The new nurse manager: a linchpin in quality care and cost control

An important shift is taking place in the nursing area, where the old "head nurse" position is giving way to a new phenomenon--the nurse manager, an individual whose responsibility and authority are broader and more strategic. The nurse manager is becoming a key player in hospitals' efforts to satisfy patient needs, hold down costs and maximize efficiency; indeed, this "linchpin" manager is being given authority over budgeting, capital equipment expenditures, employee evaluations and patient care outcomes. But are the nurses now in hospitals up to the challenge? And are hospital executives prepared to make the human resources investment necessary to ensure the success of the new nurse managers?