How to Be an Effective Nurse Manager
A nurse manager, formerly called a head nurse, is responsible for the clinical and administrative functions of a particular nursing unit, such as a pediatric floor or an intensive care unit (ICU). A great nurse manager is an acknowledged leader; an advocate for her patients, staff, and hospital; a powerful agent for change; a respected member of the nursing administrative team; and a good fiscal manager. It's not easy to balance the competing demands of patients, families, visitors, physicians, unit staff, and personnel from other departments, but an effective nurse manager is flexible and organized enough to address everyone's needs in a systematic way.
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Instructions
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Encourage a shared governance model of nursing by engaging unit staff in decisions that affect their daily practice. Be open to suggestions from your staff, take their concerns to heart, and be approachable.
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Understand that the buck stops with you. Once you've gathered suggestions and listened to concerns, be decisive and clearly communicate your decisions in a timely manner.
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Establish and maintain an open-door policy. The best nurse managers are visible to staff, patients, and family members on their units and know what's going on at any time. Make regular rounds of both patients and nursing staff, take the time to observe and listen as you go around the unit, and make notes about needed follow-up.
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Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of nursing staff on your unit, and then delegate clinical and/or administrative responsibilities when appropriate. You can't do it all yourself, and it's important not to micromanage the nursing care on your unit.
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Establish and reinforce consistent, unambiguous standards for nursing practice on your unit. It's OK to raise the bar for performance, but it's vital that each nurse on your unit knows where that bar is.
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Tips & Warnings
Network with other nurse managers within your organization, and actively participate in local professional organizations for nursing leaders for ongoing education and support. Seek out a mentor, an experienced nurse leader who has walked in your shoes, and use him as a sounding board.
You can be a friend and you can be a leader, but it's very difficult to be both at once. While it's fun to join in the social activities with your staff, be clear about the boundary between personal and professional relationships. When you make a decision that's unpopular with some of your nurses, expect that interactions may be uncomfortable for a while.
