After the Evidence

Specialties Management

Published

Now that you know what the evidence shows, Are you holding your staff accountable? Leadership without accountability doesn't work. I can't tell you the number of issues I have seen in organizations that stem from lack of accountability. Nurse managers must hold staff accountable in order to achieve great outcomes. I find managers have a hard time confronting small to large issues. The minute you let a small issue go by with addressing it is the minute it will develop into a systemic issue on your unit. Managers need to hold staff accountable from the small things to the big things. Staff want to be managed. Staff want a strong leader. The key is understanding the players on your team and the delivering the message based on the individuals characteristics.

Specializes in Trauma/ED.

Your statement, "staff want to be managed" I find is not true. I feel like that translates to micromanaging and I do not think staff appreciates that at all. I think staff need a strong leader yes, and one that does act on unresolved issues. When I note an issue or one is brought to my attention I first bring it to the CN's because they are the frontline leaders and should have a chance to resolve it before I get involved. If they are unable or if they are the ones bringing forth the issue then I help them come up with a plan and we track it's progress and adjust the plan as needed. I do not normally need to act on small issues except to make sure they have been resolved. I like to build up my frontline leaders (CN's) and my Associate Manager...let them attempt to resolve because it builds respect from their team and the staff doesn't feel like I'm needed to solve every day-to-day issue. That way when I do have to act directly it makes for a feel of escalation.

I'm curious of what brought on your statement...more to the story, what evidence?

Larry

I feel your approach to allowing them manage the issues is a process of them being managed whether you think so or not. A nurse leaders presence is management in itself. This is why when a unit doesn't have a manager the scores plummet because of the lack of presence.

The point is brought on by what happens happens evidence is understood- how is it operationalized?

One more thing Larry77, people would rather understanding the manager rather than not- to my point they want to be managed.

Specializes in OB-Gyn/Primary Care/Ambulatory Leadership.

I think "staff want a leader/want to be led" would be a more accurate statement.

Same thing- semantics. Thanks for your comments.

Specializes in Critical Care.
Same thing- semantics. Thanks for your comments.

They're really two different things. To "manage" someone is to "control, exert power over" someone. Which probably isn't the most accurate way to describe current evidence based management recommendations.

Maybe it would help if you provided a more specific example of a problem you might recognize as a manager and how you are suggesting it be managed.

It's meant as managed in terms of management not control. You can start your own thread with an example.

Specializes in OB-Gyn/Primary Care/Ambulatory Leadership.
Same thing- semantics. Thanks for your comments.

No, they're really not the same thing. In fact, my husband, a nursing director, often tells me "Do you want to be a MANAGER or do you want to be a LEADER?"

That's a quote with a significant meaning but at the end of the day the nurse manager does manage people. Whether someone is a good leader is another topic of discussion.

Specializes in Critical Care.
That's a quote with a significant meaning but at the end of the day the nurse manager does manage people. Whether someone is a good leader is another topic of discussion.

Maybe it's not what you meant, but "managing people" better describes the old-school view on management. The more progressive view is that managers manage barriers to good care, problems, inefficiencies, etc in collaboration with staff, which is arguably different than managing people. For instance, you manage the barrier that prevented something from getting done, rather than managing the person who didn't do it.

Correct! MunoRN

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