Nurse Manager Role: Key Responsibilities & Leadership Skills

A nurse manager, previously known as a head nurse, is responsible for the round-the-clock business and clinical functions of a particular nursing unit, such as a labor and delivery suite.

Identification

• The National Student Nurses' Association (NSNA) likens the nurse manager role to that of a chief executive officer (CEO) of a small company.

Responsibilities

• According to NSNA, a nurse manager oversees five areas: personnel, quality, service, business growth and financial solvency.

Characteristics

• A nurse manager needs to be flexible, consistent and approachable in the way she manages people and resources to provide the best possible patient care. By giving staff nurses a voice in patient care decisions, she ensures they will work with her on that common goal.

Hierarchy

• A nurse manager is a member of middle management, supervising direct care providers at the bedside and reporting to a nursing director at the executive level. In this position, she advocates for her patients and staff, while supporting the missions and values of the organization on her nursing unit.

Considerations

• Since her role is both clinical and administrative, a nurse manager must develop an infrastructure that ensures consistently high quality of patient care at all times.