Critical link: how support for managers can help nurses – and improve health care

Americans respect and admire nurses: year after year, nursing care is classified as the country’s most reliable profession – and it is often not close. Despite this, many nurses are stressed at the point of exhaustion, and far too many people think of leaving. The status quo is simply not good enough – for nurses or for patients.

First line nurses call the workload and the feeling of value as daily challenges. These are difficult problems, but they can be treated successfully. To a large extent, intermediate managers define culture in the workplace and shape the experience of employees. In the context of health care, managers – those who have direct reports and manage the departments – play this role, serving as a link between front -line nurses and senior management. They make a difference: research in 2024 revealed that health care organizations with solid managers have experienced less turnover and better results for patients.

Sixty percent of nurses said their managers have improved their work satisfaction; It is also encouraging that managers are much less likely to want to leave the profession than front line nurses. Most experienced nurses, however, do not want to be managers, perhaps because they have seen the challenges that are accompanied by the position. “I have never met a managerial nurse who can pay 100% of her duty,” said a nurse. “It’s such a demanding job.”

The involvement is therefore that by supporting managers, health care organizations can improve the workplace for nurses. This could not only improve retention, but build a nursing pipeline.

To achieve this, organizations must meet the needs of managers. Turnover rates for managers vary considerably, with a national average of 8.8%. A key differentiator is the development of mentoring and current skills – before taking the position and after – in areas such as conflict resolution and managing labor.

Another area to look at is how they spend their time. What nurses appreciate the most is the management of people, including daily stories, career development and individuals. What they like is the least are administrative tasks such as complaint management, incident reports and callout coverage. To a certain extent, of course, it is the nature of work; Someone has to do these less pleasant tasks. However, technology can be deployed to change the balance between nurses, managers want to do and the work they have to do. The best use of technology, including agentic artificial intelligence, could help them with unloved tasks such as audits, quarter -work and integration.

In addition, we cannot expect the managers to thrive, or even like their work, if they have 250 direct reports, as is sometimes the case. The addition of assistant nurses is an option that has proven to be effective. At the very least, there should be clear expectations and standardized responsibilities, so that the managers of a department do not do much (or less) than their peers. Finally, a certain percentage of management work could be carried out remotely; Allowing this flexibility could make the position more attractive for outgoing and future managers.

The nurses are at the heart of patient care – and there is not enough. The shortage is real and empire. Making the profession more attractive could not only attract more new entrants, but help operate experienced staff. And although improving the conditions of nurses is good in itself, there is also an economic dimension; The replacement of front -line nurses is expensive.

The shot is that people do not leave their work; They leave their bosses. It is also true, however, that good patterns provide a reason not to leave. To respond to the shortage of nurses, as well as the difficulties they face at work, support for managers is essential.

Photo: Hiraman, Getty Images

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