Non-Nursing Managers

grimmy, RN · Jan 26, 2006

i'm wondering if anyone out there has a director of surgical services who is not a nurse or has clinical experience? this situation exists within my workplace and i find it extremely frustrating to justifying actions that are no-brainers for someone who has experienced the life of an o.r. nurse.

[color=darkslategray]i, too, am dealing with this where i work. some folks are content to leave things as they are because this manager is a "known." they're more afraid of the unknown quantity that could be brought in from somewhere else. frankly, for my situation, its a big mistake. this manager we've got now caters to the surgeons, okays things that seem out of his league to okay, and doesn't know where his limits are or should be. where i work, we all know that this is one person who will not leave until they find him keeled over at his desk one morning. sad to say.

SFCardiacRN · Jan 27, 2006

Our director of surgical services does cater to the surgeons. That is her job. She is never in the OR. I had been employed for over two years before I met her. While she is an RN, she has NO OR experience. We have an OR manager that wears scrubs but rarely comes into the suites. Her day is mostly spent in her office and going to meetings. She is an RN and was promoted from a staff position. Our OR supervisor is also an RN and runs things from the front desk. She makes assignments and when needed will give coffee breaks and the odd lunch relief.

Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN · Jan 27, 2006

Firm believer that someone who manages nursing and nurses, should have to be one, and WORKED as a nurse first. For the very reasons the OP stated.

kathyann · Feb 7, 2006

I have never heard of a non-nurse in an OR manager role. What is his background? Sounds ludicrous to me...

sharann, BSN, RN · Feb 10, 2006

All I can say is if it comes down to being in a courtroom, someone will have to have a great explanation to the jury as to how a non nurse manages nurses and runs an OR without having experience in one clinically, ever.

Tell it to the judge !

JimS · Feb 14, 2006

i, too, am dealing with this where i work. some folks are content to leave things as they are because this manager is a "known." they're more afraid of the unknown quantity that could be brought in from somewhere else. frankly, for my situation, its a big mistake. this manager we've got now caters to the surgeons, okays things that seem out of his league to okay, and doesn't know where his limits are or should be. where i work, we all know that this is one person who will not leave until they find him keeled over at his desk one morning. sad to say.

you know, we're talking about the same person.

RockieSis · Feb 14, 2006

I thought this went on only at my place of employment! Our OR manager is not a nurse, and prior to her being moved over to our department, I had never seen her in the hospital. It is a frustrating situation to say the least

suzanne4, RN · Feb 14, 2006

I have worked with managers thru the years that were actually Respiratory Therapists, and some strictly business people, and they did just fine. Also with an RN that was the manager of the PACU, and then took over the OR, as well. Never had OR experience but was one of the better managers that I have worked under.

She couldn't relieve in a room, but she could organize, and answer the phone and get supplies for me when I needed those. And the unit ran beautifully. Kept the OR runnign smoothly, was not afraid to stadn up for the OR nurses to the surgeons, and did so when ever the case arose.

I have also worked with Managers/Directors that had OR experience but they were extremely scary to be in a room, think that they got pushed into management to get them out of the room.

It comes down to management skills of that particular person and how they handle things. Think about it, the Director of Nursing of your facility may be an RN, but has he or she worked in all of the different areas of the facility? Yet, they are the ones ultimately in charge of the OR, every ICU, etc. The idea is to know how to manage and how to get things done. And know what needs to be done.

Just something to think about....................

JimS · Feb 15, 2006

I have worked with managers thru the years that were actually Respiratory Therapists, and some strictly business people, and they did just fine. Also with an RN that was the manager of the PACU, and then took over the OR, as well. Never had OR experience but was one of the better managers that I have worked under.
She couldn't relieve in a room, but she could organize, and answer the phone and get supplies for me when I needed those. And the unit ran beautifully. Kept the OR runnign smoothly, was not afraid to stadn up for the OR nurses to the surgeons, and did so when ever the case arose.
I have also worked with Managers/Directors that had OR experience but they were extremely scary to be in a room, think that they got pushed into management to get them out of the room.
It comes down to management skills of that particular person and how they handle things. Think about it, the Director of Nursing of your facility may be an RN, but has he or she worked in all of the different areas of the facility? Yet, they are the ones ultimately in charge of the OR, every ICU, etc. The idea is to know how to manage and how to get things done. And know what needs to be done.
Just something to think about....................

Agreed. Management is a test of a person's ability to assess, problem solve, communicate and lead. I liken it to the military. Good leaders have spent their time in the trenches. They know how their decisions impact the physical and emotional well being of their troops. They truly care. I'm not saying that all managers that are nurses act in this fashion. However, they certainly have a leg up on their non-nurse counterparts. In my opinion, institutions that place non nurses in charge of nurses are fixated on financial issues and are not usually pro nursing. Institutions that are pro nursing usually have no shortage of RNs that pack the gear to be excellent managers. I understand and appreciate your comments. But a non nurse in a clinical leadership role is a red flag.