Considering applying for nurse manager....

Larry77, RN · Nov 2, 2013

I would really look at how your philosophy aligns with the organization and your Director. What has the turn-around been like in the position you are applying to? Do you want to spend your life in meetings, and dealing with staffing, projects, and budget?

Personally I love management, I love the fact that I can affect so many by changing processes and working on culture...I can touch so many more than I could at the bedside. But you are correct on the Mon-Fri thing...it does have some perks but gone are the days when I used to get basically every other week off. Everything is a trade off but definitely don't go into management for the money (just try figuring out your hourly wage...barf!) and don't go into it for power because if that's the case you will NEVER be good at it.

Good luck, it seems you are looking at it with the right attitude and are asking the right questions.

Larry

psychRNmom2 · Nov 3, 2013

Thank you for your feedback. I really appreciate it! I am definitely not going into it for the money or power. The actual work really excites me. The power actually intimidates me because I am afraid of making bad decisions. My position will not be overseeing the budget-the director I report to will. They are restructuring our administration currently so this is a new position they are creating. Each unit will have a team leader/nurse supervisor who will do payroll, evaluations, function as charge nurse occasionally etc. Each team leader will report directly to a director who will oversee multiple units. I hope this means that I will have a mentor working closely with me as I transition to this new role.

MatrixRn · Nov 3, 2013

I work in management and personally find it very rewarding. However, that said I would not want to give the impression that this role is for everyone because it is not. Assuming a role of nurse manager means a new set of responsibilities. Yes, you may lose the majority of your bedside work, however if there are call ins you may be the one who has to fill that spot. If I were you I would definitely be asking if this was the case, and if so take a good look at your staffing patterns and call outs to see how often this may occur. I understand you would like to retain some of the bedside work, however you would want to make sure that it is not too much of your time and it interferes with your nurse manager duties.

Another question to ask is if you share on call with anyone else. In my capacity I share call with other Managers, so the times that I could actually be called are minimal. And I also did what I suggested to you above. I reviewed and then revamped the whole schedules to solidify coverage patterns.

You also say that you like to mentor other nurses. In your new role it is likely you will be delegating much of that mentoring. Yes you will do some but likely that will decrease. Again in my case I garnered 2 people who are my go to mentors. They mentor so I am freed up to attend business meetings etc.

Like you I was also pursued for my current role, and have found that once I took the plunge I did not want to go back. The impacts that we can make on patient care and nursing knowledge only expand at this level.

GOOD LUCK in your new role!!

Orca, ADN, ASN, RN · Nov 4, 2013

The power actually intimidates me because I am afraid of making bad decisions.

You shouldn't go into this fearfully. Not every decision you make will be golden. That is part of the learning process. Some things sound good in concept, but when implemented turn out differently than you envisioned. The good thing is that you will have the authority and the ability to make adjustments as you go along.

The best piece of advice I can give you is to listen to input from those on the front lines. Give them credit for their knowledge and experience, and implement their ideas when they have good ones. One of the most important keys to success is employee buy-in on any changes you plan to make. Employees appreciate being given input, even if their suggestions are not always implemented. To be certain, there are times when you cannot do this, but they are a small minority.

The best managers take advantage of the talent around them. None of us knows everything, and there is usually more than one "right" way to accomplish a particular task. I give my staff credit for what they know, give them guidance and direction when they need it, and stay out of the way when they don't.

elkpark · Nov 4, 2013

One thing that jumps out at me from the OP is the comment that you are planning on starting an MSN soon. I would strongly encourage you not to move into a new role/position at work and start a graduate program at (around) the same time. Choose one or the other and then give yourself time to get acclimated to that before starting on a second new project/responsibility.

Best wishes for your journey!

psychRNmom2 · Nov 5, 2013

One thing that jumps out at me from the OP is the comment that you are planning on starting an MSN soon. I would strongly encourage you not to move into a new role/position at work and start a graduate program at (around) the same time. Choose one or the other and then give yourself time to get acclimated to that before starting on a second new project/responsibility.
Best wishes for your journey!

Funny, that was going to be my next question. I am set to start grad school in Jan. I can push it back as need be and plan to if I get this position. Thank you for the feedback.