Not Everyone is meant/wants to be a leader!

Orion81RN · Apr 19, 2018

I guess I just don't agree that there is a push for every nurse to be a leader. It's certainly misguided, if that's the case.

I see it in the question "Where do you see yourself in 5 years?"

I don't think there is anything wrong with me saying that I just want to continue to learn new things and stay a floor nurse. Everywhere I have worked, they want to hear that you want to work your way up to a *titled* leadership role.

No thanks. I'll lead by example when doing my own work and teach others who come to me asking how to do something. That's all I want at this point in my life, and there is nothing wrong with that.

klone, MSN, RN · Apr 19, 2018

I see it in the question "Where do you see yourself in 5 years?"

I like to ask that question at interviews, but not because I'm wanting or expecting a particular answer. I am just as happy, if not more so, when the nurse answers "In 5 years I want to be an expert at the job I'm applying for now, and willing to mentor other nurses in the role as well." Because that tells me that she's in it for the long haul, not looking to move up and out after a year or two.

meanmaryjean, DNP, RN · Apr 19, 2018

Really interesting discussion!

Workitinurfava, BSN, RN · Apr 19, 2018

If management waits for volunteers they will be waiting a long time, so yes some people will be forced to do it. Sad but true. I haven't had to do it so far, thank goodness. On the flip side I am thankful for the nurses that have done it, as I would not have been trained had they not said yes.

brandy1017, ASN, RN · Apr 19, 2018

This is not really a rant...just random musings. Why does every nursing organization want to push every floor nurse to be charge, a nurse leader or running the practice council? I know this isn't unique to nursing. You see articles all the time "Traits of Leaders" or "How to be a Leader." Job interviews constantly ask, "have you done charge?" "have you run any committees?" "do you want to be in leadership?" I have had managers ask this all the time.
But what if I don't WANT to be a leader. Being a leader and being an influencer are two different things. I will also speak up for myself and my fellow nurses. I attend practice council, other meetings and am vocal. I believe in educating myself and keeping current. Why isn't that enough? Why can't I provide excellent care as a floor nurse and go home to my family? Why does everyone push for nursing (or the job) to be all-consuming? When I am on the floor, I give my 100%. But when I go home, I want to unplug.
Does anyone else feel the same way? Just my thoughts lol...

Funny I've never been asked to be a leader, let alone if I wanted to, I wonder should I be jealous. lol You could consider it a compliment. Charge is a duty we all share on the night shift and weekends. Usually the new young nurses volunteer for committees to gain brownie points and climb the clinical ladder. Many of us simply don't want to be managers and that's fine, there aren't that many management jobs to go around in one organization anyway. Let the ones who want it fight over it.

I'm guessing you work for a magnet hospital and they are probably trying to drum up business for committee volunteers. Politely beg off if you aren't interested or don't have the time. But it looks nice on a resume or an NP application and can allow you to network with the leaders/admin in your hospital which could always help if you wanted to get another job in the hospital. It never hurts to have friends in high places and can certainly help in times of need. Just something to think about.

As to our society's emphasis on management, it is one of the few jobs out there that is good paying and also well respected. If someone succeeds in climbing the ladder to the top the sky's the limit! From a six figure income to millions while the average "household" income is less than $60,000 and that's with two wage earners.

SpankedInPittsburgh, DNP, RN · Apr 19, 2018

Yep!!!! I had no desire to be a "leader". I simply wanted to do my job in a professional manner and go home. However, where I work doing committee work and idiot projects are tied to pay raises so I did them. Do I have any faith in "nurse leadership"? Not even a little. I've been on many, many committees and honestly a ton of hot air gets created and very little good comes out of them but I wanted the pay bumps so I did it. I reached the top of the nurse pay scale without going into management which I have no desire to do so I studied to become a Nurse Practitioner & I'm very happy with that decision. Personally I think a bedside nurse should be rewarded for staying bedside and the fact that they don't want to partake in this nonsense should not affect their career but that doesn't seem to be the reality in my experience.

allnurses Guide · Apr 20, 2018

Yes!!! I am totally with you. I love just being a floor nurse and

plan on doing so, pretty much the rest of my career, UNLESS I

take a lower paying job someday, particularly school nurse or

adult day care.

I did the "leader" thing once; took a job as a shift supervisor

in a SNF. Worst two months of my life, LOL. Taught me once

and for all that I was meant to be a worker bee.

I've also done Case Management; can't stand that either.

allnurses Guide · Apr 20, 2018

I guess I just don't agree that there is a push for every nurse to be a leader. It's certainly misguided, if that's the case.

In the Magnet facility where I used to work... there was a lot of push for...

not just necessarily to go up that nursing ladder of leadership, but also to

be a nurse who loves nursing SO much that it does consume your life.

You weren't anyone at this place unless you were someone who did make

it your whole life.

I hated it. I wanted to be someone who came to work, did my job and

did it well, and then went home. I wanted to feel like that was OK.

I didn't feel that way at this particular facility. I don't know how really else

to explain it.

And no, I'm sure it's not this way across the board, even at

Magnet facilities.

cleback · Apr 20, 2018

I've found that committees aren't really leadership because you're generally only discussing what the suits want you to. Precepting too is just showing what you know to the newer nurses. Charge nurses can be excellent leaders for day to day matters.

Anyway, that aside, I think the push to get people involved in these activities is from magnet and nurse engagement surveys. It's how management knows/thinks they're doing a good job is if the nurses are involved/report they're involved in quasi leadership roles.

Have Nurse, ADN, RN · Apr 20, 2018

I understand. When I worked bedside years ago, I just wanted to really care for my patients and go home. But face it. The present Leadership may be limited and they need a rest too. So if an employer can lasso a strong nurse to step up the Leadership, they will try.

CharleeFoxtrot, BSN, RN · Apr 20, 2018

When I resigned my short-lived attempt at being in management I said "There are good nurses, good managers and good nurse managers. I am only one of these." Seriously, I totally stunk as a nurse manager and have since returned to my comfort zone as a drone . Love to precept, love to teach, will never ever EVER be on call 24/7 and have that total lack of work/life balance again.

decotes · Apr 20, 2018

For example, in my nursing school, we had a "managing and leading" class, as well as in my other classes the professors would always say "one day when you're nurse leaders...". We constantly were taught about how to become leaders on our flpots we would eventually work on, what we would do as nurse leaders, how to influence others, etc etc etc.