This post may contain affiliate links. I will make a small commission if you make a purchase through one of these links, at no extra cost to you. Please read full disclosure for more information.
As a nurse, you’ve worked hard and your skills have landed you in a nurse manager role. Congratulations!! Unfortunately, the skills that helped you get the job, won’t be enough to ensure that you’re successful as a leader. Most managers learn on the job and have no idea what the 9 biggest mistakes are that new nurse managers should avoid.
By now, you have heard the phrase that people don’t leave jobs, they leave bad leaders. According to Gallup, 50% of employees leave their jobs to get away from bad bosses and to seek a better quality of life.
Honestly, it doesn’t have to end this way!
Thankfully for you, I’m going to shed some light on common mistakes new nurse managers make and how you can avoid them.
So, let’s jump right in.
1.You want to be liked by everyone.
This is probably the biggest mistake that new nurse managers make.
As a staff nurse, you excel because your boss, co-workers, and patients like you, right? Besides, who doesn’t want to be liked?
That is just human nature and there’s nothing wrong with that.
The challenge occurs when a nurse is promoted to manager and they are no longer just a friend or co-worker.
Sometimes, nurses underestimate how this change impacts their relationships on the unit. Not everyone is happy for you nor do they want to be friends with the boss.
This shift in the hierarchy can make things a little sticky. Often, new nurse managers find themselves supervising their peers and having to deliver tough feedback or manage conflict. Furthermore, it can be challenging to balance your role as a leader with the desire to build trust among your team.
An even harder truth to accept, is that some people may not like you and that is ok.
So how do you avoid this pitfall?
SOLUTION: Set professional boundaries.
The best advice that I ever received was from a former HR Director that I worked with. Their advice was to be fair and be consistent.
One question that you can ask yourself when you feel like you might be operating outside of professional boundaries is: “Would I do this action for everyone?”
For example, as a nurse, you might have a patient that you really like and seem to hit it off with.
They may ask you to come to a family gathering because you have been so helpful and you’ve become just like family.
You want to go to the gathering because you want to be nice and you don’t want to hurt the patient’s feelings.
Ask yourself: Would I go to every patients’ event if they asked me to? If the answer is NO, then you might be crossing professional boundaries. Frankly, it’s that simple.
You can apply the same principle to your role as manager. This simple question can prevent you from getting into compromising positions.
2. Not getting to know your team.
This might seem like something that will occur over time. After all, you have so many other tasks that you need to learn in the beginning like schedules, budgets, and policies, right? WRONG!
Not getting to know your team can lead to a huge disconnection and your team might lose trust in your ability to lead them. If you spend all your time worrying about the administrative tasks then your team is on their own. This can lead to resentment and disengagement.
As a new manager, you might want to hob knob with other managers in the beginning. While they will be great mentors, it is your team that will ultimately drive the success of your unit.
SOLUTION: Spend your first 30 days meeting with everyone on your team.
This might sound daunting but it is absolutely necessary. You should schedule 1:1 meetings with all of your direct reports.
These meetings don’t need to be more than 15-20 minutes long. To be effective, you should have a list of questions that help you gather information and understand the dynamics of the team.
Ask your new team what they’d like to see changed to help them do their jobs more efficiently and effectively.
Another great question to ask is, “If you had a magic lamp and you could change any two things what they would be and why?”
3. Moving too fast.
While it might be tempting to go in and change things right away, this is a big mistake.
"Change, like healing, takes time.”
― Veronica Roth, Allegiant
You have to move with caution as you navigate your new team and department.
If you’ve worked in the department, it can be tempting to go in with guns blazing and whip things into shape.
A cautionary tale, this will almost always bite you in the butt.
This is one of the mistakes that nurse managers make when they forget it is about the team.
The last thing you want to do is make everybody mad. As a rule, most people do not like change. So while they may like you, they might not like the change. They will need to get to know you and know that you care before they jump right in to support you.
SOLUTION: Listen first and gather information.
Remember, it’s not just about your agenda.
Find out what your team needs to be successful.
It is a good idea to develop a 30-60-90 day plan when deciding how to spend your time.
The first 30 days is the time to ask a lot of questions.
You should make sure that you are communicating with your leadership and that you have a clear understanding of the organization’s goals and mission.
4. Lacing up your shoes and doing too much.
This yet another one of the mistakes that is easy for nurses to get caught up in when they are a first-time manager. There’s a good chance that you’re in your new role because you rocked it as a nurse.
While it might be tempting to lace up and jump in, you will want to avoid this behavior.
According to a survey by The Predictive Index, 10.65% of employees felt their manager lacked delegation skills.
I am not saying that this one is easy. In fact, I am a firm believer that nurses shouldn’t just let their skills go. However, as a new nurse manager, you need to start thinking like a leader.
It is your responsibility as nurse manager to lead and develop your team. Furthermore, it is up to you to empower them and help them be the best they can be.
Another thing to remember is that you are being evaluated on your ability to manage others; not your bedside skills.
This can be a tough transition so make sure you are investing in your team.
SOULTION: Help your team find solutions to their problems and be there to support them.
Some organizations are great at this. For instance, Magnet-recognized organizations, have shared governance.
This model, encourages nurses to participate in unit based councils that help develop practices related to how care is delivered at the bedside.
As a nurse manager, avoid the temptation to be a micromanager. A telltale sign of a new manager is that they are always stepping in and doing the work that they are comfortable with.
Sadly, this can lead to burn-out. Help your team by giving them resources, education, and autonomy.
Often employees function at a higher level and have increased job satisfaction when they feel empowered.
5. Not asking for help.
You can’t expect to know everything so don’t be afraid to ask for help.
This is especially true in nursing. Your prior skillset won’t help you much with performance reviews, budgets, and recruitment. It is not uncommon to feel like asking for help means that you aren’t able to do your job.
Honestly, I struggle with this myself.
A sure sign that you are dealing with a new manager is that they don’t know how to delegate or ask for help.
This is not one of the mistakes you should have to worry about if you are working in a healthy environment.
SOLUTION: Speak up and ask for help.
When you find yourself feeling overwhelmed say so. One way to know that you are sinking is that you are always staying late or you always take work home. Being a manager can be crushing but you shouldn’t have to struggle every day.
You should identify a mentor and ask for feedback and suggestions. Sometimes just having someone to bounce ideas off of is all you need to get re-focused.
6. Poor communication.
Nurse managers operate in a highly complex environment and communication is king. As a new nurse manager, you should communicate both up and down. Some managers may be so focused on the demands of the role that they forget to communicate with their team and other stakeholders.
SOLUTION: Schedule time to meet with key stakeholders.
This is especially true when it comes to communicating with your leaders.
For instance, when you communicate with your leaders, find out what their expectations are and how you can help the organization meet its goals. You should also update your leaders regarding the progress that you are making on any projects that you are a part of.
This is also referred to as managing up.
Additionally, nurse managers should make sure that leadership is aware of any issues that might be making their way up the chain. When issues arise, the last thing you want is for your leader to be blindsided. You will get more comfortable with this the longer you are in your role.
7. Bad mouthing prior leadership or company.
This might be very tempting. Trust me, I’ve experienced this one first hand.
It can feel very validating to point out the mistakes of prior leaders. This is just poor taste and very unprofessional.
Nurse managers who dish out negativity run the risk of offending and isolating employees who are loyal to the prior leadership or company. Talking bad about their former manager can lead to resentment and mistrust.
SOLUTION: Be supportive of your new team and ZIP IT!
8. You are far too pushy.
This one really gets under my skin. Listen up!
Everyone knows you’re the boss!
Just because you have the title doesn’t mean that you get to bulldoze everyone on your team.
As a new nurse manager, you might have a ton of great ideas that you want to implement. Perhaps you’ve been dreaming of the day that you could do things your way. This is not the time to get pushy.
A common theme among new leaders is to push.
SOLUTION: Pull don’t push!
By now you might imagine that my advice to you is to listen. Well, you’d be right.
Now is not the time to push people into a corner just because you can.
Take your time and listen to your team’s concerns and you will be able to PULL them along with you as you lay out your plan over time.
Nurse managers should take the time to listen to ideas and see things from your team’s perspective. Often those closest to the work has some of the best thoughts, ideas, and processes. This is one of the reasons that shared governance works so well.
9. Not developing your leadership skills
This is critical for managers and leaders at any level. But even more so for new managers. If your organization does not offer opportunities for professional development, make your own.
My number one suggestion is to read as much as you can. There are some great leadership books that should be on every nurse manager’s list of must-read books.
My short list includes:
- It’s Your Ship by Michael Abrashoff
- Good to Great by James Collins
- Energy Bus by Jon Gordon
- 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader by John C. Maxwell
If reading is not your thing, then watch some TED talks and leadership videos.
You can also sign up for leadership courses online.
Hint: Most organizations have a budget for conferences and professional development.
The next time you meet with your manager, let them know about your interest in leadership development and share the agenda and course objectives with them. There is a strong possibility that you can be reimbursed for taking professional development courses.
Don’t be afraid to ask, you might get a yes.
In Summary
Taking on the role of nurse manager can be exhilarating and rewarding. You have worked hard to reach this milestone so don’t let these common pitfalls drag you down. If you can learn to master the art of leadership then the sky is the limit for your nursing career.
If you are a new nurse manager and you have questions, please don’t hesitate to seek support. You do not have to suffer. This is your time to shine.