agents of nurses are . They work with staff to find and implement useful changes to improve patient well-being and safety. Nurses’ managers also implement patient safety policies that have been set by state and federal agencies, such as: B. The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Joint Commission, and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. You must ensure that the staff informed about the standards of care is , and are able to implement if necessary.
Nurses managers work in a number of clinical settings, including hospitals, medical practices, schools, and psychiatric facilities.
” Nurses managers lead their staff in the department to prevent patient harm and empower nurses to be the first line of defense against patient harm,” the agency said.
Characteristics of a successful nurse manager
Working as a nurse manager requires skills that go beyond clinical care. The job requires management skills, budgeting and business acumen as well as leadership skills. Communication and interpersonal skills are also vital. The following characteristics are common for successful leaders for nurses : Effective communication skills – Part of the ability to be an effective leader is listening to employee and patient concerns and communicating needs. The manager of nurses need to be able to have a solid relationship with all building staff, from the janitors on the senior administrators to patients to create cohesion.
Advocacy – In some cases, nurses may need to work for employees to ensure a safe and appropriate practice environment. In other cases, they may need to work to ensure patient safety and access to quality health care. Nursing managers should not be afraid to use their voice and position.
Attendance – With so many administrative requirements , it is important that nurses’ managers align business with patient care. Nursing managers must have excellent clinical skills to ensure patient safety and well-being.
Mentoring – Successful nurses do not lead their employees in micromanagement. They encourage, strengthen, promote and find strengths. They promote creativity and mindfulness.
Maturity – Nursing managers do not immediately face disputes or judge the guilt until they know all the facts. They don’t allow boiling emotions to boil over. Instead, they face conflicts and work them out.
Professionalism – Nurses’ managers follow their moral compass to ensure that all aspects of the profession are honest and honest . They address people with respect and do not bully them.
Supportive – you raise the bar for unreasonably high expectations are not high . Instead, they encourage employees to be successful. You coach and support.
The future of nurse managers
With the age and retirement of current nurses, the expected shortage of nurses will create opportunities for newly formed nurses. Researchers have found that managers of nurses is crucial for general care bond are , as they affect the quality of work and the stability of a work environment.
“The strong leadership qualities of the head of the nursing unit have been associated with higher job satisfaction, lower fluctuation intentions among nursing staff and improved patient outcomes. Nurses leaders need to be supported in keeping nurses when there are persistent problems with the workforce and ensuring quality patient care.
The researchers found that employee relationships need to stay together and communication needs to be improved so that nurses’ managers can do better in the future. Continuous changes in healthcare and focus on costs are some of the many factors that challenge the role of the nursing manager.
Nurses at Florida Atlantic University encouraged executives to “question their thinking and actions to realize that leadership is at the core of the power of relationships.”
“The growth of future nurses is a long-term task that requires both planning and action,” found the authors of the study “Growing Nurses: Your Perspectives on Leadership in Nursing and Today’s Practice Environment ” . “Our aspiring leaders will ultimately replace our current leaders and continue the very important work that is being done to improve the environment in nursing practice and, above all, patient outcomes. Nevertheless , succession planning in a fast-paced and ever-changing health environment is a challenge today. ”
Students who work towards an online MSN degree at Duquesne University are trained for the role of nursing director. The program offers a wide range of nursing training, which enables students to take on managerial positions and bring about future changes in the profession. The online MSN program enables students to remotely attend nursing courses and learn from leaders in the field while continuing their nursing careers.
About Duquesnes Online Program for Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)
Duquesne University School of Nursing ranks first in US News and World Report’s 2017 Best Online Graduate Nursing Programs. The MSN program offers three specialties: Forensic Nursing, Family (Individual Across the Lifespan) Nurse Practitioner and Nursing Education and Faculty Role. For more information, visit DU’s MSN program website .
