Nurse Manager Role in a Medical Surgical Unit

Organizational Role Description

Long Island Jewish Northwell Health is a healthcare network comprising 21 hospitals, which makes it the largest integrated healthcare system in New York State. This integrated healthcare system has a huge employee base to an extent that it's the largest private employer in this state. In addition, Long Island Jewish Northwell Health has a huge service area that includes over 8 million individuals in New York. Despite having different hospitals and systems, the ultimate goal of this healthcare network is to provide highest quality care to all. For this practicum, the student chose 9 North, which is a medical surgical unit of this integrated healthcare system or network.

Long Island Jewish Northwell Health is headed by a president who is also the Chief Executive Officer. Under the president and CEO are more than 35 administrative leaders who head the different systems or departments in this healthcare network. The next hierarchy in the organizational structure is clinical leaders (more than 25) who handle different areas relating to the system's clinical services. This is followed by approximately 30 faculty and business leaders who also head different hospitals and departments at the hospital (Northwell Health, n.d.). The next level in this hierarchy is physicians, nurses, educators, and other staffs who carry out the daily activities of the healthcare system.

For the practicum at 9 North, a medical surgical unit, the student is shadowing a Nurse Manager who has served in the position for more than 15 years. This Nurse Manager has great re pour with the staff as evidenced in the fact that she assists everyone. As part of enhancing her efficiency, the Nurse Manager has an assistant nurse manager that works 4 days a week 10-hour shift. Moreover, the Nurse Manager ensures she is effective in her duty through adhering to a nursing hierarchy.

The function or role of the Nurse Manager in this unit is to oversee the operations of a 37 bed general surgical unit while supervising more than 60 employees. These employees include nurses, unit receptionist, and Certified Nursing Assistance. To achieve this goal, the Nurse Manager has several responsibilities including handling everyday operations of the unit, partnership with physicians, and collaborating with multidisciplinary healthcare team. Therefore, the Nurse Manager handles issues of staffing, budgeting, ensuring patient satisfaction, and hiring, mentoring and coaching the unit's staffs or employees.

Through shadowing this Nurse Manager, it's evident that the role of the nursing leadership at 9 North is to conduct overall evaluation, planning, execution, and assessment of patient care activities and services on the unit (Northwell Health, 2016). In addition, the nursing leadership handles clinical management, financial management, quality management, strategic planning, and budgeting. Nursing leadership plays a crucial role in creating a patient-centered caring environment and promoting service standards of the healthcare system. These activities are carried out while dealing with and meeting a patient's individual needs. The Nurse Manager plays an important role in this process through promoting an environment of respect and collaboration among the healthcare team members including physicians and nurses.

In essence, the role of the nursing leadership at this medical surgical unit extends beyond clinical practice or patient care and operational performance. The nursing leadership has responsibilities that include ensuring standards compliance, management, human resource development and management, and promoting interactive relationships. The effectiveness of a nursing unit in achieving its respective rules is largely attributable to the ability of nursing leadership (especially the Nurse Manager) to carry out these responsibilities in an effective and efficient manner.

Addendum -- Goals and Objectives for the Practicum Experience

To understand the role of nursing leadership in a healthcare unit or facility.