Opinion: The nursing staffing crisis has hit one role particularly hard: the nurse manager
The nursing staffing crisis has hit one role particularly hard: the nurse manager.
Though the Covid-19 pandemic brought heightened attention to nurses overall, a unique nursing role has been long overlooked and, for the public, largely misunderstood: that of the nurse manager. Like nurses in other roles, nurse managers are increasingly leaving their jobs — and it’s critically important for organizations to find ways to keep them.
On a given unit/department, the nurse manager is the linchpin of a nursing team, responsible for ensuring quality patient care as well as the recruitment and retention of nursing staff. Nurse managers are also on the front line with their colleagues, leading a culturally diverse and multigenerational nursing workforce, and with their staff coordinate all aspects of patient care. They work to maintain a safe environment for staff, patients, and visitors alike. They ensure that staff adhere to policies and procedure. And they work to meet institutional goals while mentoring less experienced nurses. It may be helpful to think of nurse managers as the CEOs of their respective units: They create the culture of trust and sustained excellence and performance of their nursing staff, while also working directly with patients and their families.
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