Going management: Pros and Cons

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I am being encouraged to consider applying for a supervisory position in my small rural hospital - by both clinical colleagues and management staff. I have until recently been a med-surg and Charge RN, on the newer side with nearly 4 years on the floor. I have a background in education and coming later in life to my nursing career (I'm 50), I have a lot of life experience which has given me skills for a supervisory role. I just started an interim Lead RN position which is supervisory without being management (can maintain union status) and am in training for that right now, which is going well. Part of the draw for me was the "interim" part. While I am enjoying the details, intellectual stimulation, systems-level involvement and taking care of our terrific staff, I am afraid I will miss the floor tribe and direct patient care, which I also love, not to mention getting rusty on nursing skills. I am asking the collective wisdom here to give me your pros and cons on going management. Go!

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Specializes in Hospice, corrections, psychiatry, rehab, LTC.

It is true that you won't have the camaraderie that you had on the floor. The saying "It's lonely at the top" means that there will be a very small group of people who you are able to vent to when things get to you (Rule #1: Never subordinates). It is also true that your technical skills will get a bit rusty from lack of use. That said, management can be very gratifying. You will have the authority to implement things that you could previously only suggest, and you can have a positive direct impact on both patients and employees.

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Specializes in Pediatrics.

pros: money, flexibility, feeling of accomplishment

cons: people complain about EVERYTHING and are rarely happy. its thankless. You have no friends.

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