New to Lesdership: rant

[PediatricRNTX]

As a fairly new leader, I am struggling. To give some background info, leadership at my job are required and expected to be pulled into staffing (bedside nursing) when needed. After my long 12 hour shifts, I start to question everything. I'm exhausted, the nurses are running crazy at the bedside, they hardly have time to eat or drink......meanwhile I sit in an office and push out initiative after initiative. I realize as the staff nurse, the furthest thing from my mind is the new sepsis plans, the new dvt screen, the latest charting requirement....etc. I almost feel bad asking for more and pushing for more (hospital initiatives, quality goals...etc) when they are so busy.

Then considerations to increase patient to nurse ratio, take away free charge and give them 2 patients are on the table.

I just feel bad. Especially when I get a first hand taste of what it is like on the front lines. I'm typing this after an exhausting 12 hours on the floor spent with my head spinning and my feet running. Thanks for hearing my rant, but really, are these valid thought and concerns? I have thought of leaving my position over this struggle. How do I support staff while meeting the hospital goals and initiatives? I recognize staff arent always going to be happy and can always find stuff to complain about, but the demands are getting out of hand.

[klone, MSN, RN]

The primary job of the frontline leader is being an advocate for their nurses. You know what they deal with. That's why you're in the position you're in - to temper the adminstration's demands with reality.

[SummerGarden, BSN, MSN, RN]

OP: I run into the same situations as a front-line manager. Think about initiatives when you are not tired. Plus, do not get emotional over complaints. Also, do not take on the responsibility of implementing initiatives without gaining the buy-in and trust of your staff. In fact, listen to staff to create the best solutions to barriers to implementation and make them partners in taking responsibility for initiatives so that they are accountable to positive outcomes. Again, I understand you are exhausted. I am too because I get pulled into the count. In one job I was pulled into the count on every single shift for almost a year (as an aside, I left that job because staffing the units was done poorly and it was hard to counter the mistakes of others in the staffing department and get my job done on a shift-to-shift basis).

By the way, being a front-line nurse manager (specifically an ANM) is one of the hardest managerial jobs in the hospital setting. We are the envy of no one unless he/she is crazy. Good luck!