Career Overview

A nurse manager is the individual that is responsible for services to patients as well as the staffing of the shift, management of supplies and budgets and working within the senior management team of the hospital, clinic or long-term care facility. A nurse manager may still have some hands on treatment of patients but generally they will focus their efforts on ensuring that the staff is trained and able to properly care for the patients in their charge.

Nurse managers must be able to be flexible, empathetic and supportive while still maintaining leadership and following policies and procedures. A nurse manager must be able to resolve any conflicts as well as delegate responsibilities to other nurses and medical staff. Working as part of a team the nurse manager has to be able to communicate concerns as well as positives and improvements that have occurred on the shift or ward. The nurse manager is responsible for reporting to senior administration, developing and sticking to a budget, as well as monitoring inventory and ordering supplies.

In smaller hospitals, clinics and care facilities the nurse manager may have the same role as a nurse administrator, whereas in larger hospitals the nurse manager may be in charge of a specific unit or ward and a nursing administrator may oversee several nursing managers and their respective areas.

Nursing managers may be required to plan staff trainings and complete job evaluations for staff on a regular basis. The often plan the shifts and are responsible for maintaining a list of on-call staff to fill in when other staff members are not at work. The nurse manager will often assist new staff in familiarizing themselves with the job requirements as well as ensuring that new staff is adequately trained.

Career Requirements

The level of education for a nurse manager can vary from a Doctorate program to a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Both programs should have a focus on management and administration of medical centers. In addition the nurse should have some experience at different nursing positions within the hospital. It is not essential for the nurse to have a lot of seniority for them to be an effective manager, but it is often beneficial if they understand the daily stress and expectations that patient care involves.

Most nurse managers are credentialed and maintain current certification through the American Nurses Credentialing Center. There is also a specialized association for nurses in management and administrative positions in the United States. More information on this organization can be found below.

American Organization of Nurse Executives
One N. Franklin, 34th Floor
Chicago, Illinois
60606

Job Outlook

It is estimated that there will continue to be a shortage of trained and skilled nurses in hospitals across the United States, and that the number of management level nurses will continue to decrease as the number of patients in hospitals increases. The demand for administrative nurses will continue to increase as hospitals, out patient treatment, clinics and long-term care facilities increase the number of patients that are cared for per year.

In addition there is a growing trend for nurses to remain in the career shorter periods of time. This means that there are less experienced nurses on the floor and this can, in turn, lead to a decrease in the number of experienced nurses trained for upper management positions. While age is not the sole determining factor in the decision to become a nurse administrator, experience often is.

Career Track

A nurse manager has several options to consider after they have completed their training. Many nurse managers choose to work for larger hospitals where the opportunity to work from a smaller shift or ward to a larger unit or even facility management position is greater.

Some nursing managers prefer to stay in smaller facilities where they are more independent in the management of the staff and patient care. Smaller facilities often provide the nurse manager the ability to stay in close contact with both staff and patients to ensure the best possible care is provided and that staff are satisfied with their careers and feel supported and appreciated by management.

Compensation

A nurse manager is an important and critical part of the shift, unit staff or effective operation of the facility. The compensation for nurse managers varies depending on the number of staff that is being supervised, the number of patients being cared for on the unit, the size of the budget and the overall experience of the nurse manager. It is not uncommon for a nurse manager to make over $80,000 per year plus bonuses, and for that salary to increase if they are given additional duties or staff.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that nursing salaries will continue to rise and increase faster than most other professions at least until the year 2008. With the current average salary for Head Nurses at $78, 247 and the trend for salaries increasing the next few years averages will run close to $85,000 by the year 2008.