Nurse Managers: Overworked, Overpaid, Underappreciated

I see you nurse managers

How in the world are nurses able to cope? Who is in the caregiver’s corner? We are expected to work through pandemics as essential, when others work from the safety of their homes.

Stress is a no-brainer when it comes to nurses. Sacrifices we make for others are invaluable. Yet, I find myself questioning (& other nurses want to know this too), how am I supposed to file all this on a resume, or perhaps you’re a nurse manager, or mental health clinic owner, or marketing manager struggling to describe the perfect position for your prospective staff?

Why not hire a licensed nurse writing services business to alleviate this task for you?

Have a nurse writer pen your staff educational/mental health resources on nurse responsibilities and guidance—teach signs of mental distress and what to look out for, who nurses can connect with besides yourself

Nurses are naturally trained educators, it’s a must to manage lower admission rates. It becomes more complex when you don’t have reliable staff to meet the quota.

I have heard and experienced the following techniques used:

hire based on your gut feeling
hire moldable new grads
culture is of primary importance

Does this criteria end well? Yes and no. Following your gut may work for some managers, but why not others?

Instinctively you may hire someone, a new grad for example, fresh out of school. A young mind eager to please, friendly and culturally-mindful. While soft skills are necessary, they aren’t required—yet it’s a balance.

Are gut feelings always reliable? People and circumstances change these traits overtime.

Mental health boundaries?

I have been chided for sharing my stresses & frustrations, and opinions of the nursing professsion as a whole in various social settings. I will certainly continue the writing about it.

Mental health changes over years of trauma and burn-out. I cannot imagine how it must feel to remain in a toxic work environment after so many years of stagnancy.

You do it for patients, docs, everyone else, but is it truly yours?

There’s no right or wrong technique for hiring nursing staff. My point is—make mental healthcare & support for your staff both nurses, med techs, etc. a higher priority. Especially those who work on the ICU, L&D, Oncology, really all hospital systems & departments.

It doesn’t do anyone any good to hire based on only a gut feeling, excellent service skills, competence or soft skills—even culture vibes. These superficial traits change on a dime, or dollar over a longer period of time.

Try inserting more ideals like this is the reality of the work environment: nursing is not the same as you learned in school, or seen glorified in the commercials (sponsored by xyz university).

What to avoid when hiring new staff

one size fits all approach
this idea that once or twice a stellar first impression is all it takes
follow the protocols to a-T, algorithms don’t always pull resumes that seem one letter off from amazing; resumes are chosen because of how perfectly written they are and statistical data in pastel-colored bar graphs
as mentioned previously, how do we write this invaluability in a simple CV, you simply can’t, (oh no math, what a shame :))
exams, whenever possible, or not make this the primary factor of your hiring decision

What to accept & lobby for potential new nurse candidates

be realistic in your approach upfront, gauge personalities as best you can, focus on skill and competency
don’t sugar coat it
role play scenarios you have encountered before & ask what the candidate would do in that particular situation, use DEI less

DEI can be overdone, focusing on labels is dangerous in healthcare & potentially detrimental to the job market. I can speak to this point right now, actually. I don’t remember when I have had to fill out as many applications with demographics including race/gender census…ask yourself, why is this so important for the sake of nonbipartisan heatlhcare? It’s a conundrum. Lose the labels and stigma and race discrimination by tracking the same label?

Skin color, appearance, and whether or not your male or female should or should not be considered? 🤔 I think not. The shortage goes far deeper than melanin.

According to the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses

This statement was made by Dr. Michelle Leora, MSN, RN, CCRN, NE-BC in her post entitled, Promoting a Healthy Work Environment: Supporting One Another in Difficult Times.

“Many staff may struggle with their own mental health but avoid seeking help due to the stigma, fear of discrimination or concerns about being perceived as weak, leading to underuse of resources such as EAPs.” -Dr. Leora

“When Politics Overrides Nurse Workforce Diversity and Patient Care” (from the AJN blog, Off the Charts, in favor of DEI), the second in-body text link in the article suggests healthcare is one of the most understudied DEI work places. So, unsure if this is a valued argument for nurse shortages in healthcare environments? One thing is for sure—it’s not enough evidence to claim DEI or right wing politics is the culprit.

Close-up of a motivational note saying 'You Matter' on a lush green shrub, Dubai.

Hire nurses based on merit, character, work ethic

job history is not always black & white, don’t assume to hire or exclude someone because of a lengthy work history with gaps of employment you don’t find credible—ask your candidate for more details (if they are comfortable sharing, if not that’s fine too) during the interview process
you do the best at the point of hiring nurses on a collection of data, not your gut, team cultural, morale builders, the basis of diversity, equity & inclusion
ask questions as you would a professor in a simulation lab group, does the nurse handle the stress & navigate the crisis in a healthy way
monitor closely for mental health & behavior changes during the first three months, re evaluate them after that
I have heard too many stories of nurses collapsing from the stress of patient care in ICU, where is their reprieve

How I can help you

I am not a manager, but a nurse nonetheless. I sympathize with both sides of hiring and chosing the right players for your team. That’s why hiring a nurse writer like me frees you from monitoring staff morale & can provide your team with amazing, healthful digital mental health content to support your invaluable supporters. Learn more by viewing the links below to see how my services can be writefully yours.