Arguably, nurse managers have one of the toughest roles in healthcare. Their responsibility comes with oversight over direct care nurses, the work environment, job satisfaction, retention, quality nursing care, as well as patient safety and clinical outcomes. Building on top of their responsibility, their span of control is often above recommended numbers and rising, their role continues to expand and change, and the expectations on them are increasing.
Unfortunately, given today’s daunting staffing environment, some healthcare organizations push nurses into management with only a couple years under their belts. Meaning these nurse leaders are lacking in both clinical and managerial experience. Nurse managers essentially hold the keys to a multi-million-dollar business units, and yet, when we look at how they’re prepared for management success, preparation is limited, if not non-existent.
Very often, when a first-time nurse manager is promoted into the role, we hear “we promote our most clinically proficient nurse, in hopes that clinical skill translates to management skill.” Unfortunately, this doesn’t always translate – either the leadership abilities aren’t there and/or for some, the bedside role is the best fit. Further, poor management can have reverberating impacts on the satisfaction and retention of staff as well as managers’ own satisfaction and turnover when they are not in the right role.
So, how do we break a systemic issue that has plagued hospitals for years and ensure bedside nurses have managers who are prepared to lead and are the right fit for the role? It must begin well before a nurse enters a management role. It starts with building leadership skills while nurses are at the bedside. By doing so, organizations can allow nurses to hone those skills, practice at the top of their license, and gain a sense of what career path is a best fit for their skills and interests. Moreover, organizations are building a bench of nurses who are better equipped and empowered should they step into a leadership position.
How can organizations proactively create a leadership mindset among bedside nurses that will bring value to their current roles and beyond without burdening them with time-consuming and expensive training solutions? Co-founder and content leader at Lead for Care, Hannah Spell, believes that organizations need to tackle this historic problem with a modern approach - pair microlearning content (10-minutes at a time) with real-time application and guided mentorship. This three-pronged approach allows nurses at the bedside to build leadership skills that support them now and into the future.
The benefits? One, provide career clarity. About 30% of nurses who participate in these programs adjust what they see as their next career step when they understand what leadership is – whether they now see themselves moving into a formal leadership position or staying at the bedside. Two, by infusing a leadership mindset, we see nurses empowered to step into informal leadership roles like shared governance, unit-based councils, committees, etc. At the same time, we see those who move into leadership now have a foundation of skills needed to be successful with the changing and intensity of the nurse manager role. Three, through the program’s mentorship they have a mentor network to support them beyond the leadership program.