The Nurse Manager operates within the ALMH and Nursing Division mission, vision, strategic priorities and goals. Utilizing a shared leadership philosophy, the Nurse Manager assumes 24-hour accountability for unit management and the quality of patient care on a designated unit(s). The Nurse Manager creates and maintains a work environment conducive to effective communication, collaboration, teambuilding and nursing professionalism. She/he ensures the enculturation of the Pathways to Excellence Program requirements on the unit. She/he assures that care provided on the unit is appropriate to the age of the patients served and that the staff are competent to provide safe, quality, evidence-based nursing care. She/he maintains positive physician and interdepartmental relationships as well as positive employee morale. 

Scope of Supervision: 

1. The Nurse Manager reports to the Director of Nursing (and indirectly to the CNO if Director or Administrator is outside the DON’s direct reporting line). 

1. Personnel reporting to this position will include nursing staff and auxiliary personnel. 

1. The Nurse Manager coordinates the management of patient care with unit staff, other departments and the nursing supervisors (on off shifts).  

1. The Nurse Manager is a leader, mentor and patient advocate. This individual must possess the skills to identify, introduce and assimilate change successfully into the practice environment.

1. Performs other related work as required or requested. 

1. Leadership: 

1. Personal and Professional Growth: 

1. Demonstrates responsibility for own personal and professional growth as reflected in ongoing education, projects, and annual professional development plan. 

1. Provides and receives formal peer-to-peer feedback among nurse leader colleagues. 

1. Empowers self and staff to enhance patient-focused nursing care and quality patient outcomes as reflected in patient satisfaction and quality improvement efforts. 

1. Fosters an environment which focuses on values, professionalism and accountability, where staff and management see each other as partners in the decision making process. 

1. Serves as a professional nurse role model and works to encourage and develop future nursing leaders as a function of succession planning.  

1. Clinical Knowledge: 

1. Maintains an understanding of the unit’s primary patient populations and their care needs/requirements. 

1. Keeps up-to-date on new clinical treatments/services being developed/implemented for primary patient populations. 

1. Maintains a sound knowledge base of current trends and developments in nursing practice in order to lead unit-based changes to improve patient care delivery.  

1. Collaborative Practice: 

1. Demonstrates ability and willingness to collaborate with peers and staff. 

1. Shows commitment to the development of inter-departmental/intraprofessional collaboration for improvement of patient care, unit efficiency and effectiveness.  

1. Develops working relationships with the medical staff that encourage problem solving on all levels. 

1. Builds and maintains a strong Unit-Based Council to facilitate shared decision-making process. 

1. Community Involvement: 

1. Involves self with professional organizations and community health-related services and agencies.  

1. Communication Skill:  

1. Encourages and facilitates a work climate conducive to open, honest communication and incorporates an effective information sharing process to ensure staff are kept up to date on key changes/issues affecting their work processes.  

1. Demonstrates a communication style which is supportive and non-threatening, thus providing an environment that allows for open expression of ideas and problem solving. 

1. Attends Nurse Management Council and Department Managers’ meetings and relays pertinent information to staff.  

Education: 

• BSN required within 2 years of hire date 
• Master’s degree preferred. 

Licensure/Certification/Registry: 

• Current Illinois RN licensure required.

Experience: 

• At least three years of experience as a registered nurse with demonstrated progressive leadership/management skills. 

Other Knowledge/Skills/Abilities: 

• Demonstrated working knowledge of the ANCC Pathways to Excellence Recognition Program model and standards. 
• Demonstrated understanding of nurse-sensitive quality indicators and basic hospital/nursing regulatory requirements.