Should Nurse Managers...

[ThePrincessBride]

I hear a lot of horror stories on this site about how nursing "management" is, well, lacking in desire in the eyes of many nurses. Recently, a university near me just began an combine MSN/MBA program. I have never heard of such a program before.

With all the complaints about poor management in the field of nursing, do you feel that people should be required to take management/business courses before becoming managers/staff nurses?

[rnccf2007, BSN, RN]

I am sure having knowledge of business and healthcare finance helps them do their jobs better. Since the avg staff nurse doesn't understand jack about healthcare finance, the fact that their boss does probably wouldn't impact or impress them much, lol. My guess is it is more valuable to them in the day to day performance of their job than a MSN in leadership or management, and probably more helpful career wise in the long run.

I would prefer to be the average "staff nurse that doesn't understand jack about healthcare finance...." However, I know too much about health care finance than I care to know. I became a nurse out a sense of alturism and the necessity to advocate for my patients. Many docs that I have talked to feel the same way and and discourage others from getting into the medical profession. What goes around comes around.

[madwife2002, BSN, RN]

I am a Nurse Manager with no business degree. It has been hard to manage the financial side of the job, for example productivity numbers, budget analysis, variance reports and some OT analysis. I had to learn very fast but a business degree would have been great.

The clinical side was no problem because my experience was so current.

[madwife2002, BSN, RN]

When my nurse manager can take my pt load and function fully, when she decides to be an advocate for the state laws she is bound to follow instead of being a mouthpiece for the Corporation and try to evade such laws every chance she has; when she wants to design processes that help us instead of using the monthly staff meeting to lecture and harangue us; I just MIGHT respect her.

I became a nurse manager in august last year I was promoted from within-what a shock never did I imagine how much work you have to do behind the scenes with finance and variances! The list is endless and I never finish my work ever! Which as a very competent nurse who rarely left work undone, caused me no end of stress until I realized that Managers never finish their work.

I am on call for emergencies 24/7

My office is never free from staff dropping in with problems and concerns-you might think you are the only staff member who is popping in but trust me my office is never empty. Then I have to decided what problem takes priority and what problem can wait. Some days my head is ready to explode and I just need to leave and go home and do hours of paperwork I have to complete or else the state will fine us or close us-so there is no choice it has to be done no discussion.

So then if you are not in your office 24 hours a day to see all staff members-staff become upset and say you are never there it is a vicious circle.

So in my opinion managers are like RNs there are some who manage their work effectively and some who dont

[mystory, BSN, RN]

You must be a very loved and respected nurse manager if your nurses are complaining when they don't see you. We all whisper "yes!" with the congruent closed-fist-elbow-jerk lol when we find out our nurse manager is out or left early. But she is particularly wicked.

Should nurse managers have business/administration education or training? Maybe. But I have another suggestion.

I think that it should be mandatory for nurse managers to do about 2 clinical shifts/month. On one particularly hectic day we were out 2 nurses. My nurse manager "helped" on the floor..about as helpful as pouring gasoline to extinguish a fire! She took less than half a pt load, but she still had us give all her meds and do the teaching when one of her pts needed EPS education. When she attempted computerized documentation we had to walk her through it over and over. would have been infinitely easier and quicker to do it all myself! She'll get respect once she gets a clue..