Nurse Unit manager

[bubbles64]

Hi, I need to ask my fellow collegues for some advice.

I'm currently an Associate Unit manager just moved from the medical ward to the surgical ward (for my international collegues this means I'm in charge of the ward on my shift but still anwser to the unit manager)

Anyway the unit manager on the ward is stepping down in June moving towards retirement at the end of the year. While the unit manager was away on long service leave i was thrown in to her position as i had no training it was a challenge but i did get through it although very exhausted at the end. I usually have excellent time management skills but found this position demanding and never had time for a break (morning tea, lunch or bathroom) due to the work load and ever increasing questions from fellow staff members.

My dilema lies with management who are now i feel pushing me in to taking up this position when it becomes vacant and i do not know what to do.

1: I don't know if i have the skills as i have been on the medical ward for five years.

2: Is it for there convenience as management treat the unit manager on the medical ward appallingly and i'm not very assertive will they do the same to me.

3: I could never fit into to the UM's shoes and would like to run things diffrently.

So should i apply or should i just sit back and continue on with my current position.

Bubbles64:nurse:

[RN1989]

You are going to have to figure out this one for yourself.

From experience I can tell you that if you are going to be a good manager you will probably continue to work hard, go without lunch, bathroom breaks, etc. You will spend more time at work than you did as a staff nurse. The staff will be looking to you to work harder than they do. The administration will be wanting you to do things that you know will not work or are wrong. You will be caught between administration and staff most of the time. You will be the scapegoat when things go wrong on the unit or when the unit is not meeting the expectations of the administration.

You want to change things because you believe you could improve them. That is very noble but you will probably find that you will not change things much. The new manager is always compared to the old one and nurses hate to change. They often will fight you every step of the way, even if the change you propose will be better for them in the long run.

Yes, administration will treat you badly. Medical units are always treated the worst. Medical units have higher acuity patients that need lots of care yet the income that those type of illnesses bring to the hospital are not enough to offset the true cost of their care. The medical unit almost always runs in the red and admin. hates this. There is this fine line of being assertive to prevent admin (and staff) from running over you while still keeping your job.

You sound like you have a good head on your shoulders or you would not have the concerns you mentioned. I believe you can do this job. The question is - How hard do you want to work and fight? How long can you keep up the good fight? Being a manager is much more stressful than a staff job. And being a good manager, that is even harder than being a mediocre or bad manager. Look at your heart. Be realistic about what you are facing and decide if you are ready to tackle it. If so - good luck. If not - work on making things great in your own sphere of influence.