Can a CEO Mentor a Nurse?

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Specializes in Vents, Telemetry, Home Care, Home infusion.

[color=#861a34]from healthleaders media, august 29, 2008

[color=#861a34]can a ceo mentor a nurse?

carrie vaughan, senior editor-leadership

having a ceo mentor an icu nurse manager may cause both of them some anxiety--at least initially. but that relationship can also provide the ceo a vantage point from which he can better appreciate the daily challenges his clinical staff encounters. mentoring programs offer senior leaders an opportunity to break down silos and foster a team atmosphere across the organization. and often these relationships benefit the mentor as much as the mentee. [color=#6c6c5a][read more[color=#6c6c5a]]
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Specializes in Wellness Coach, ICU, PACU, OR, Mgmt.

Great article!

Yes...a CEO can mentor a Nurse Manager. My CEO was one of my mentors. Of course, he mentored me right out of his organization (my choice!) & into my own business.

All my mentors have been wonderful relationships, some have been nurses, but many have been business people. Each have been valuable in my journey.

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Specializes in Critical care, tele, Medical-Surgical.

I think it is important to read the job description of a nurse manager.

in my state there is a good reason the manager must be a licensed RN.

We must advocate for the best interest and wishes of our patients.

The CEO has very different priorities.

I agree the CEO can benefit.

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I think it is important to read the job description of a nurse manager.

in my state there is a good reason the manager must be a licensed RN.

We must advocate for the best interest and wishes of our patients.

The CEO has very different priorities.

I agree the CEO can benefit.

>

I guess only a nurse can be an advocate for the patient!?! Sorry, I'm not buying it, it's hogwash like this that perpetuates the "nursing gestapo" attitude and undermines the team approach to healthcare. The one resource that is the same no matter what industry you're in, is people. Problems need management, people need leadership.

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Specializes in Critical care, tele, Medical-Surgical.
>

I guess only a nurse can be an advocate for the patient!?! Sorry, I'm not buying it, it's hogwash like this that perpetuates the "nursing gestapo" attitude and undermines the team approach to healthcare. The one resource that is the same no matter what industry you're in, is people. Problems need management, people need leadership.

Of course other professionals and caregivers are patient advocates.

In my state ONLY registered nurses have the legal responsibility and right to advocate for our patients. Hospital licensure regulations reflect this.

I advocated for patients as a candy striper, and aide, and LVN before being licensed as an RN.

The distinction is in the law.

And a Nurse Manager must be a nurse.

Our director of Respiratory Therapy is a licensed respiratory care practitioner.

I doubt a nurse could do the job as well as he does.

And most CEOs cannot understand the nursing care needs. That is why the law in my states requires it be a licensed registered nurse.

May I ask what is meant by "nursing gestapo"?

WE work together quite well at my hospital. We are colleagues and friends.

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Specializes in Vents, Telemetry, Home Care, Home infusion.

I report to the CFO who has mentered me in financial management....but can not understand "nurse speak". Periodically get panicked phone calls to help him understand a topic or health issue that's a part of my everyday work and have him tell me "your starting in the middle, start at the beginning as it's over my head." ;)

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Of course other professionals and caregivers are patient advocates.

In my state ONLY registered nurses have the legal responsibility and right to advocate for our patients. Hospital licensure regulations reflect this.

I advocated for patients as a candy striper, and aide, and LVN before being licensed as an RN.

The distinction is in the law.

And a Nurse Manager must be a nurse.

Our director of Respiratory Therapy is a licensed respiratory care practitioner.

I doubt a nurse could do the job as well as he does.

And most CEOs cannot understand the nursing care needs. That is why the law in my states requires it be a licensed registered nurse.

May I ask what is meant by "nursing gestapo"?

WE work together quite well at my hospital. We are colleagues and friends.

>

Perhaps I'm misunderstanding what you mean by manager. Are you saying that state law requires a unit manager to be nurse? Not instituton policy, but state law?!? What if you have 2 applicants for a managers position, and the more qualified candidate does'nt have nursing credentials? Our ICU manager is not a nurse. LOL - a good friend of mine, an ICU nurse, always referred to his proffessors and instructers in school as "the nursing gestapo".

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Specializes in Critical care, tele, Medical-Surgical.
>

Perhaps I'm misunderstanding what you mean by manager. Are you saying that state law requires a unit manager to be nurse? Not instituton policy, but state law?!? What if you have 2 applicants for a managers position, and the more qualified candidate does'nt have nursing credentials? Our ICU manager is not a nurse. LOL - a good friend of mine, an ICU nurse, always referred to his proffessors and instructers in school as "the nursing gestapo".

In my state a nurse manager may manage more than one unit. The person with overall responsibility for nursing care must be a licensed registered nurse. So a non nurse would not apply for that position.

Each unit must have a medical director who is a physician.

Some hospitals have one manager who does scheduling and other managerial functions.

But the nurse manager must ensure the nursing policies and procedures are current.

Each nursing employee must be evaluated at least once a year. Direct caregivers must be evaluated based on their scope of practice. RNs must be evaluated on the nursing process.

Outpatient clinics and urgent care may have a physician and non nurse manager. In that situation such clinics that are associated with an acute care hospital still have the requirement that every RN be evaluated by an RN. Generally the Chief Nursing Officer or designee looks at documentation and has a conversation with the RNs and NPs.

NPs are also evaluated by the physician on the medical aspects of patient care.

I'm glad you explained "nursing gestapo"!

Yup. Nursing instructors must insist everything be done "by the book".

The ones in my LVN school were also former British military and quite authoritarian.

As Karen explained I think for managerial duties such as the unit budget a CEO can contribute invaluable knowledge.

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Specializes in Med Surg, Tele, PH, CM.
I think it is important to read the job description of a nurse manager.

in my state there is a good reason the manager must be a licensed RN.

We must advocate for the best interest and wishes of our patients.

The CEO has very different priorities.

I agree the CEO can benefit.

I'm not sure what pertinance your response has to the question, but I am a nurse with a MBA in Healthcare Management, and I feel that I understand the needs of both sides of the fence. I really have a problem with the "us vs them" mentality. I know there are a lot of problems between clinical and administrative healthcare, but both sides have merit. Contrary to popular belief, Admin is not necessarily "out to get" the patient, but they also have a responsibility to remain financially solvent, no small task for hospitals today. As to CEOs mentoring Nurse Managers, I believe that is a perfect opportunity for both to learn how the other side lives. A lot of the HR issues in hospitals today are a result of lack of communication, should be a good opportunity for both.

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Specializes in Critical care, tele, Medical-Surgical.
I'm not sure what pertinance your response has to the question, but I am a nurse with a MBA in Healthcare Management, and I feel that I understand the needs of both sides of the fence. I really have a problem with the "us vs them" mentality. I know there are a lot of problems between clinical and administrative healthcare, but both sides have merit. Contrary to popular belief, Admin is not necessarily "out to get" the patient, but they also have a responsibility to remain financially solvent, no small task for hospitals today. As to CEOs mentoring Nurse Managers, I believe that is a perfect opportunity for both to learn how the other side lives. A lot of the HR issues in hospitals today are a result of lack of communication, should be a good opportunity for both.

I was trying to explain that a non nurse cannot be the sole mentor for a nurse manager whose responsibility is the nursing care on his or her assigned unit(s).

Certainly aspects of the new role may be taught by the CEO.

Nursing care is the "product" of an acute care hospital. People are admitted to the hospital because they need nursing care.

Therefore I think an experienced nurse manager, who is familiar with the facility, can provide valuable mentoring for a newly hired or newly promoted nurse manager.

A CEO cannot.

Please let me know where I expressed an "us versus them" mentality. We need to work together.

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Specializes in Critical care, tele, Medical-Surgical.

Maybe we are just discussing different jobs.

At my hospital the managers have little say in the budget. .They are expected to ensure the functioning of the nursing unit(s)

That is why I posted that it is important to read the job de

scription.

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