What is the most important role of a nurse manager?

Use this Nurse Manager job description to advertise your vacancies and find qualified candidates. Feel free to modify responsibilities and requirements based on your needs.

Nurse Manager responsibilities include:

  • Hiring and training new staff members
  • Supervising staff during shifts
  • Creating a budget for the department

Job brief

We are looking for a Nurse Manager to join our team and help train our existing nursing staff, as well as aid our team in hiring new staff members as needed.

Nurse Manager responsibilities include setting the standard of care in the healthcare facility, managing department budgets and providing support for Nurses as needed.

Ultimately, you will work with Nurses in your department to ensure they are trained as needed and supervise new hires throughout your shift.

Responsibilities

  • Create goals and objectives for the department or facility and make sure they are met by the staff
  • Communicate with staff and department heads
  • Keep and organize records of the particular facility 
  • Recruit and train nurses and other health professionals
  • Create work schedules for nurses
  • Ensure the facility is compliant with current laws
  • Improve the quality and efficiency of the level of care delivered to patients

Requirements and skills

  • Proven work experience as a Nurse Manager or similar role
  • Excellent verbal and written communication
  • Strong attention to detail
  • Ability to work with a variety of health care professionals and patients
  • Extensive clinical skills for specific units
  • Ability to lead and motivate others
  • Relevant training and/or certifications as a Nurse Manager

Frequently asked questions

What does a Nurse Manager do?

A Nurse Manager is responsible for managing the human and financial resources of their nursing unit to ensure patient satisfaction while maintaining a safe environment for staff members.

What are the duties and responsibilities of a Nurse Manager?

Nurse Managers plan, monitor and evaluate staff work schedules to ensure optimum customer service while also overseeing the department’s budget.

What makes a good Nurse Manager?

A good Nurse Manager must have excellent critical thinking skills to analyze, evaluate and solve various problems in their nursing department. They also need to have good communication skills since they will work with many Nurses throughout their shift.

Who does a Nurse Manager work with?

A Nurse Manager works with and supervises all Nurses in their department to ensure all employees offer high-quality patient care throughout their shift.

The nurse manager's role in creating a healthy work environment

K Whiley. AACN Clin Issues. 2001 Aug.

Abstract

The role of nurse manager of an acute or critical care unit is one of the most difficult roles in healthcare today. This individual must juggle patient care issues, staff concerns, medical staff relationships, supply inadequacies, and organizational initiatives--and then balance all of this with a personal life. The only way in which any of this is remotely possible is if the patient care unit provides a supportive environment for patients, families, and staff. The nurse manager is a pivotal person in this effort: research repeatedly shows that people don't leave their jobs, they leave their managers. This article describes how the nurse manager of an acute neurosciences unit worked with her staff to define, create, and maintain a work environment in which patient care improved, people enjoyed working, and retention of staff increased.

Similar articles

  • Leadership and nurse retention: the pivotal role of nurse managers.

    Anthony MK, Standing TS, Glick J, Duffy M, Paschall F, Sauer MR, Sweeney DK, Modic MB, Dumpe ML. Anthony MK, et al. J Nurs Adm. 2005 Mar;35(3):146-55. doi: 10.1097/00005110-200503000-00008. J Nurs Adm. 2005. PMID: 15761312

  • Power sharing. A transformational strategy for nurse retention, effectiveness, and extra effort.

    Trofino J. Trofino J. Nurs Leadersh Forum. 2003 Winter;8(2):64-71. Nurs Leadersh Forum. 2003. PMID: 14997687 Review.

  • Quality focus of the first line nurse manager and relationship to unit outcomes.

    Lageson C. Lageson C. J Nurs Care Qual. 2004 Oct-Dec;19(4):336-42. doi: 10.1097/00001786-200410000-00009. J Nurs Care Qual. 2004. PMID: 15535539

  • Facilitating the retention of experienced critical care nurses: a survey report on what matters most.

    Alspach G. Alspach G. Crit Care Nurse. 2007 Oct;27(5):12-9. Crit Care Nurse. 2007. PMID: 17901454 No abstract available.

  • Nursing in the dark: leadership support for night staff.

    Claffey C. Claffey C. Nurs Manage. 2006 May;37(5):41-4; quiz 51. doi: 10.1097/00006247-200605000-00010. Nurs Manage. 2006. PMID: 16651902 Review. No abstract available.

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What makes a great nurse manager?

Motivate and empower staff. The effective nurse manager is involved with the nursing staff on all levels, welcomes their input, and works with them to ensure excellence, create autonomy, and increase job satisfaction and opportunities for advancement.

Which is the most important skill of the nurse leader?

A nurse leader must be equipped with top-notch communication skills to maximize success across the board. Effective communication can encourage collaboration among members of all levels and positions in the health care sector.

What is the most consistent concern of the nurse manager?

The most consistent concern of the nurse as manager is not to develop long-range ca- reer goals, maintain harmony within the agency, or organize subordinates to meet agency goals. Although having long-range career goals is a good idea for the nurse man- ager, it is not a day-to-day concern.

What are the five major management functions for nurses?

Nursing Management: Organizing, Staffing, Scheduling, Directing & Delegation.