Types of Supervision Nursing

According to the National Student Nurses' Association, 55% of nurse leaders plan to retire from their roles within the next 10 years. This trend will leave the field wide open for nurses to climb the administrative ladder from bedside nurse to chief nursing officer. With each successive step, the nurse will have more responsibility for patient care outcomes and a greater impact on nursing practice.

• Nurses play a key role in healthcare decision making.

Levels

• There are four levels of nursing supervision within most hospitals and other health-care facilities: entry-level positions for assistant nurse manager or nursing shift supervisors, nurse manager roles with accountability for a designated clinical area, director positions with responsibility for several departments, and chief nursing officer (CNO), who oversees nursing throughout the organization.

Responsibilities

• A nurse who advances from bedside care to an entry-level supervisory position is typically an expert clinician who serves as a role model and clinical resource for other nurses on a designated shift. A nurse manager is a member of middle management within the organization, responsible for the 24/7 operation of her clinical area. A nursing director is part of the nursing executive team with responsibility for strategic planning and global operations of her business units. And the CNO is the highest-ranking nurse within her organization, with significant responsibility for the consistency and quality of nursing care there.

Requirements

• According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), many health-care organizations require that nurses in supervisory roles have advanced degrees. These include a baccalaureate degree in nursing (BSN), master's degree in nursing (MSN) or business (MBA), and even a doctoral degree in nursing. According to the NSNA, a nurse typically needs 2 to 3 years of clinical experience for an entry-level supervisory position, 3 to 5 years to become a nurse manager, and 5 to 7 years of practice before reaching the nursing director level. Chief nursing officers usually have 7 to 10+ years of experience. Some health-care facilities require their nurse leaders to be certified in nursing management.

Salary

• Salaries for supervisory nurses vary a good deal, depending on the nurse's role, geographic location, type of employer, education and experience. According to Salary.com, for example, the median salary for nurse managers in the United States is $86,358, compared with $108,679 for nursing directors.

Significance

• According to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, nurses will play a key role in transforming today's health-care environment in a way that improves patient outcomes, ensures safety and controls costs. Supervisory nurses at all levels have the opportunity to participate in this culture change and influence nursing practice within their organizations.