According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, there are nearly 5 million registered nurses (RNs) nationwide. It is the largest healthcare profession in the country, making up a majority of the workforce.
Nurses are often described as the backbone of healthcare provision in the United States. This is because nurses are often the first point of contact and primary care provider for many people, especially in areas facing healthcare workforce shortages and inequity.
Despite the importance of the role, however, nurses are often mismanaged and overworked. Studies reveal that the nursing workforce faces many challenges leading to burnout and high levels of stress, such as unrealistic workloads, insufficient resources, and more.
If you work in healthcare as a manager, keeping up to date with the latest leadership strategies in nursing will help you become the best manager you can be. It’ll also help you foster a positive environment for your team of nurses, reducing stress and burnout.
If you’re looking for strategies to effectively manage your nursing staff, this article is for you. It’s a guide covering the qualities of why nursing is important, the qualities of a good nursing manager, and how to improve your leadership skills.
Why are nurses important?
Before delving into how to effectively manage your nursing staff, it’s critical to understand why the profession is important. Learning more about the role can help you better appreciate your staff, fostering a positive work environment and mutual respect.
Nurses are important because they’re the beating heart of healthcare. They play a vital role in providing direct care to every age range, demographic, and field of health. The profession also plays a critical role in:
- Patient advocacy
- Health literacy and education
- Preventative care
- Public health and policies
There are also many nurses providing primary care in rural and remote parts of the United States, replacing doctors in areas experiencing shortages. Specializations, like nurse practitioners, have an expanded scope of practice, allowing for higher levels of care.
Without nurses, the country’s healthcare system will fall apart, which we’re starting to see now. The United States is currently grappling with a national nursing crisis, which is impacting the quality of care and health outcomes.
Nursing & the future of healthcare
It’s currently estimated that the United States will need approximately 3 million more nurses to fix its extreme shortage. There is a range of factors contributing to this shortage, some of which can be fixed on a management level. These include:
- Aging workforce
- Emotional burnout
- Low pay
- Unattractive working conditions
- Unreasonable workload
- Violence in healthcare settings
Many of these issues have also been exacerbated by COVID-19. Research shows that nurses experienced unprecedented levels of burnout during the pandemic. This led many nurses, especially younger nurses, to leave the profession.
Similarly, the pandemic also contributed to unattractive working conditions and resulted in higher violence in healthcare settings. COVID-19 intensified workplace violence against healthcare workers, which exacerbated the psychological challenges the staff face.
More than ever, it’s important that nursing leaders know how to effectively manage their nursing staff. While it won’t fix the shortage, it can contribute to the solution by improving burnout, improving working conditions, and reducing the workload.
Effective management is also important for improving retention, which is crucial for the future of the nursing workforce. Currently, the United States is facing multiple healthcare crises and deficits, which will require more nurses. These crises are:
- An aging population: The number of Americans aged 65 and older is projected to increase from 58 million to 82 million by 2050. They will require nurses to provide primary care and manage complex, usually multiple, health conditions.
- The mental health crisis: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has announced that the United States is facing a mental health crisis, especially among young people. Statistics estimate that more than one in five U.S. adults lives with a mental health condition, and suicide rates are increasing.
- The vaccination crisis: American vaccination rates have also been declining, especially among children, resulting in a public health crisis. Refusing to vaccinate has led to the outbreak of once ‘eradicated’ diseases, like measles, resulting in needless deaths.
Nurses are essential to overcoming these crises by providing direct support, patient education, and promoting awareness. Similarly, the profession will be crucial for overcoming gaps in the current healthcare system, such as affordability and access.
How to be a good manager
Nursing leaders play a vital role in shaping the nursing work environment. Their actions, thoughts, and behaviors have a direct impact on shaping organizational culture, policies, and practices.
According to a recent Critical Care Nurse Work Environment Study, good leadership fosters a healthy work environment for nursing staff. This can then lead to a reduced chance of moral distress and burnout, improving their overall well-being and job satisfaction.
If you’re looking to become an effective manager and create a positive environment for your nursing staff, we recommend:
- Embracing open communication: Almost one-third of the nurses who responded to the American Nurses Foundation 2022 Workplace Survey said their organization could improve by listening and responding to their feedback and needs. If you want to be a good manager, listening to feedback, implementing informed solutions, and encouraging open communication are crucial.
- Promoting a healthy work-life balance: There is a mountain of literature on the negative impact of heavy nurse workloads. If you want to effectively manage your team, promote a healthy work-life balance. This will lead to higher levels of job satisfaction, a better work environment, and promote emotional and physical well-being.
- Providing support services: Current studies reveal that many nurses perceive that their working environments offer a lack of support. Providing support services, such as free mental health counseling and stress reduction classes, can help increase employee morale and reduce the risk of burnout.
- Offering ongoing learning opportunities: Providing ongoing learning opportunities, whether it be formal or informal, can improve the appeal of your working environment. It also helps improve the skills of your nursing staff and makes them feel more valued.
- Acting as a role model: Most importantly, to be an effective manager, you need to lead by example. You should display the strong work ethic and positive attributes that you expect from your team.
- Advocating for your staff: Being an effective manager isn’t just about how to handle your staff; it’s also essential to advocate for them. Nurses often struggle with unfair workplace practices, understaffing, and a lack of resources. Championing for them is crucial for improving these factors.
The qualities of a nursing leader
In any field, management should lead by example and demonstrate the qualities of good leadership. Below are several characteristics and qualities that would define an effective nursing leader.
- Empathy
- Critical thinking
- Strong Communication
- Mentorship skills
- Cultural competence
- Technical skills
- Effective team building
- Patient care
If you’re a nursing leader and you don’t identify with some of the qualities, that’s okay. No one is born with the traits that make a good leader; they are learned over time. These qualities can be attained over time through lifelong learning and professional development.
