By Rose O. Sherman, EdD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN "How do I deal with defensive staff? Everyone seems so on edge, and it is not uncommon for nurses today to lash back out with any performance feedback?" I repeatedly hear this question from nurse managers who attend our leadership development workshops. The workload in most acute care environments is very high, and staffing shortages … [Read more...]

By Rose O. Sherman, EdD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN I was reminded again this week in talking with new managers about how important leadership boundaries are today. So many leaders feel under intense pressure to be all things for staff, but leadership roles are unsustainable without boundaries. Nurse manager recruitment and retention is a critical challenge. We have new generations of … [Read more...]

By Rose O. Sherman, EdD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN "Someone will write a resolution that says, I want to exercise more, or I want to lose 15 pounds - which is a great goal to have -, but every study tells us that if you pose things in abstract terms, it is much less likely that you will accomplish it than if you structure it as an actual activity"  Charles Duhigg, author of the Power … [Read more...]

By Rose O. Sherman, EdD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN For years, leaders have been told that nurses don't leave their organizations but rather the leaders they work for. Today, that adage is not true in many settings. Nurses leave leaders for many reasons, including: Higher Pay Childcare Challenges A Desire to Travel The Inability of the Leader to Provide the Schedule … [Read more...]