Which Job to take?

Havin' A Party!, ASN, RN · Jun 11, 2013

Good news for you! Pick either and it'll be the right choice.

Both can offer you tremendous learning opportunities for your future goal.

Good luck!

silverbat · Jun 11, 2013

For me it would depend on: How much experience you have in nursing. If you are a new nurse then the house sup position would be hard to do, and even the Assistant nurse manager might be tough if you are really new. If you have experience then either would assist towards your future goal.

kayern · Jun 28, 2013

Both will probably prepare you and assist in achieving your goal as CNO. You say nothing about the ANM hospital other than an ideal location. Is that hospital a Magnet institution, is there room for growth and development as an ANM? My advice is go for the ANM position. Learn as much as you can, then if there is room for growth, try being an Nurse Manager. CNO is a huge responsibility and I believe you need a good solid foundation upon which to build on. Good luck

Larry77, RN · Jul 6, 2013

In the hospital's I've worked in the House Supervisor position is not a natural stepping stone to any management position. They are operation based, not management based meaning they do not have direct reports but do have a supervisory position in operations. I'm sure transitioning to management from House Supervisor can be done but the skills would not be very helpful in my opinion. I have not seen Supervisors working a lot on quality measures, policies, or hiring etc. If they have an issue with a staff member they call HR and the Manager (or Assoc Manager) to handle it...

I obviously vote to go for the Assoc Manager position as this is an easier transition to Manager then Director then CNO...

samswim4 · Jul 10, 2013

If you are looking to move up the management ladder, I would highly recommend the ANM position. That position will give you the opportunity to lead staff and also will give you the opportunity to learn what it takes to manage a unit, ie. staffing, budgeting, staff conflicts.

Good luck!

cjcsoon2bnp, MSN, RN, NP · Jul 17, 2013

I also wonder what support you have in each position from other senior management. In the ANM position you will likely have a Nurse Manager to whom you report and a Director (of Critical Care or Inpatient Services etc.) and you need to know if you are on the same wavelength with them and that you share some common goals for growth and development of the department. In the Supervisor position you will probably be reporting directly to the Director of Nursing or CNO and will be managing multiple departments but most likely will not be directly involved in hiring, budgeting and policy formation. I think that both positions will help you develop critical management skills but the ANM position most likely will help you to "climb the latter".

!Chris :specs:

Orca, ADN, ASN, RN · Jul 17, 2013

In the hospital's I've worked in the House Supervisor position is not a natural stepping stone to any management position. They are operation based, not management based meaning they do not have direct reports but do have a supervisory position in operations. I'm sure transitioning to management from House Supervisor can be done but the skills would not be very helpful in my opinion. I have not seen Supervisors working a lot on quality measures, policies, or hiring etc. If they have an issue with a staff member they call HR and the Manager (or Assoc Manager) to handle it...
I obviously vote to go for the Assoc Manager position as this is an easier transition to Manager then Director then CNO...

This makes perfect sense to me. I have worked with some wonderful house supervisors, but it seems that most of their responsibilities revolve around acute crisis management. Not that this kind of experience isn't valuable, and it might give you insights that you wouldn't get otherwise. It simply doesn't seem to be as direct a route to your ultimate goal as the assistant manager position.

Havin' A Party!, ASN, RN · Jul 18, 2013

Nurses can make a manager without floor supervisory experience look pretty dumb... and out of touch. Not a good thing for a manager.

Believe both types of experience would be excellent.

Good luck!

icu__rn · Jul 27, 2013

Thanks for all the input. Everyone had some great ideas and perspectives. I chose the house supervisor position due to the responsibilities of the position and the professional character of upper management and executives. I have been at the new location for three weeks and I have enjoyed each day. I do have an effect on policy. Every new policy or change is reviewed by all levels of administration. I am also involved with hiring new employees, firing, and quality measures within the hospital. The facility is small so maybe that's why there are more responsibilities. I don't mind cause I'm a team player and it's a opportunity for me to learn more. After holding this position for a couple years where should be my next step......Nurse Manager or Director?

Orca, ADN, ASN, RN · Jul 27, 2013

After holding this position for a couple years where should be my next step......Nurse Manager or Director?

I'm glad that you found something you like. However, if your eye is already on your next move, you won't get as much out of this position as you should. Ambition is a good thing, but if it is all-consuming, you're not on the right path. Learn as you go, and see what opportunities open up along the way. It might be something you never imagined. It is possible to be too focused in terms of career opportunities.

icu__rn · Jul 27, 2013

I'm glad that you found something you like. However, if your eye is already on your next move, you won't get as much out of this position as you should. Ambition is a good thing, but if it is all-consuming, you're not on the right path. Learn as you go, and see what opportunities open up along the way. It might be something you never imagined. It is possible to be too focused in terms of career opportunities.

Point taken. I just like planning things out.