Traits of a Successful Nurse Manager

Working as a nurse manager requires skills beyond clinical care. The job requires management
skills, budgeting, and business acumen and leadership qualities. Communications and
interpersonal skills are also vital. The following characteristics are common among successful
nurse managers:
Effective Communication Skills – Part of being an effective leader is listening to staff and
patient concerns and communicating needs. Nurse managers must be able to build a solid rapport
with all staff members, from the janitorial staff to head administrators, as well as patients to
create cohesiveness.
 Advocacy – In some cases, nurse leaders might have to advocate for staff to ensure a safe
and reasonable practice environment. In other cases, they might have to advocate for patient
safety and access to quality healthcare. Nurse managers should not be afraid of using their voice
and position.
 Participation – With so many administrative demands, it is important that nurse
managers balance business with patient care. Nurse managers must have superior clinical skills
to ensure patient safety and wellbeing.
 Mentoring – Successful nurse leaders do not micromanage their staff. They encourage,
empower, mentor, and find strengths. They boost creativity and mindfulness.
 Maturity – Nurse managers do not immediately take sides in squabbles or assess blame
before knowing all the facts. They don’t let simmering emotions boil over. Instead, they meet
conflict and work through it.
 Professionalism – Nurse managers follow their moral compass to ensure all aspects of
the profession are met with honesty and integrity. They address people with respect and do not
bully.
 Supportive – They don’t set the bar for expectations unreasonably high. Instead, they use
supportive encouragement to challenge employees to success. They coach and mentor.

Duties as a Nurse Manager and Leader

Nurses who serve in management positions are expected to not only make vital decisions to
assist in patient care but are also expected to carry out defined duties that include the following:

 Staff management
 Case management
 Treatment planning
 Recruitment
 Budgeting
 Scheduling
 Discharge planning
 Mentoring
 Developing educational plans
 Records management
Nurse managers need strong communication and leadership skills. They should be adept at
coordinating resources and personnel and meeting goals and objectives. They must be effective
leaders who can strike a balance between working with the nursing staff and the healthcare
facility administrators.
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, a branch of the U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services, said nurse managers are change agents. They work with staff to find and
implement useful changes to improve patient wellness and safety outcomes. Nurse managers also
implement regulatory guidelines for patient safety set by state and federal agencies, such as the
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Joint Commission, and Centers for
Medicare & Medicaid Services. They have to make sure the staff is educated on care standards
and can implement them as needed.

Nurse managers work in a number of clinical settings including hospitals, doctor’s offices,
schools, and psychiatric institutions.

“Nurse managers lead their unit staff in preventing patient harm in their unit, empowering nurses
to be the first line of defense against patient harm,” the agency