By Rose O. Sherman, EdD, RN, NEA-BC One of the biggest challenges for new leaders is dealing with difficult staff members. Left unchecked, difficult staff can do an amygdala hijack of the team, causing everyone to go into stressful fight-or-flight responses. Consider the following story:  A new manager has several RN team members who have worked on the unit for years yet … [Read more...]

By Rose O. Sherman, EdD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN Today's nursing workforce wants their leaders to use less of a traditional style and more of a coaching approach. Transitioning from a traditional leader to a team coach is not always smooth. A coaching mindset means moving from a leadership style focused on fixing team weaknesses to a strengths-based approach focused on helping the … [Read more...]

By Rose O. Sherman, EdD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN Many health systems today are looking at redesigning care to a team-based model. When making this change, it is essential to think about the role of teamwork. Don't assume that it is strong. Consider the story a nurse manager recently shared with me. It feels like I am watching the musical West Side Story play out daily with … [Read more...]

By Rose O. Sherman, EdD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN One of the challenges in any leadership role is that you will sometimes be asked to implement policies, procedures, and practices that you disagree with. New managers often ask me how they should deal with this and whether they should share their viewpoints with the staff. While expressing your displeasure and proving your advocacy … [Read more...]