Nursing is a diverse field that entails not only the provision of quality healthcare to patients, but also a host of administrative responsibilities.
Usually, nurses in leadership roles are known as nurse managers.
These professionals need much more than just relevant education and relevant nursing experience, but a variety of other skills as well.
These include critical thinking, problem-solving, effective communication, and empathy, which are required for leadership roles in any field.
As a nurse manager, you can become one of the most proficient professionals in the field with job security and financial incentives.
At present, roughly 86% of nurse managers are women, and the average age of a nurse manager is 46 years old.
These stats aside, being a nurse manager is much more than just these numbers.
It is primarily about leading a team of nurses through the challenges and opportunities in the field on a day-to-day basis.
This is one of the most critical duties of a nurse manager.
Here are some tips that you can use to manage your team of nurses effectively:
1. Upskilling your educational prowess
One of the most fundamental things a leader needs to command is the respect of their peers.
This doesn’t always mean having a higher educational degree than others, but it is something that can make a significant difference.
As a manager, a Doctor of Nursing Practice can help you get an edge in terms of learning and skills.
Fortunately, you can complete a DNP in nursing education online now.
With a DNP, you are much more equipped and well-versed not just in the field of nursing, but also in the area of leadership because of the relevant traits you obtain.
As part of the degree, you educate yourself about the fundamentals of advanced leadership with respect to complex healthcare practices and systems.
2. Focus on your communication techniques and skills
Low morale, nurse turnover, and avoidable medical blunders have all been linked to poor communication.
According to experts, low self-esteem amongst team members also contributes to high stress levels, a lack of job satisfaction, and a decline in quality of life.
The staff’s needs should be understood by new supervisors, who should also offer feedback.
To get a better grasp of organizational needs, managers should also ask their supervisors and staff nurses for their opinions.
Avoiding negative messages, adopting active listening techniques, paraphrasing statements for clarity, and using positive body language are all important aspects of communication.
3. Have a vision of your role
Don’t be scared to take calculated risks when acting in a leadership capacity.
Nurse Managers ought to be able to articulate their vision for change and lay out a strategy for getting things done.
Being a great visionary requires both self-awareness—the capacity to see one’s own strengths and weaknesses—and emotional intelligence—the capacity to perceive and comprehend the emotions of others.
The best alternative to nurse management leadership can be provided by nurses who have both abilities because they are committed to a larger vision rather than their own self-interest.
A common vision is shared by nurse managers who challenge the current quo, listen to others, and offer encouragement.
4. Make sure that you set a tone with your leadership
According to research conducted in 2017 by the private patient satisfaction company Press Ganey, nurse leaders have an impact on work conditions, patient outcomes, safety, and quality.
The report presented by the firm discovered that strong leadership enables organizations to improve in all areas, which is especially true for nursing as having these healthcare professionals organized and motivated translates to high-quality patient care.
Effective nurse leaders, according to researchers, offer transformational leadership, which promotes increased nurse autonomy and chances for professional development.
Patient outcomes improve when nurse leaders employ the right staffing and collaborate with their teams.
5. Work on your critical thinking skills
As part of their duties, nurse supervisors must be able to make choices and deal with issues.
Deductive reasoning, problem-solving, inference, analysis, and evaluation are all crucial components of critical thinking and play a significant part in decision-making as well as tackling challenges as and when they arise.
Indeed, critical thinking abilities are used by nurses in their daily work.
Strong critical thinking abilities can also have an impact on a unit as a whole, according to numerous studies.
Strong critical thinking abilities are essential for nurse managers who want to foster productive workplaces. Staff nurses provide superior care as a result.
6. Assume responsibilities as a mentor
Your job title may be Nurse Manager, but in order to be effective, you need to clearly understand the difference between a manager and a leader.
Reflect on your own educational and professional journey.
You can’t refer to every manager you’ve had through the years as a mentor.
This is because only a select few individuals can leave such an impression on your personality that you bestow them with this honor.
Be sure you become such a personality for the team you supervise.
Serving as a manager alone is not even nearly as efficient as being a true leader in spirit and action.
When you become an inspiration for others, you unintentionally motivate them to work harder and more selflessly.
And given that you are in the profession of helping others, there can’t be a better quality to inculcate in your team.
Conclusion
Management is a completely different domain than nursing.
They say everyone can become a manager, but not everyone is a leader.
This statement holds true in almost every profession, including nursing.
If you are only working to fulfill your job requirements and goals on a daily basis, you may continue with being a manager, but if you want to make an impact, there are additional steps that your role will require from you.
With nursing being one of the most benevolent professions in the world, a nurse manager has a greater responsibility on their shoulders.
The type of leadership qualities they exude will eventually determine not just the quality of healthcare patients receive from nurses in their team but will also facilitate individual growth and learning.
At the end of the day, being a great leader instead of a simple nurse manager will allow you to leave a deeper, more lasting impact.