Would you hire an ED director with no ER experience

[hollydoll]

would you hire an ER director with no ER nursing experience? why not? what if this person was the only apllicant for the job?

[llg, PhD, RN]

I have seen successful managers of departments who did not have clinical experience -- but it has to be handled just right.

For example: One model is to have 2 "managers" -- one that handles the business side of things and another that oversees the delivery of care. While clinical expertise is needed to oversee the care, the business manager needs expertise in other areas (patient coding, supplly management, budget management, etc.) Another model is to have a Director who focuses on the business side of things and the "big picture" and a Manager (or a group of Coordinators, etc.) who manages the day-to-day operational issues and oversee patient care.

One of the problems we have historically had in nursing is that we expect our Managers to be "all things to all people" -- and that is not realistic in the complex world of today's health care environment. No one can realistically be experts in all aspects of running a big complex unit. We have to acknowledge that it takes more than one person to adequately do the job -- and focus on building a team of leaders rather than expecting 1 super-human to do everything perfectly. Once you realize that you need a successful team of leaders rather than 1 perfect person, then you realize that it works best if each member of the team brings different talents and experiences to the workplace.

Yes, it is an advantage if everyone on the leadership team has at least SOME experience with the type of care provided. But we need to be flexible enough to allow a little room for variation among the leadership team members and not cling rigidly to the old-fashioned image of the clinical expert becoming the "head nurse." Some clinical experts make lousy managers -- and some great managers don't have a lot of clinical skills -- and some great managers can successfully manage a unit in which they have minimal experience. I've seen it done with the right support from their colleagues.

llg

[hollydoll]

I think others have weighed in enough on the first question you pose, but I am just wondering why there is an ER Director position out there that hasn't attracted even one application from an ER nurse. What methods are you using for advertising the opening?

there was only one inhouse applicant and the job was only advertised for 2 weeks

[cenwesttxnurse]

I have worked with Managers who were ED nurses first and managers who were not. I was most impressed with the one's who were ED nurses. They were able to "feel our pain" and the best manager I ever had was one who could literally run circles around any one of us at any given time. She went to bat for us whenever there were issues with rude neuro surgeons for example and if we were running ourselves silly she put on her duty shoes and got her hands dirty with the rest of us. The best leaders are the one's who have been there and done that!

Just my opinion.