Abstract
Nurse managers play a critical role in the nursing profession. In essence, nurse managers are the primary interaction between nursing staff and patients. As the nature and form of healthcare continues to transform and grow, nurse managers will require more knowledge and skills to effectively perform their functions. As Moore et al. (2016) observe, nurse managers who contribute towards the creation of conducive work environments largely motivate nurses to better performance. It is important to note that many new nurse leaders envision themselves being more confident when working with others. Just like emotional intelligence, confidence is a learned trait. This paper synthesizes the results of an interview conducted with a nurse manager in an attempt to assess and evaluate role development in management and leadership responsibilities. The roles of Aviral, the nurse manager interviewed in this case, include triaging calls, such as giving medical advice to parents about their children. The type of leadership style she exhibits is democratic. In addition to being committed and friendly, Aviral is also mindful of the wellbeing of others and is always in factor of group deliberations. Most of the qualities she exhibits are listed by Northouse (2018) as the attributes of a good nurse manager.

Nurse Manager Interview

Nurse managers play a critical role in the nursing profession. This is more so the case given that they significantly impact patient outcomes. The role of the nurse manager is demanding. This is more so the case given that they are the primary interaction between nursing staff and patients. Towards this end, nurse managers play an important role in healthcare organizations, influencing nurses and the overall workplace. In essence, nurse managers have leadership and management responsibilities such as making sure that there is adequate staffing, making goals for the unit, managing budgets, hiring new staff, training, and evaluating performance of the staff. It is important to note that as healthcare continues to grow and evolve, nurse managers will be required to further advance their skills in an attempt to remain effective in a dynamic workplace.

Nurse managers are also responsible for the creation of a healthy and successful workplace. In that regard, nurse managers who create a good workplace can have a significant impact on nurse morale and motivation – effectively meaning that in this case, nurses are more likely to be satisfied with their jobs (Moore et al., 2016). In essence, nurse managers are indispensible when it comes to the growth and development of healthcare enterprises. It is important to note that many new nurse leaders envision themselves being more confident when working with others. Just like emotional intelligence, confidence is a learned trait.

In basic terms, confidence has got to do with knowing your role, staying focused, knowing when you need help, believe in your staff, and understanding your limitations (Raso, 2017). Confident leaders are strong about their position and they do not second-guess themselves. They are certain about their decisions. This is not to say that they do not consult. The right dose of confidence ought to be founded on experience and organization-wide consultations. In contrast, arrogance often has no basis other than what the bearer of the same perceives as being right or just. In that regard, therefore, confidence ought to be distinguished from arrogance in thinking about the role of managers, specifically nurse managers. Practice can build your confidence. In this case, practice could be gathered from taking leadership roles in volunteer settings, which expose one to leadership experiences. People who look for opportunities to practice their leadership roles will gain confidence in their ability to lead (Northouse, 2018).

Nurse Description

One person whom I found confident and also possessed great leadership capabilities was my nurse manager, Avital. She graduated from Tel-Aviv in 2001 in Israel and received her bachelor’s degree in nursing. Right after she graduated, she was an army officer for 3 yrs. Before becoming an army officer, she took a wide range of tests –all of which she passed. During the first year, she received training on how to manage people. Throughout her engagement in the army, she developed many competencies. Her desire was to play an active role in management. After she left the army, she worked in Israel in the pediatric ER as a shift manager for 5 years. Since she had experience working as an army officer, she did not need further training to work as a shift manger in the ER. At the same time she also worked part time in pediatric dialysis. She then moved to Massachusetts, and has been living here for the last 14 years. She has been working at the pediatric office for 10 years, and has been a nurse manager for 2 years.

Before Avital started her new role as a nurse manger, there was nurse manager who retired and had spent months training her. She even made a binder for her that she could use for reference purposes. Once she was done training, her role as a nurse manager broadened – with inclusions being triaging...…level of commitment being the new nurse manager in our office demands.

I’m glad Avital made the decision to become the new nurse manager. During the last two years, she had done an amazing job. She and the supervisor have been working well together to keep this office running. The nurse manager is able to answer all the questions directed to her graciously and treats all members of staff fairly. Further, she is a good listener, is confident in all her engagements, helps with different patients, and is able to understand other people’s emotions. According to Glassman et al. (2018), nurse managers should be able to meet staff members’ needs and lead people towards the accomplishment of organizational goals. Nurse managers should be willing to take leadership classes so as to gain more knowledge and skills. This is more so the case given the role they play as part of the leadership team (Glassman et al., 2018). I think the nurse manager whom I work under has an important role to play to make this office strong and results-oriented. Every morning, she comes to work with a good attitude and is always ready to engage us in work-related issues. I do not know of anyone who has shown so much dedication in her job.

Conclusion

In essence, a nurse manager ought to ensure that a nursing unit is not only run in an efficient manner, but also functions as effectively as it possibly should. However, as it has been pointed out elsewhere in this text, the workplace environment in healthcare continues evolve. The said evolution could be on the basis of technology, patient protection, healthcare regulation, illness trends, etc. These changes could end up making the duties and responsibilities of nurse managers even more complex. For this reason, the relevance of continuous competence development cannot be overstated. In their diverse roles, nurse managers ought to ensure that the hospital environment in which they operate is functioning well. This calls for the forging of close working relationships with staff members with an aim of improving patient outcomes while at the same time keeping staff members motivated. It is clear from the discussion above that Avital has managed to effectively juggle staff issues with patient care concerns – with the result being a healthy working environment and the further improvement of the services offered. Overall, she had done an amazing job. Going forward, I believe that Avital will continue playing an active role in seeking to make this office strong and results oriented.…