Nurse Managers


About

Exploring this Job

There are many ways to learn more about nursing. You can go to your school or local library and check out books on nursing, or you can visit the Web sites of nursing associations. You might also ask your teacher or career services office to set up a presentation by a nurse or nurse manager.

You might also consider volunteering at a hospital or other health care facility. This will allow you to see nurses on the job. Some schools offer participation in Future Nurses programs. If you are interested in becoming a nurse manager, you might consider managing a school club, organization, or intramural sports team. This experience will teach you how to manage people, keep records, and maintain budgets.

The Job

Nurse managers are leaders in the health field. They are the professionals responsible for managing the staff that cares for patients. They are in charge of the operation of their department or unit, and they perform administrative duties related to patient care.

Nurse managers are responsible for the hiring, firing, and scheduling of their employees, and ultimately for the smooth operation of their entire unit. Nurse managers must work well with people and foster teamwork among their staff. Paperwork is another responsibility, whether a report or statistics.

Nurse managers are responsible for many aspects of the smooth operation of their unit. Some nurse managers are working nurse managers, meaning that they also care directly for patients along with managing the department. The size of the facility usually determines whether the nurse manager also cares for patients.

Nurse managers work long hours and are usually on call for situations that might arise. In addition, downsizing at some health care facilities and mergers of institutions may mean additional responsibilities for nurse managers.