If you’re a practicing registered nurse or nursing student looking to advance into an administrative position, becoming a nurse manager may be the perfect fit. Nurse managers are highly trained upper-level nursing professionals who use their gained clinical expertise to oversee all nurses working in one department or an entire facility. In today’s ever-evolving healthcare industry, nurse managers are playing an increasingly prominent role in steering the delivery of patient services. Also called nurse administrators, nurse managers mostly work behind the scenes in a managerial capacity to coordinate the nursing staff. As healthcare demand grows, it’s predicted that the employment of nurse managers will skyrocket much faster than average by 23 percent through 2022, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The following is a brief job profile to help determine whether becoming a nurse manager is right for you.
What Nurse Managers Do
Nurse managers wear many hats and juggle several major responsibilities in the recruitment, retention, training, and supervision of nurses. On a typical day, nurse managers may be found directing the nursing staff, overseeing patient care, making budgeting decisions, coordinating meetings, creating work schedules, promoting professional development, reviewing medical records, and taking disciplinary actions. It’s their duty to quickly identify and resolve any personnel or process issues experienced in their nursing unit. Nurse managers act as liaisons with physicians, clinical leaders, and other department heads to support the overall mission of the healthcare organization. Nurse managers have a multi-dimensional role in transforming nursing care to deliver the highest quality patient care possible.
Where Nurse Managers Work
Although nurse managers won’t spend their days checking vitals by the bedside, they work in the same clinical settings as registered nurses. The highest percentage of nurse managers assume leadership over nurses in general medical and surgical hospitals. That being said, nurse managers also have the flexibility to work in skilled nursing facilities, home healthcare services, physician offices, specialty hospitals, psychiatric hospitals, medical laboratories, nursing homes, ambulatory care centers, and more. Demand for nurse managers will likely remain largest in medical group practices as the healthcare industry shifts focus to outpatient care treatment, according to Healthcare Finance. Nurse managers almost always work full-time, but their hours may be irregular in settings where round-the-clock patient care is offered.
How to Become a Nurse Manager
Becoming a nurse manager won’t happen overnight because years of experience in registered nursing is often required. Nurse managers must have at least a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program an accredited nursing school. Aspiring managers must first become RNs by passing the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN). After starting in entry-level staff nursing positions, managers follow stepping stones and slowly assume more supervisory responsibilities on the pathway to clinical management. It’s very common for nurse managers to return to graduate school for a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) for nursing administration. Finally, nurses can become Certified Nurse Managers and Leaders (CNMLs) through the American Organization of Nurse Executives (AONE).
Related Resource: Epidemiologist
Moving up the food chain to nurse manager and leading the frontline of patient care is a rewarding option for RNs with a passion for leadership. Nurse managers need to sharpen their analytical, communication, problem-solving, clinical, managerial, and organizational skills to ensure their nursing unit stays afloat. If you become a nurse manager, you’ll be placed in the hot seat to make certain the facility’s nursing care is safe, effective, and efficient.
