What are the Challenges a Nurse Manager May Face?

Nursing teams are led by nurse managers.

A nurse manager needs to find a balance between the needs of the nursing staff and the needs of the healthcare facility.

It can be a demanding task, and nurse managers must be able to overcome all obstacles that they face along the way.

The first thing a nurse manager must take care of is adequate training of the nursing staff.

Also, a nurse manager must ensure that all units have enough people to be able to do the job.

But, in reality, many nurse managers are trying to resolve the issues related to understaffing.

If the staff is overwhelmed with the workload, they can report to the nurse manager, and then he or she must come with the solution.

A nurse manager can talk with the floating staff or staffing office, gather nurses from their day off, ask and approve overtime working hours, etc.

When the staff is overwhelmed the frustration may rise and staff may express frustration directly to the nurse manager.

Another job duty of a nurse manager is to motivate the staff and keep them engaged and committed to everyday work.

The nursing job can be demanding, and when nurses have a so-called burnout, a nurse manager must provide extra support.

Things such as staff meetings or interesting team building activities can help in lifting team spirit and motivation.

A nurse manager is a leader of the nursing team, and he or she must help implement new policies, procedures, and changes from the upper management.

A nurse manager must ensure that implementation must be smooth and comprehensive.

But it can be challenging, because some of the staff may be reluctant to change politics.

It is when a nurse manager may introduce further education, training, and if it is necessary, a discipline.

Introducing discipline for the staff is one of the most challenging tasks a nurse manager must perform.

Staff and their leader can develop close relationships and friendships, and having to discipline someone can be extremely difficult for a nurse manager.

But, in those situations, leaders must think about the bigger picture and leave their personal aspirations on the side and follow the staff, organizations, and patients’ best interests.

A nurse manager must be able to introduce discipline and make sure that the staff doesn’t take it personally.

Both sides will experience challenges in the process, but they have to keep in mind positive outcomes and a bigger picture.

Nurse managers have challenging tasks when it comes to meeting the needs of organizations.

There are strict metrics and federal requirements to follow.

They can work under pressure on the performance measures, and need for improvement.

Nurse managers might ask staff to help them, and introduce coaching and other methods for education toward goal achievement.

Dealing with the budget and expenses is never an easy task.

For nurse managers, it includes keeping the costs down, resources full, and staffing satisfied.

Again, the balance can be hard to accomplish, and nurse managers often work on continuous improvement of the work efficiency, cutting the coss, and following the moto – Doing more with less.

A job of a nurse manager is quite challenging.

There are pressures from all sides – staff and upper management, and the balance isn’t always easy to achieve.

But, the nurse manager must always optimize the organization, patient and staff need to be able to do their job properly.

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