Nurse Supervisor Roles and Responsibilities [PDF]

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NURSE SUPERVISOR ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES Nursing supervisors provide a critical link between hospital management and clinical care, overseeing patient-care operations, assigning and monitoring staff nurses and identifying and implementing quality improvements. In the nursing supervisor role, registered nurses (RNs) are ultimately responsible for healthcare teams and maintaining safe and smooth operations within a unit. Becoming a nursing supervisor typically means moving out of a direct care role and shifting one’s duties toward administration. This managerial role is essential for every unit at a hospital to run smoothly. Nursing supervisor jobs also involve directly interacting with patients and their families in clinical settings. Like their nursing staff, nursing supervisors are dedicated advocates for patients. Often working alongside staff nurses in treating patients, nursing supervisors are keenly aware of patient concerns. When nurses are unable to share patient observations with physicians, nursing supervisors represent nursing staff and report their findings. As the leaders of their team, nursing supervisors work with others in their area of care. They ensure that each member understands clinical tasks and responsibilities, and they provide critical feedback for other nurses, share their professional knowledge, arrange trainings, and support their team as issues arise. Day-to-day tasks often include: ● ●



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Creating schedules. Nursing supervisors schedule and assign nurses to specific patients and tasks and follow up on work results to ensure the highest quality of care. Planning treatment for patients. Individuals in this role interact with patients as well as other nurses to plan and implement a course of treatment. They assist in measuring the outcomes of specific treatments and adjust as necessary to ensure the wellbeing of those in their care. Balance Staffing Needs with Personal Needs. To keep nurses on the job, nursing supervisors ensure appropriate staffing levels across the entire facility while keeping workloads manageable for individual nurses. Budget development and oversight. Nursing supervisors are not only in charge of human resources and quality of care, but are also often responsible for their unit’s financials. They monitor expenditures, create budgets, and make changes as necessary. Supervising the work of others. One of the most important tasks assumed by nursing supervisors is selecting, training, coaching, and advising others on their team. They make sure everyone adheres to organizational policies and completes their work successfully. They also assess and evaluate ongoing performance of the nursing staff. Hiring, teaching and training. Nurse supervisors hire and train nurses who are new to the profession or the facility by providing clear directions. They also conduct ongoing staff training to ensure quality standards of the highest degree in nursing activities. Discipline. Nursing supervisors discipline staff members when necessary, using positive techniques that emphasize retraining and reteaching rather than punishment and embarrassment.



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Improve Work Environments. One of the keys to success in nursing supervisor jobs is building knowledgeable and productive nursing teams that are effective in delivering patient care. Improve Communication. Good relationships between nurse supervisors, nurses, and doctors are imperative to delivering quality care as they coordinate nursing functions.



QUALIFICATIONS Before taking on the role of a nursing supervisor, many find it necessary to complete several degrees and significant on-the-job training. Through this process, nursing supervisors gain in-depth knowledge of administrative and managerial practices and best practices in healthcare, and learn vital organizational and problem-solving skills. To become a nursing supervisor, students often complete the following steps: 1. Become a Registered Nurse. A career as a nursing supervisor involves intimate knowledge of the ins and outs of healthcare and the role of the nurse in providing patient care. 2. Gain Clinical Nursing Experience. Before stepping into a leadership role, most nurses spend at least three to five years practicing. Having years of clinical experience as a nurse before taking on a nursing supervisor role allows for greater perspective on the responsibilities fulfilled by the team. 3. Earn a Master’s Degree. At a minimum, most employers require a Bachelor of Science in Nursing paired with experience in the field to become a nursing supervisor. However, many employers require that potential nursing supervisors also hold a master’s degree, such as a Master of Science in Nursing. Advanced study prepares nurses for the increasingly complex demands of executive leadership in healthcare.



References: ● Maryville University (2021). How to become a nursing supervisor. Retrieved From: https://online.maryville.edu/online-masters-degrees/master-sciencenursing/careers/nursing-supervisor/ ● Nursing Supervisor: Master of Science in Nursing Careers. (2018). Maryville Online. https://online.maryville.edu/online-masters-degrees/master-sciencenursing/careers/nursing-supervisor/ ● Role of the Nursing Supervisor in Hospital Settings. (2020, May 27). Duquesne University School of Nursing. https://onlinenursing.duq.edu/blog/role-of-the-nursingsupervisor-in-hospital-settings/ ● Want to Become a Nursing Supervisor? Job Description and Fundamental Skills. (2019). Norwich University Online. https://online.norwich.edu/academicprograms/resources/nursing-supervisor-job-description