Is going straight from nursing school to nurse supervisor a good career choice?

[Theloving100]

An acquaintance of mine graduated from nursing school a couple years ago and straight out of nursing school she snagged a LTC supervisor job, stayed in that position for a year and recently got promoted to nurse manager. I was thinking that may be a good career path for me because I heard she makes pretty good money and I need all the money I can get, but is it a cop out? I want to be the best nurse I can be. Do you think going straight to a leadership role that doesn't give me direct contact with patients will jeopardize any chances of being a front line nurse, if I would chose a different nursing position in the future? I didn't want to ask her because I didn't want to insult her, so any thought or experiences on this would be nice. Thank you!

[Nurse Leigh]

If they make them all supervisors, then they don't have to pay OT.

And it probably sounds good in the facility brochures and on the tours. "There is always a Nurse Supervisor on the floor here at ABC Long Term Care! "

[Karou]

I worked in the same LTC facility for four years. I can't tell you how many administrators, DON/ADON's, or supervisors we went through. Some I never even bothered to get to know the names of. It was a constantly revolving door. State would come, we would refresh our leadership, and it would happen all over again. Or the previous ones would get overwhelmed with the crap they were left to sort through and leave for fear of loosing their license.

It wasn't uncommon for a newly hired supervisor to be someone straight out of school with zero experience. They left (or were fired) even quicker than those with experience. Staff who had worked there 10+ years didn't really respect them either and would give them a hard time. Especially since they couldn't be good references for clinical problems and questions.

I wouldn't recommend anyone do it right of school. I am happy for your friend, if this is truly working well for her, but I would guess she is the exception and not the rule.

[RNrhythm, BSN, RN]

Contrary to what another poster suggested, this is not a joke. I had a similar opportunity. I am a new grad BSN with no nursing experience and I was hired to be the RN supervisor at a sub-acute facility. I would supervise the LVNs and CNAs and make sure they stuck to their schedules of providing care, enforce rules, etc., as well as round with doctors, take orders, and administer IV meds. Shortly after I started, I received a job offer for a new grad acute care position, so I jumped ship.

[luvsltcrn]

I have worked in the same SNF for 16 years. 4 years as floor nurse, 8 years as ADON and last 4 years as DON. There is NO WAY I could do my job without my previous years of experience. I still continue to learn new things every day. I would never suggest taking a management position unless you are very familiar with what the people you are supervising do on a daily basis - how are you going to lead them and be an example if you aren't competent performing their job duties??

[RescueNinja123]

Yes, this is true. However, working as a supervisor /manager at a LTC facility is not like working as a manager at the hospital. You also get paid the same as the average bedside nurse working at a hospital. Bedside nurses at LTC facilities dont make that much and most are dying to get into a hospital for the benefits and higher paychecks they can acquire. Poorer facilities have a smaller population of RNs working there and feel lucky just to have one, so they consider them supervisors to the LPNs and CNAs. In my opinion, it's just a way of making them feel special because they are RNs but even as supervisors at time they might have to push carts and give medications.

[NurseBeaB]

To those with snarky answers, allow me to point out that our commander in chief never served in the military.

As for the new grad, take a pass on this. You'll thank yourself later.

[delawaremalenurse]

To those with snarky answers, allow me to point out that our commander in chief never served in the military.

And that just about sums it up...

[ThePrincessBride, MSN, RN, NP]

I am having the opposite problem. My floor is trying to talk me into being trained as charge nurse even though I am a new grad out of orientation for less than two months and there are other nurses who have more experience than me (but refuse to step it up).

No new grad needs to be in charge or supervising anything or anyone. Any facility that puts an inexperienced nurse in a leadership position gets a side-eye from me.

[Farawyn]

To those with snarky answers, allow me to point out that our commander in chief never served in the military.

And that just about sums it up...

Nor has the one before that...or the one before that.

[Farawyn]

I personally wouldn't be supportive of a brand new grad supervising me as a floor nurse. Get your legs under you first, OP.

[PacoUSA, BSN, RN]

I would never work under a nurse manager who has never worked as a floor nurse. He or she would be clueless to the needs of his or her subordinates and would clearly be a horrible leader in that respect.

Sent from my iPad using allnurses

[Theloving100]

The more comments I see I can't believe the women I know has lasted as a supervisor and is now a clinical nurse manager after only being a nurse supervisor for one year straight out of school. She is book smart, but she doesn't have that much common sense. I definitely never want to take the path she has taken after seeing all these comments. Now, I am very weary on how nursing homes choose their managers based off the fact they hired one with zero clinical experience.