Chief Nursing Officer Advice to Emerging Nurse Leaders

By Rose O. Sherman, EdD, RN, FAAN

Each year in my Introduction to Nursing Leadership graduate course, my students select a chief  nursing officer in a health care agency to interview.  The students have a list of questions that they ask and then add some of their own.  I enjoy these reading these interviews because they highlight the changing challenges in today’s health care environment.  One of my favorite questions that students ask is Looking back on your own career, if you were asked to give advice to a nurse just beginning her career in nursing leadership today, what would that advice be?  Here is a list of the pearls of wisdom from 22 Chief Nursing Officers interviewed in 2011.

• Know why you want to be a leader.
• Read as many leadership books as you can to educate yourself.
• Seek graduate education because you will need the skill set.
• Figure out your unique strengths early and use them to make a difference.
• Care about what you do and lead with your heart.
• Remember you are a nurse and should be the voice for the patient.
• Develop strong business skills and don’t lose sight of the fact that health care is a business.
• Never, ever lose your sense of humor.
• Think hard about your values and let them drive your decision making.
• Learn the value of networking.
• Be politically sensitive, some environments are very unforgiving.
• Trust your knowledge, skills and above all, your instincts.
• Get feedback on your communication skills and work hard to correct any problems.
• Be hard on yourself as you evaluate your leadership because you will be your own worst enemy.
• Select a mentor in a leadership position who can provide you with support, insight and knowledge.
• Take all feedback that you are given in a positive manner even if you don’t act on it.
• Don’t react quickly to situations—-be thoughtful—-observe the politics and the drama.
• Don’t be a leader if you don’t love it.
• Walk the talk….staff will pay closer attention to what you do than what you say.
• Be open minded and listen—-you can be wrong about situations.
• Work hard on interpersonal relationships and never misrepresent what you know.
• Maintain an open line of communication with your boss….you can never go wrong by keeping them informed of everything.
• Talk to leaders about their roles and even more important, observe their behavior.
• Remain clinically focused or you will lose your credibility.
• Work hard to maintain work-life balance – right from the beginning.
• Don’t ever be afraid to ask questions.
• Have the courage of your convictions but develop a tough skin because you will need it.
• Don’t move up the ladder too fast — learn well from each experience.
• Pay close attention to your professional appearance and leadership presence.
• Set short and long-term goals.
• Keep close track of all the changes in health care and what is happening with health policy.
• Take advantage of opportunities even if the timing is not perfect.
• Learn to be comfortable with conflict but strive to be collaborative.
• Don’t be afraid to show your passion and love for what you do.

These are valuable lessons learned from experienced senior nurse leaders.  Always remember that good advice on being an effective leader will come to you from many sources including your parents, bosses, co-workers, mentors, teachers and friends.  It is important to keep an open mind and listen to the advice of others but to choose your own path.