a matter of terminology

CNO=Chief Nursing Officer

I notice that that the acronym, DON, for director of nursing is used a lot here. We would call that person the Nursing Manager or Unit Manager.

The Director of Nursing at my facility is in charge of all nursing for the facility and has her office on "executive row" right next to the hospital administrator and the medical Chief of Staff. Only "suits" are seen up there, no one in scrubs. I've never seen this person and probably never will.

What is your person in charge of all nursing called? (The Grand Poobah??)

In inpatient facilities: Director Of Nursing. A nursing manager or unit manager is NOT the Director of Nursing for the facility.

Yeah, that's my point in my original post. But, I notice that DON is used all the time on this site and I think that they're really talking about their Nursing Mgr.

Sorry, wasn't clear in my original post. I know what the Director of Nursing is at my facility . . . a nursing executive in charge of all nursing in the hospital. But, my point is that many posters use DON (director of nursing) . . . as in "My DON is unprofessional" . . . when, I think that they mean, their Nursing Manager.

But, it may be a regional thing . . . maybe some hospitals use Director of Nursing the way we use Nursing Manager.

I am not sure about hospitals, but in long term care facilities DON=head honcho. The administrator is only above her. She/He may or may not work the floor. Usually have a nice office and such. Depends on the size of the facility

Manager= over the floor Working nights I see her about 5 minutes in the morning. We have an assistant manager that works nights that I see often.

House supervisor= over the hospital, but changes with shifts. Does staffing, responds to codes, starts impossible IVs. Lots of other responsibility also, I'm sure. Don't know if you could pay me enough to do that job. However, I'm still a new nurse that is intimidated by a NG tube.

I think our head, head nursing honcho in the hospital actually has a Vice President title. I've never met her... Only have received her letters and e-mails. For all I know she may be make believe.

Director of Nursing aka DON aka Her Royal Highness

Thanks for the replies. So, now I know. In long term care facilities, the Director of Nursing is the head honcho. I already know about hospitals.

We have a Chief Nursing Officer over all nursing departments. Her office is in administration, but she is frequently on the floor and will WORK on the floor if needed.

Each division (Critical care, Maternal child, etc) has a Director. There are Clinical Supervisors who answer to the director and manage one department. For instance, one Critical Care Director has 4 Clinical Supervisors - ED, ICU, IMC and CV-ICU.

Sometimes I think we have more chiefs than indians, but that is how it is around here.

We have a Chief Nursing Officer over all nursing departments. Her office is in administration, but she is frequently on the floor and will WORK on the floor if needed.

Each division (Critical care, Maternal child, etc) has a Director. There are Clinical Supervisors who answer to the director and manage one department. For instance, one Critical Care Director has 4 Clinical Supervisors - ED, ICU, IMC and CV-ICU.

Sometimes I think we have more chiefs than indians, but that is how it is around here.

Wow, that's unbelievable. . . just like HawthoRNe on TV!! Heh heh, like I said, I've never seen ours . . .

We have a Chief Nursing Officer over all nursing departments. Her office is in administration, but she is frequently on the floor and will WORK on the floor if needed.

Each division (Critical care, Maternal child, etc) has a Director. There are Clinical Supervisors who answer to the director and manage one department. For instance, one Critical Care Director has 4 Clinical Supervisors - ED, ICU, IMC and CV-ICU.

Sometimes I think we have more chiefs than indians, but that is how it is around here.

Yes, in large hospitals each department may have a director for its own nursing staff, but the facility overall will still have a DON, DNS or (the more recent and incredibly preposterous term) Chief Nursing Officer -- born of the trend toward corporate "chiefdoms": CEO, CFO, COO, etc. Indeed, too many "chiefs" and not enough indians.