The USA's nurse managers and UK's ward sisters: critical roles for empowerment

The nurse manager/ward sister role is becoming endangered as many of these nurses are being asked to take fiscal and personnel responsibility for multiple units/programmes and supervise more non-registered nursing staff. Loss of this important nurse manager/ward sister role could severely decrease nursing's voice in the development and implementation of policies that affect nurses and the care they deliver. The authors review 20 years of literature from both the USA and the UK regarding supportive supervision and the role of the nurse manager/ward sister. Nurse managers/ward sisters were found to be key individuals within the entire health-care organization. Nurse managers/ward sisters can empower the nurses they supervise to initiate changes that will improve patient care. Nurse managers/ward sisters can also improve the working conditions and thus increase the job satisfaction and retention of those they supervise. Strategies for being more supportive of these overworked and endangered nurse managers/ward sisters are suggested.