Managing in the next decade: a new set of skills for nurse managers

The transition from traditional management to patient-focused leadership challenged Lakeland Regional Medical Center nurse managers to re-examine the usefulness of many traditional management skills. Patient-focused restructuring has changed the role of a traditional Nurse Manager to a leader/coach of our empowered staff. Managers now maintain responsibility for managing multiple disciplines, self-directed work teams, and redeployed services. The observed keys to success for managers include staff education, modeling coaching behaviors, staff empowerment, self-directed work teams, and a willingness to give up traditional responsibilities.