making the transition to management

bonesrn · Mar 12, 2006

Shearan.....first congratulations on your promotion...second..good luck! I am in the same situation. I worked as a staff nurse on the unit for about 3 months before I was promoted to the day shift supervisor. I had mixed feelings about it then and second guess myself everyday! I took the position thinking that I could make things better for the staff and the unit as a whole. Good idea but not so easy to do. You will come to realize that no matter how great your ideas are all that matters is what senior mgmnt wants and HOW MUCH IT COSTS! It is frustrating.

We have a big problem with accountability on our unit. People leaving med carts unlocked with the keys lying in out on the open WHILE THE NURSE WALKS AWAY FROM THE CART...different rules for different people...people using the med carts as their personal locker..food, bags etc on top of and inside the carts...tube feeding/IV pumps never being cleared, I/O not charted..TF bags being hung and not dated or timed...the list goes on. So, I say to the DON that we need to hold EVERYONE accountable. These are not only DOH, JACHO, OSHA violations..they are dangerous and compromise patient safetly (i.e. nurses/techs leaving their assignment together for breaks/lunch) I say we need to hold the charge nurses as well a staff accountable. The answers I get are well..give them a verbal warning, so I do and it happens AGAIN.."give them another verbal warning" so I do and AGAIN the same s**t happens. The staff has the attitude of "what are you going to do about it...we're already short staffed" My take is this...we want the unit to be successful..I don't want to be the cart police, the documentation police...BUT I do feel that if we have these rules that EVERYONE needs to be held accountable. It is frustrating when your out on the unit..and yes I am out there helping with patient care, doing whatever I can to make it easier for them...but they just don't get it..they think that since I am their "friend" that I will look the other way. When I try to enforce the P&P someone goes to the DON who caves and says things like "well that is the rule but i'll give you a warning AGAIN!" I feel like I am the monkey in the middle and get no support from above.

Wow..I really needed to vent...maybe you will have a better experience..I really hope that you do..I just think it is much harder to make that transition when you've been out on the floor. Some staff think your now "one of them" and others feel that because your friends you'll cut them some slack. It's been a great learning experience either way and I really don't know how much longer I'll do it...I like being the worker bee! Good luck..and if you or anyone else has any suggestions for me, let me know.

johnson0424 · Mar 12, 2006

hey, i have been a manger for 4 yrs now and the transition was rough and scary but you can do it. Just know what you want for the unit and stick to your guns and do it...i was a hard manager always writing people up b/c i got sick of talking till i was blue in the face. warn them once,twice and then they get a write up and they will know u mean business...dont be their friend but be respectful of your staff and be a staff and patient advocate..i feel sometimes i am climbing a hill b/c i get shot down by upper mgmt but it does not stop me from being an advocate. My happiness and success depended on my scope of practice as a manger..what i could and could not do and be ready to discipline, discipline, discipline b/c people dont always do what they are told! I have had stuff thrown at me, threats on me but i held my head high and know that i am doing what is best for the patients. Those that dont want to be there will quit and fall by the wayside..those that do want to be there will stick with you through and through. I loved management but now I am looking for a change into something different..i am also a FNP student...so managing a unit is more difficult..just remember to be strong and to have open communication but put your foot down when needed and ENJOY!!!!:)

bonesrn · Mar 13, 2006

Thanks for the encouraging words. I have been writing people up but was feeling a little guilty about it..I didn't want to be that person but it is obvious that the staff need some sort of direction and if I lose a few "friends" along the way then so be it. Hopefully they will come to their senses but I'm with you..we all know the rules so if you want to be part of the unit you will follow them and if not then I'll be glad to show you the door. My biggest obstacle will be the DON who is a total softy..'" we want people to be successful..we don't want to be out looking for their faults" That is what is frustrating! I'll hang in there and see what happens. Good luck with your FNP classes!

johnson0424 · Mar 14, 2006

that is one thing i will look at next time i get a job is the focus/goal that the DON has for her unit...if they are not similiar to yours it makes it hard...

rodggang · Mar 17, 2006

In nursing we tend to take great nurses and promote them into the management position without any orientation or education on leadership. I was promoted into nursing management with one day of orientation....I take that back, 1/2 day orientation. I had not had any education on conflict management, leadership, budgeting, ect. I tried to stay true to myself and my beliefs as a nurse and be an advocate for our patients and my staff. I have been a DON for 2 years now and have made a commitment to my Coordinators and Supervisors,not to micromange them and as long as a decision that they make is what is best for the patients, I will back them 100%. I have tried very hard education our Nursing Management team in leadership, communication and conflict management. We have been working very hard in counseling people and documentation of the counseling at the time of event and not waiting for a week for me to take care of. We have been able to weed out some of the low performers and cut our losses. My staff has told me that we would rather work short then to have a warm body. We have set standards of behaviors for our hospital and everyone in the hospital signs and commits to them. This gives us something in our hand to to counsel staff and making them accountable for their behavior. I could go on and on, but if you would like to pm me and ask any specific questions, I would be happy to answer what we are doing in our hospital. Oh, by the way, I even as the DON go out and work along side of my staff, supervise if need, and help in ER. I feel this gains you a lot of respect from your staff, but you need to know when you need to pull away and do your duties as a manager.

Cris

Turk182 · Mar 18, 2006

Nothing brings the morale of the unit down then watching some people get away with murder, over and over and over. Most people will tell you they would rather work harder because they are short then have someone they see who does everything wrong/call in all the time/is unsafe/whatever sit next to them...especially when they don't have the power to do anything about it. A lot of my people would probably describe me as a b**** for a manager because I am hard, when the time calls for it. But I throw in with them anytime they are crazy on the floor, I stay later than them sometimes, I get rid of the staff who need to go for valid reasons, and I'm fair. They also see me fight for them when upper management is only seeing $ and cents, and when they have genuine difficulties going on elsewhere in their life. I just lost a CNA who really was in a crisis. I spent 3/4 of the day trying to figure out a way to help her so she wouldn't have to ( she didn't want to quit) go. When she left, she told my boss " I never thought I'd be hugging (me) ". Then I stayed 2 hours late to do what I had to do, and took the rest of it home.

Be fair, be consistent, let them know how you appreciate and see how hard they are working. Let them know its not personal, it is professional. Explain the bigger picture to them and then fight for them with the bigger picture (ie upper management)

But most importantly..... you HAVE to have a DON who WILL back you up. I've seen it too many times in my short time as a manager, a DON who does not back you, will destroy your credibility and make your job impossible.

Take it as a challange and go for it!

lberghood · Jun 27, 2006

Amen to all of the previous posters, i too am a new manager and i am blessed to have a DON and a ADON wh o do back me up. I went from staff to management at the same time several of my peers did so we have each other to consult with and vent to and this has been a blessing. It is difficult but rewarding to see how we have all grown and the bottom line is that when you are a manager your relationships with your old peers will change. Communication skills are paramount and I think that being fair and openly communicating does gain you respect. You may win the popularity contest but respect of the staff does make you effective. I kind of look at it as the staff are my patients now and if i take care of them they are able to do their job and take care of the patients. This does not mean enabling them but supporting and advocating for them and modeling my behavior .

MU/WVUGRADRN · Jun 28, 2006

When I took my management position I asked a fellow friend manager for advice about how I could succeed. Her quick response: Don't go to lunch with the same people every day. I chuckled, but respected her enough to take her advice.

Best advice I ever had. I think the people I went to lunch with felt like they "had my ear for about 30 minutes". We would avoid talking shop during lunch. I tried not to get too personally involved with the staff. I knew I could not solve their problems. But this gave me a short period of time to catch up on what was going on in their lives.

TraceyRN · Jul 6, 2006

Wow. This website was quite a find!

I too am trying to make the transition to management. The former manager was let go, even though she was quite popular with the staff about 3 months ago. I have sort of been standing in, and now, agter 3 months of pressure, I have agreed to take the position, on an "interim" basis. I am reluctant, for all of the reasons already listed here, so I have discivered my situation is not unique. I also am apprehensive about the time requirement as I so value my time with my family. Staff works 3/12's here in Florida. As manager I will be there 5 days a week, but will be home before 9p, so that is a plus. The DON is so persistent that I take this job I guess I have to have faith that this is the right step for me.

I also have staff that are disgruntled due to the favoritism of a few by the prior regime and those with chronic sick calls. That is one of my tasks for tomorrow, and this person was a peer until recently. Very awkward.

Most of all it is difficult to leave my confort zone on the floor and start something new.

Tracey

kstockdaleRN · Aug 4, 2006

I too transitioned to ADON about 1 year ago. What a ride! I am still learning. Discipline is very hard for me. I feel like a babysitter sometimes. I feel overworked, stressed out, underpaid, etc. - but I'm still there. I am floor nurse when people call in, shift coordinator a lot of the time, and mediator all of the time. It is hard work - but I feel like I have grown in my judgement and skills. It is very true that you cannot be friends with your coworkers like you were before. It makes it very hard to remain unbiased when you go to lunch with someone every day. You have to remember that the eyes are always on you - if they even percieve favortism, the rumors will start. :) Good luck to you!

DemrixRN2000 · Aug 7, 2006

I just took a position as a nurse manager in a facility that had not had a nurse manager for about a year. Needless to say there were alot of problems. I have an employee that has been "reshuffled" instead of removed from his position because he's seen as a bully. I have that to deal with along with the everyday issues of staffing, budget and maintaining an atmosphere where patients and their families receive the best care possible. It seems overwhelming and at times it is. All in all I am happy. I have learned that I need to pace myself so that I am not doing five 12 hour shifts a week. My family are very concerned with my hours and being on salary isn't really benefiting me. This is a huge responsibility that requires unconditional committment and that's harder at times. I look forward to the weekends so that I can truly rest. My charge nurses are excellent. They really handle themselves and the staff well. I make sure that I let them know how much I appreciate them and I make sure I stand behind the decisions that they make as long as it is in the best interest of the patient. I haven't had any orientation into this position and I am looking forward to taking some leadership courses that can assist me in this transition. I know that management is where I want to be; I just need to find some balance.

Any ideas?