Obtaining first manager job

[veriteblesse]

I've been an RN for 5 years in a variety of roles, and am now working with the ultimate goal of transitioning into leadership. I would like to step into a managerial position in the next couple of years, and eventually work at director level or even become CNO. Due to having worked as a float pool member for a few years, I have no charge experience and have only been at my current job for less than a year (I just moved to a new state last year).

I am attempting to transform myself into a leader. I'm obtaining my MSN in Leadership and Management, reading books by Stephen Covey and Simon Sinek, and I received my Six Sigma Green Belt. I've also taken on the role of stroke liaison in my department, reviewing charts, educating fellow nurses on proper documentation, and counseling team members when documentation errors occur. I will begin training to be relief charge in 1 or 2 months, and will finish my MSN next summer.

In my experience, managers of a unit are typically long-term charge nurses that are promoted. In my unit, the current charge nurses are not going anywhere, and I have no interest in waiting years to be promoted. What are some other things that I can start working on now to make myself a viable managerial candidate? I'd strongly prefer to stay in a hospital setting as acute care is where my heart is, and I am passionate about hospital quality and operations, but have been advised that getting managerial experience in an outpatient or skilled nursing setting may be easier.

I'd love to hear any suggestions or advice. I'd also love to hear how you obtained your first leadership role.

Thank you!​​

[Orca, ADN, ASN, RN]

Education is a wonderful thing, but without actual supervisory experience, it is nothing more than words from a book. Only direct experience will prepare you for many of the things that you will encounter as a supervisor or manager. If that avenue is cut off with your current employer, I would seek other opportunities. Prospective employers will look at your education, but they will also be interested in what you have done with it.

[klone, MSN, RN]

A good way of getting your foot in the door to gaining leadership experience is if you can get a house supervisor position.

[SummerGarden, BSN, MSN, RN]

I'd love to hear any suggestions or advice. I'd also love to hear how you obtained your first leadership role.

An entry level nurse leader only needs clinical work experience, leadership experience in the work place, and a BSN. Thus, in addition to the above posters' advice, I think you should spend the next year networking. Specifically, join hospital-based committees (Is the stroke liaison position one where you can talk to others outside of your unit? If not, join another committee too) and local nursing organizations to meet and greet the hiring managers/decision makers as well as others in your professional nursing world.

[macrina]

I am just starting to get into this world and have been the route you mentioned: Charge RN for my unit and asked to apply to an open leadership position because of management and colleagues observing traits and skills in me that lend themselves to the position. Part of what I have done is being proactive in ferreting out problems in the workplace, utilizing appropriate chain of command but also taking initiative with co-workers to solve problems and self-educate as we are able. Being willing to take on extra responsibilities is also key, I think. If you are still in a float position, I would recommend applying for the first stable position you can then jumping into it. In my experience, anyway, building stable work relationships is how this kind of flow is possible. That's harder to do as a float.