TITLE:
How Staff RNs Perceive Nurse Manager Roles
AUTHORS:
Rebecca A. Feather, Patricia R. Ebright
KEYWORDS:
Job Satisfaction; Managers’ Behavior; Disconnect
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Leadership,
Vol.2 No.3,
August
23,
2013
ABSTRACT: Purpose: Nurse managers’ behaviors and job
satisfaction are commonly addressed in the literature; however, registered
nurse perceptions of nurse manager behaviors provide a unique perspective that
may inform future strategies designed to enhance RN job satisfaction. The
purpose of this study was to assess the perceptions of registered nurses that
were explored through focus groups to learn the behaviors of nurse managers
that most influence registered nurse’s job satisfaction. Methods: Five focus
groups were conducted through semi-structured interviews of a total of 28 RNs
to provide data that were coded through qualitative content analysis for
themes. Findings: The findings provide nurse managers with data related to the
perceptions of RNs and the behaviors of managers that influence job
satisfaction. In relation to the focus group’s discussions, a disconnection was
identified between the perceptions of the RNs regarding their actual work
issues and the nurse manager’s role on the hospital unit. There were five
themes that emerged in the category of RNs perceived disconnect between work
issues and the manager’s role. The daily role, manager meeting time, visibility
of nurse managers, no longer a nurse, and RN preferences for the nurse manager
role. Conclusion: Findings support past research in relation to the perceptions
of RNs wanting to be respected, included in communication, and the need to feel
cared for by nurse managers to have higher levels of job satisfaction. This
study provided findings important to staff nurses, nurse managers and
administration. There is a need for administrator support for nurse manager’s
ability to spend more time on the unit with RNs to attend to direct care
provider relationships and team building through communication with staff is a
recommended approach for decreasing the disconnect between RNs and nurse
managers.