Nurse managers' insights regarding their role highlight the need for practice changes.

Area of Science:

• Nursing Management
• Healthcare Leadership
• Qualitative Research

Background:

• Nurse managers are critical to healthcare success.
• Increasing vacancy rates in nurse manager positions are a concern.
• Understanding nurse manager perceptions is key for recruitment and retention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore nurse manager insights on their role.
• To identify challenges and facilitators in the nurse manager position.

Main Methods:

• A qualitative descriptive study was employed.
• Content analysis was used to analyze the data.

Main Results:

• Key elements like role orientation, mentorship, and foundational knowledge were frequently absent.
• Personal attributes such as seeking opportunities and self-growth are vital for success.
• Managing role demands and gaining experience contribute to comfort in the position.

Conclusions:

• Inadequate preparation, onboarding, and support for the nurse manager role necessitate changes in practice.
• Addressing these gaps is essential for improving nurse manager effectiveness and retention.