What does a Nurse Manager do?
A Nurse Manager supervises a team of nursing staff in providing care to patients in a healthcare facility. In their management position, Nurse Managers assign tasks, supervise work, and discipline Nurses and staff. They also provide nursing care according to Physician’s orders, administrative policies, and established standards.
A Nurse Manager serves as the liaison between hospital management and nursing personnel. Depending on the type of healthcare facility and its needs, a Nurse Manager may assist with budgeting, recruitment, scheduling, mentoring, and record keeping. They are employed by hospitals, clinics, assisted living and retirement homes, and other healthcare facilities.
Nurse Manager skills and qualifications
To be a successful Nurse Manager, the candidate will have prerequisite skills and qualifications that prepare them for this role. Besides essential nursing qualifications, a Nurse Manager must be a strong and independent leader, a co-operative team player, and knowledgeable about health. Other skills and qualifications include:
- Ability to deal with conflict and crisis in a calm and cool manner
- Strong leadership, teaching, and mentorship skills
- Ability to work well within a team and delegate tasks
- Excellent communication skills, both verbally and in writing
- Demonstrated maturity when dealing with conflict
- Highly professional when engaging with healthcare personnel, patients, and their families
- Ability to advocate for their nursing staff to ensure a safe work environment
- Excellent time and project management skills
Nurse Manager experience requirements
An excellent Nurse Manager candidate will have at least five years of experience as a Register Nurse (RN), working in healthcare facilities and providing nursing care. They should have demonstrable experience using their education, skills, and knowledge to collect and evaluate information on patients to provide effective and accurate care. Candidates should also have experience in a leadership or supervisory role.
Nurse Manager education and training requirements
Nurse Manager candidates must be a Registered Nurse in their province or territory. They should have a minimum of a university or college degree in registered nursing, registered psychiatric nursing, or a similar program. Additional qualifications in business management, health administration, or a similar field, may be required. For some positions, you may require candidates to hold a postgraduate degree in one of these fields.
As this is a management role, ideal candidates will have previous management training. Depending on the needs of your healthcare facility, consider providing some of this training on the job.
Nurse Manager salary expectations
According to Indeed Salaries, the average salary for a Nurse Manager in Canada is $83,223 per year. Salary may be dependent on experience, location and company.
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