Emerging Nurse Leader

A leadership development blog

Leading through the Inverted Pyramid: Assessing Your Unit’s Stability

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By Rose O. Sherman, EdD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN In Ernest Hemingway's novel The Sun Also Rises, two of his characters discuss bankruptcy. One asks the other how he went broke, and he answered with a now widely used quote: It happened gradually and then suddenly." That same phenomenon of gradually, then all at once, is how many nurse leaders feel as they look at their staff, who … [Read more...]

The Impact of the Inverted Pyramid on Nurse Leaders

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By Rose O. Sherman, EdD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN In our current healthcare landscape, we often hear nurse leaders lamenting the "readiness gap" of our new graduates. But as I’ve traveled across the country talking to systems, I’ve realized the problem isn't just a lack of experience—it’s a dramatic shift in the composition of our nursing workforce. Historically, a solid base of … [Read more...]

Leading a Unit of Novice Nurses

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By Rose O. Sherman, EdD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN The nursing workforce has shifted dramatically, and the traditional "pyramid" of experienced nurses mentoring new grads today often looks more like a "rectangle" – or sometimes, even an "inverted pyramid" – where a significant portion of your team has limited clinical experience. This isn't just about onboarding; it's about how … [Read more...]

More Than Just a Score: Using Data to Tell Your Unit’s Story

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By Rose O. Sherman, EdD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN Every week, you are probably updated on the performance metrics your unit is achieving. For many managers, these numbers feel like a cold verdict on their leadership. Data fatigue is a reality in healthcare. Harder yet is to get your nursing staff's attention or concern, who may roll their eyes and think more attention is being paid … [Read more...]

How Nurse Managers Create Psychological Safety

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By Rose O. Sherman, EdD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN I had a recent conversation with a soon-to-be-nurse, the daughter of a friend. I asked her what she is most worried about as she enters practice. She told me that, "all of us are worried about the same thing - we are stressed and anxious about making mistakes. It seems that in every clinical we did during the program, the nurses … [Read more...]