Categories: Scrubs

Top 10 traits of an effective nurse manager

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Editor’s note: To commemorate National Boss Day (October 16th), Scrubs sent out a missive to nurses asking: “What makes your boss great?” One particularly enthusiastic nurse not only responded immediately, she and a colleague developed a list of wonderful things their manager does that wins universal adoration from her unit.

Terri Engelman, LPN wrote, “I just talked with my co worker Sarah about our nurse manager, Tracy Mills and I had to laugh — Sarah has been at our hospital 30 years and I have been there about three years and we say the same thing about Tracy. Every nurse in our department would say this about her and more. So, I believe on National Bosses Day, Oct. 16th, she needs to shine for these reasons!”

Top 10 traits of an effective nurse manager

10. They inspire their team and lead by example.
9. They still really enjoy working on the floor, caring for patients.
8. They’re flexible about your time off.
7. When the shift gets busy, they’ll jump right in!
6. They’re great listeners. They even pull you aside to work through what’s irritating you, and when you leave their office, you feel ready to get on with the day!
5. They are strong, stable and compassionate.
4. They know how to take charge and they know how to handle it!
3. They don’t use “medical language” to talk over people’s heads.
2. They meet the needs of the patient just like an RN, LPN or CNA.
1. The patients don’t even know they’re the manager unless they’re told.

This list is in honor of Tracy Mills, nursing manager at Passavant Hospital, Jacksonville, IL.

Terri Engelmann, LPN

Terri A. Engelmann, LPN, and Sarah Lawson, LPN, (unpictured) are ambulatory surgery nurses at Passavant Hospital, Jacksonville, IL. They maintain that their boss, Tracy Mills, is the best nursing manager of any unit in the world.