The nurse manager work environment

FigureWe often write about promoting healthy work environments for our teams as a pathway to workforce stabilization and joy in work. What about the nurse manager? In late 2023, the American Organization for Nursing Leadership (AONL) published a white paper, The Role of the Nurse Manager: Evolution of the Role in High-Turnover Environments, which, no surprise, indicated that frontline nurse managers are facing many challenges.1 We're overdue to pay as much attention to their work environment as that of our clinical staff. The AONL white paper is based on focus group participation of managers with staff turnover at or above the 2023 national rate of 22.5%, a distressing number that represents only the average— meaning half of you have higher rates. Add a national vacancy rate of more than 15%, and the evidence behind what you're feeling in terms of workforce disruption is clear. These facts underscore the reason Nursing Management (NM) is sponsoring an all-day Recruitment a topic for another day. I've always worried about leaders in frontline roles. The 24/7 expectations are high: they're expected to round on patients and be the "CEO" (as well as the CHRO, CQO, CFO, and CXO) of the unit. They should, and want to, have relationships with every team member, which could be anywhere from less than 20 to more than 100 people. Plus, cover other unit(s) as needed and come in for visibility on shift and weekends, too. Is this realistic? Maybe it is if the right support and resources are present to balance workload. This takes many forms: supervisory support, administrative assistance, flex scheduling, alternatives to 24/7 coverage, technology, peer social connections, coaching, attention to well-being, unit support (such as educators and assistant managers), learning about dynamic team management, recognition, preventing unreasonable scope creep, and more. Senior leadership must support managers in every way possible. Of course, what's needed in each situation depends on many variables, including the individual's tenure and competency. We constantly stipulate listening to staff as a key leadership skill. How about listening to managers? Some of you are thriving, growing, and supporting each other; you need to tell your story too. The "good" news is that at least 50% of the AONL focus group participants had no intention of leaving, and "only" about 10% were actively seeking other jobs (my quotes). In the NM survey, about a third of respondents were at risk for leaving. Data also show that vacant positions are becoming harder to fill. Clearly, current high turnover environments can negatively affect our treasured leaders: frontline nurse managers. This is a call to action for the C-suite, managers, their superiors, colleagues, and clinical staff as well. Everyone plays a role and influences the work environment. It's also a patient-care issue as we know that local leadership is pivotal to patient, workforce, and organizational outcomes. Taking the optimist's perspective, this can be framed as opportunity. Let's seize it. Show nurse managers some love.Figureemail protected