Leaving Management Role

Tweety, BSN, RN · Feb 19, 2005

Patrick, I'm sure it's a loss to your unit. I could never be a manager with it's 24 hour accountability, paperwork, meetings, and being expected to work as a staff nurse when the floors are short.

Good luck in whatever you do next.

rstewart · Feb 19, 2005

I have finally made the decision that nurse management is far too involved and requires, if not demands far too much time.
Sorry, but you just had the wrong kind of nursing management job. See, there are management jobs which cause additional problems, then there are jobs which are responsible for solving those additional problems. There are nurse management jobs which tacitly support clearly insufficient resources to accomplish the mission, then there are management jobs responsible for accomplishing the mission as though the necessary resources were present. There are nursing management jobs where you must have the skills of those you supervise so that you can fill in at all hours when necessary, there are other nurse manager jobs which require no ability to help whatsoever. There are nurse management jobs where you attend week long conferences on topics far removed from their daily activities, then there are managers who could genuinely incorporate the information imparted at such conferences who stay home. There are nurse management jobs where every project is delegated their way and other nurse management jobs which do the delegating. There are nurse management jobs which require little more than attendance at countless meetings....sustainable year after year/indefinately, then there are nurse management jobs which turnover frequently leaving the serial incumbants physically and emotionally drained and doubting their abilities to competently manage.
You just need to find the "right" kind of management job.

llg, PhD, RN · Feb 19, 2005

Good luck in whatever work you choose to do next. Have you made any decisions about your future?

I think we need some research as to why people are reluctant to go into management and why they leave. It's not as if most of us don't already know the reasons, but I haven't seen much (if any) published research on those topics.

llg (ddd is my home account, llg is the account I use most)

RNPATL, DNP, RN · Feb 19, 2005

I have finally made the decision that nurse management is far too involved and requires, if not demands far too much time.
Sorry, but you just had the wrong kind of nursing management job. See, there are management jobs which cause additional problems, then there are jobs which are responsible for solving those additional problems. There are nurse management jobs which tacitly support clearly insufficient resources to accomplish the mission, then there are management jobs responsible for accomplishing the mission as though the necessary resources were present. There are nursing management jobs where you must have the skills of those you supervise so that you can fill in at all hours when necessary, there are other nurse manager jobs which require no ability to help whatsoever. There are nurse management jobs where you attend week long conferences on topics far removed from their daily activities, then there are managers who could genuinely incorporate the information imparted at such conferences who stay home. There are nurse management jobs where every project is delegated their way and other nurse management jobs which do the delegating. There are nurse management jobs which require little more than attendance at countless meetings....sustainable year after year/indefinately, then there are nurse management jobs which turnover frequently leaving the serial incumbants physically and emotionally drained and doubting their abilities to competently manage.
You just need to find the "right" kind of management job.
I am certainly taking your post as a joke. But, for those nurses that are managers and work in excess of 70 hours or more per week supporting their departments and supporting their nurses, this post could be highly offensive. I am leaving this level of position because there are far to many expectations on the people that hold management roles. Nurses are under the mistaken impression that nurse managers make a lot of money and have cushy jobs. It is simply not the case.
In relationship to your reference to several kinds of managment jobs, I have never been witness those types of managers and I would have to say that I am sorry if you have. Most, if not all the managers that I have worked with have been dedicated, compassionate and truly care about the environment they establish and their employers establish for the nurses. Most of the managers that I have worked with in the past worked tirelessly to meet the ongoing and NEVER ending demands of the job. Most, if not all the nurse managers that I have worked with have sacrficed their family, their personal life and their emotional health to be available and work every minute to help out their unit. These are nurse managers! I am not sure who you are talkiing about.
Your post is the exact reason that our society can not keep good, qualified nurse managers in the role. The sarcasim and dis-resepct that nurse managers face everyday makes it a job that is awful and increases turn-over. Yes, you are correct, perhaps there are people that act the way you described, but for me, I never witnessed those types of nurse managers and I have been a nurse for 21 years.

RNPATL, DNP, RN · Feb 19, 2005

Good luck in whatever work you choose to do next. Have you made any decisions about your future?
I think we need some research as to why people are reluctant to go into management and why they leave. It's not as if most of us don't already know the reasons, but I haven't seen much (if any) published research on those topics.
llg (ddd is my home account, llg is the account I use most)

Actually, I am content to remain on the floor as a nurse. I am looking into ER opportunites and once I have my BSN completed, I plan to teach as an adjunct faculty member at the local community colege. I is a big relief to know this responsibility will be off my shoulders soon. Big relief!

Long Term Care Columnist / Guide · Feb 19, 2005

Pat---I totally empathize with you!! Getting out of management and back into bedside nursing was the best thing I ever did for myself.......no more 24/7 responsibility, no more middle-of-the-night phone calls, no more taking work home, no more getting paid for a 40-hour-week when I was putting in 60+ hours PLUS working the floor when there were call-ins!

I was a good manager, but they couldn't pay me enough to take another supervisory position. I like being a little fish in a big bowl, and being paid for every single minute I'm in the building, and being able to leave everything at work when I go home for the day.

Good luck, Pat!!

RNPATL, DNP, RN · Feb 19, 2005

Pat---I totally empathize with you!! Getting out of management and back into bedside nursing was the best thing I ever did for myself.......no more 24/7 responsibility, no more middle-of-the-night phone calls, no more taking work home, no more getting paid for a 40-hour-week when I was putting in 60+ hours PLUS working the floor when there were call-ins!
I was a good manager, but they couldn't pay me enough to take another supervisory position. I like being a little fish in a big bowl, and being paid for every single minute I'm in the building, and being able to leave everything at work when I go home for the day.
Good luck, Pat!!

You hit the nail on the head! I hate working for free. If I were paid (at an RN wage) for all the hours I put in as a manager ... well, lets say I would have money to blow. But suffice to say, I will just be happy with having my life back again.

Trauma Columnist · Feb 19, 2005

Patrick - I'm so sorry you are changing jobs! Like someone else said - this is the unit's loss! Maybe teaching will open new worlds for you? I know several of my friends who have done that and so appreciate it. I wish you the best in whatever you decide to do. What about case management? You still get the patient contact but not all the responsibility and its usually compensated at higher rates - take care...judi

rstewart · Feb 19, 2005

"I am certainly taking your post as a joke."
Take it however you wish, but it was not intended to be a joke.
"Most, if not all the nurse managers that I have worked with have sacrficed their family, their personal life and their emotional health to be available and work every minute to help out their unit."
And you would describe this as sane behavior?
Your post is the exact reason that our society can not keep good, qualified nurse managers in the role. The sarcasim and dis-resepct that nurse managers face everyday makes it a job that is awful and increases turn-over.
LOLOLOL Ahhhhhh the power of the pen. I KNEW there must be a reason why we can't keep good qualified managers in the role--------turns out the exact reason is my post.

MamaTheNurse, BSN, RN · Feb 19, 2005

good luck to you

I've read many of your posts and I can say that your institution is going to be hard-pressed to replace you as a manager - too bad you had the issues that you did - a lesser person would have thrown in the towel a long time ago

have some fun!!!

nursemaa · Feb 19, 2005

Nurses are under the mistaken impression that nurse managers make a lot of money and have cushy jobs. It is simply not the case. The sarcasim and dis-resepct that nurse managers face everyday makes it a job that is awful and increases turn-over. QUOTE]
So true....I wish I could understand why staff are so nasty to and about nurse managers. I have not seen one manager (myself included) that did not work extremely hard, with lots of overtime (unpaid) hours to make things as good as possible for their unit and their staff. There seems to be the perception that because managers are not taking a team of patients, they can't possibly be working as hard as the staff nurses. I've said it before...just because I'm not doing the same job as you doesn't mean I'm not working! I can completely understand why you're stepping out of it, sometimes you just get sick of the abuse.