Clinical Nurse Manager Research Paper
I’ve had the privilege of working in the medical field for eight years as a
certified nurse assistant. During my course of employment in various units I have
worked under several different managers, some have been amazing and exemplary,
others less so. During times of frustration, I have found myself wondering at times if
I could do a better job running a nurse unit than some my superiors, so when I was
asked to research a career path for my business 1010 class I knew immediately
what my choice would be.
Job Description
A nurse manager’s typical responsibilities are numerous and span over
multiple faucets. Their daily tasks include managing the nursing staff and ensuring
they provide quality patient care, staffing schedules and needs, conflict resolution,
maintaining clinical staff education, and hiring/training new personnel. Nurse
managers are also responsible for maintaining a yearly budget, ensuring the unit is
compliant with state and federal requirements, and ensuring the staff maintain
professional standards (Villanova University, 2015). An effective nurse manager
must be an independent thinker, have good decision making skills, and excellent
communication skills.
General Career Path
A typical career path for a nurse manager would be to work as a nurse for a
while to gain experience and refine their necessary skill set. Then an RN would
move into the role of a charge nurse, they run the unit for that specific shift. After
gaining experience in a nurse leadership role the next step is an assistant manager,
if the unit has them, or clinical educator, then onto the role of a nurse manager
(University Alliance, 2015). While there is not a set standard, the majority of
manager positions prefer a year or two of previous management experience.
General Education Experience
Nurse managers are required to have a valid nursing license that is in good
standing. In order to obtain a license one must complete an accredited registered
nurse program, which is a two-year associate’s degree. After completion of the
education program the student must pass their state exam called the NCLEX. While
there is not a national standard for the education level of a nurse manager, the
majority of facilities require managers to have a bachelor’s degree in nursing as
well. The completion of a bachelor’s degree for a nurse entails two more years in an
accredited program, which covers more nursing theory and some business
background. A nurse manager who is wanting to move up and become a Chief
Nursing Officer (CNO) or even some directorships require additional education
requirements in the form of a master’s degree. The master’s degree can be in varied
fields such as; nursing, business, or a nurse practitioner (Morgan, 2015)
Average Salary
The average salary of a nurse manager varies from state to state, with the
salary being negotiable depending on the experience of the manager. That being
said, the national average salary is $74,687 per year. Managers with a year or two of
experience can expect to make roughly $55,000 annually, while managers with ten
plus years of experience can expect an annual salary around $101,000 (Healthcaresalaries, 2015). Some of the highest paying states for a nurse manager are
California, New York, and Massachusetts, while the lowest paying states are
generally in the south, such as, Mississippi and Arkansas. Specialty services,
emergency department, surgical services, psychiatric, etc, require additional skill
sets that are learned on the job and therefore are paid a higher annual wage
(payscale.com, 2015).
Career Outlook
The demand for healthcare services is expected to increase over the next
decade due to an aging population and people remaining more active in their later
years of life. That means the demand for nurses and more importantly, nurse
managers, is also expected to increase. Nurse manager positions are projected to
grow 23% throughout the year 2022 (BLS, 2014). That amount of growth is
significantly higher than the average growth rate for most professions and therefore
is considered to be a stable and desirable field.
Bio of Nurse Manager
I interviewed Brent Klev RN, BSN, MBA; he is a manager at South Jordan
Medical Center. Brent has been the operating room manager now for two years and
under his leadership the South Jordan facility has gone from operating two to three
days a week up to five days a week. They had a record caseload last month and are
set to break that again this month. Brent gets very excited when he talks about his
unit’s success and it’s hard not to see how passionate he is about what he does.
Brent grew up wanting to be a police officer. Life happened and he found
himself working in the operating room as a health care assistant, from there he went
to school and became a scrub technician. He really enjoyed being a scrub and the
attention to detail that position commands but he wanted to provide more for his
family. He went back to school and became a nurse, working in the operating room
and emergency department for three years before becoming a charge nurse.
Working in that position sparked his interest in more challenges and the possibility
of management.
Brent’s favorite part of being a manager is the problem solving process. He
likes working through the challenges and seeing the results pay off. He enjoys the
logistics involved with budgets and planning for future expansion. His least favorite
task is dealing with conflict though he says that is the nature of the beast and he
wishes that there would be fewer meetings although he doesn’t see that ever
happening.
Pros and Cons
There are many benefits to being a nurse manager, one being they set the
standard and expectations for their unit. They mentor their subordinates and foster
healthy working conditions within their unit. Managers truly have the ability to
make their unit their own and run with it. Coupled with a strong benefit package
and the potential for an annual bonus, the career is very appealing to some
(Cipriano, 2011).
One negative side of management is they are the middleman between their
staff and upper management. It is a fine line to walk, trying to support and validate
your employees all the while fulfilling the expectations of administration. A nurse
manager also spends a good deal of time in meetings and must stay on top of new
healthcare regulations and laws that affect their unit. Nurse managers also do not
receive any formal orientation or training to all of the job tasks assigned to them.
(DeSantis Ringer, 2004). Meaning there is a steep learning curve with every new
position they take.
My ‘Fit’ In The Career
After all of the research I have conducted, a career as a nurse manager would
be a great path, just not for me. I think the salary and job security sounds wonderful
but there is little time, if any, for patient care as a nurse manager. I enjoy taking care
of patients and the variety that comes with interacting with different people
throughout the day and hearing their stories. I also am not interested in the stress
level that comes with being a manager. I like responsibility and being in a role of
leadership but I also like leaving my work at the door and being able to enjoy my
time at home. I tend to be an emotional person by nature and I don’t think that is a
good quality for a manager to have. An effective manager leads with a level head at
all times and inspires their peers and subordinates to put forth their best effort.
That doesn’t happen with an emotional leader, I’ve seen and experienced it first
hand.
Ultimately I feel that I would not enjoy the career of a nurse manager as
much as I would hope and therefore I would not be a very effective leader and that
impacts patient care. The quality of healthcare increases hand in hand with the
happiness of the staff who provide that care. I would be better off finding another
career path tat allows me to better serve my community.
Works Cited
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook
Handbook, 2014-15 Edition, Medical and Health Services Managers, on the
Internet at http://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/medical-and-health-servicesmanagers.htm
Cipriano, P. (2011). Move up to the role of nurse manager. American Nurse Today, 6
(3).
Clinical Nurse Manager Salary (United States), PayScale, INC, Retrieved March 20,
2015, from www.payscale.com/research/US/job=Clinical_Nurse_Manager/Salary
DeSantis Ringler, R. (2004, March 22). The path to success for nurse managers.
Retrieved from http://news.nurse.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2004403220351
Job outlook for registered nurses. (n.d.). Retrieved March 1, 2015, from
www.villanovau.com/resources/nursing/registered-nurse-rn-job-description/
Morgan, L. Nurse manager requirements. Hearst Newspaper, LLC, Retrieved
February 1, 2015, from http://work.chron.com/nurse-manager-requirements14606.html
Nurse manager salary. Retrieved April 10, 2015, from www.healthcaresalaries.com/nursing/nurse-manager-salary