Characteristics of an Effective Nurse Administrator

A philosophy of caring and compassion is necessary but not sufficient for effective nurse administration. Nurse administrators assume additional duties and responsibilities when they manage health care facilities. In addition to understanding the regulations affecting day to day operations, nurse administrators need to have a firm command of financial management and human resources management expertise. Nurse administrators also need to know about how to form strategic alliances with partners in the community, government, and private sector. Essentially, nurse administrators tend to be relatively far removed from the job of actual nursing and provision of care, while also keeping in mind the need for patient-centric policies. Strong communication skills, organizational and coordination skills, leadership skills, and of course, strategic management skills are among the core characteristics of an effective nurse administrator.

A nurse administrator serves in an executive, managerial, and leadership position. The nurse administrator serves in many different roles at once, as financial manager and coordinator, as staff director, and of strategic planner. The nurse administrator sets the tone for the organizational culture, having a strong impact on policies and procedures within the organization. Likewise, nurse administrators advocate on behalf of patients and have a strong bearing on community health objectives too (American Nurses Credentialing Center, 2016). While the goals of healthcare administration usually aligns employee and patient interests, there are times when conflicts arise. Therefore, nurse administrators need to have deft and well-developed political skills. The nurse administrator is someone who is highly qualified for the position, who has received essential training and necessary skills certification (American Nurses Association, 2016).

Nurse administrators handle the day-to-day operations of the institution but also take into account global and macro-level issues in healthcare ranging from federal healthcare policies to changes to local ordinances that might impact hospital logistics. Healthcare administrators make decisions related to how to allocate funds and human resources, how to handle and resolve conflict, and how to maintain effective relationships with stakeholders through activism and philanthropy in ethical ways (Klein, 2014). Within the healthcare context, nurse administrators can work in urban, suburban, or rural regions. Their institutions can be small, large, local, national, or multinational. The nurse administrator frequently juggles divergent demands from funding partners, community members, patients, nursing staff, and lawmakers. On call all the time, nurse administrators continually coordinate between different public and private sector stakeholders by attending meetings, reading and learning about policy changes, and keeping up to date on emerging tools, technologies, and practices. Even nurses who feel healthcare is a basic human right understand that their role also entails a high degree of marketing, whereby the administrator finds ways of establishing competitive advantage.

The “Test Content Outline for the Nurse Executive Board Certification
Examination” reveals several core competencies for nurse administrators. These core competencies include main categories like structures and processes, professional practice, leadership, and knowledge management. Human capital management encompasses organizational culture concerns, resource utilization, labor relations, and the creation of a positive and supportive workplace environment. Financial management includes thorough working knowledge of how the healthcare insurance system works, how to develop a budget for the institution, and how to effectively manage contractual agreements with suppliers and other partners.

Nurse administrators need a firm command of recent laws and regulations in healthcare, at local, state, and federal levels. Professional practice environment and models of healthcare delivery need to be evidence-based but also aligned with the creative vision of the nurse administrator and the team of support personnel in administrative and nursing positions. Communication skills are requisite, as the nurse administrator is entrusted with the responsibility of resolving communication conflicts, disagreements, and issues linked to ineffective or underdeveloped cultural competency. A collaborative work environment and transformational leadership skills are critical for the nurse administrator’s success. My strongest domain of practice is in fact my transformational leadership style. I like to empower others, delegate responsibilities and uplift staff, and create a collaborative environment that stresses teamwork and mutual responsibility. Transformational leadership also helps groom the leaders and healthcare administrators of the future.

However, I do have weaknesses and those include oversensitivity, and the tendency to become overwhelmed. I can overcome my personal weaknesses through daily practice on the job, through working with mentors I admire, and also by recognizing the efficacy of results-oriented performance. My plan of acquiring the nurse executive certification begins now, with this course, and continues in the institutional setting.