Setting a Hard Stop to Your Day in Leadership

By Rose O. Sherman, EdD. RN, NEA-BC, FAAN

I was reminded again last week in talking with managers about how important leadership boundaries are today. I asked how many of you have a hard stop to your days. The answer was very few – most don’t have hard boundaries about when they leave at the end of the day. So many leaders feel under intense pressure to be everything for staff, but leadership roles are unsustainable without boundaries. Nurse manager recruitment and retention is a critical challenge. We have new generations of nurses who are interested in their well-being. Unsurprisingly, many have said that leadership roles do not provide the balance they need and want. Many nurse leaders are not role-modeling well-being. They are exhausted and burned out. Expectations are high, and the workload can be crushing.

Frontline nurse leaders struggle to set work-life boundaries, especially those new to their role. The problem has become even more challenging over the past four years. Many leaders have seen their spans of control grow as their staff is less experienced and requires more coaching. New managers often want staff to visibly see they are supporting them and tend to work long hours, including getting involved in direct care activities. Emails and texts from staff 24/7 are no longer that unusual.

Unlike in a staff nurse role where you work a set shift, nurse managers must set boundaries around their work and decide when to leave at the end of the day. Failure to do this can quickly lead to burnout. Sometimes, leaders reach a point where they feel the only way to regain control is to leave the position.

Setting boundaries in our work can help us control our lives. Making decisions about where we invest our time and work hours and what we should delegate helps us preserve our physical and emotional energy and identify our limits. The following are four critical steps in setting your boundaries:

1. Identify your limits– we are often our worst enemies when working. You may have challenges saying no. Understanding your emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual limitations is an essential first step. Acknowledging our limits helps us know when we are stepping over lines and moving into destructive patterns. Limitations are very individual and may vary considerably among leaders.
2. Pay attention to your feelings – feelings gauge whether we have moved into overdrive with our work. Pay close attention when you feel discomfort, resentment, or guilt about work. These feelings can signal that a boundary issue may be present. If you think of these feelings repeatedly, it is time to restructure your boundaries.
3. Permit yourself to set boundaries – nurse leaders often feel they should be able to cope with challenging work situations and time constraints. Sometimes, their immediate supervisor may see the leader working long hours and say nothing. Leader boundaries are something that you have the right to set. If you do not set limits, you will feel drained, overextended, and resentful at best. When these doubts occur, reaffirm that you have this right, permit yourself to do so, and work to preserve them. Plan a time to leave work every day and stick to it except in extreme emergencies. Be clear with the staff about boundaries involving texts and emails in the evenings and on weekends.
4. Consider your environment – work environment context plays a crucial role in how comfortable leaders may be in setting boundaries. Your environment can either support your setting boundaries–making it easier for you–or present obstacles to boundary setting–making it more challenging. Nurse executives are crucial in making it OK for their leaders to set boundaries. This is best done through role modeling by not sending emails on the weekends or asking for updates.

A conversation about work boundaries is essential if you have nurse managers who report to you or are part of a nurse manager practice council. Many managers tell me that they struggle with this issue and need coaching. One CNO colleague makes quick rounds each night in her hospital at 5:30 PM to send managers home. She tells me she does not take no for an answer and reminds her leaders that the work will be there in the morning.

Self-care is critical, especially in our current environment. So, as we start a new year, look at your work and life and ensure you have balance and boundaries. No one can do this for you.

© emergingrnleader.com 2024

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