First-Line Nurse Managers in the Expanded Role

Authority, accountability, and responsibility invested in first-line nurse managers in acute care hospitals has significantly increased in the past 15 years, creating a role many nurse executives consider pivotal for achieving organizational goals. Little empirical data are available concerning these reorganized roles. In this ethnographic analysis, the author examines beliefs, values, and behaviors of nurse managers considered effective and successful in their practice and the implications of these characteristics for manager selection and development.