How do you feel about non-nursing professionals managing or directing nursing units or departments? While all of my direct superiors have been nurses (Managers, Executive Directors), I am considering employment with a healthcare organization who utilizes professionals with business degrees or health sciences degrees (with health care management experience) as Directors of nursing departments.
I'm sure they are quite capable , but I worry that the voice of the nurse may be lost or quieted. There are issues specific to the nursing profession that need to be considered whenever creating patient care policies or practices, creating protocols, revising health system processes, etc.
So does the converse hold true? Would people here refuse to work in a non-nursing department that was run by a nurse?
Why wouldn't the converse hold true? This is a matter of practicality, not of egos. For example, I wouldn't work in a corporate accounting department where the person in charge was a nurse with no accounting experience.
Specializes in Cardiology, Cardiothoracic Surgical.
I've had a few non-nurse managers at the clinic I used to work at, and they are a big reason of why I left and went back to the hospital. They would tell patients things that were medically not true, or react inappropriately in emergent situations. They might be great people, but yeah, I'm never working as a nurse under a non-nurse again. Too many fires I had to put out.
Specializes in Psych, Corrections, Med-Surg, Ambulatory.
If the managers/directors of the nursing department were Not Nurses, I would imagine that the situation would devolve into the staff having to call each other Associatesâ€, and start wearing Hotel-esque attire, as well as making sure that the patients got the spa†experience.
Yes, but the spiffy lanyard would make it all worthwhile.
The tiny bit of karma where the stowaway loses his toes to frostbite fascinates me. PS: You can bring up McMurdo Station on weather. com. It's a balmy +2 right now.....
Susie2310
2,121 Posts
Why wouldn't the converse hold true? This is a matter of practicality, not of egos. For example, I wouldn't work in a corporate accounting department where the person in charge was a nurse with no accounting experience.