Too Young to be Our Nurse Manager

Rose O. Sherman, EdD, RN, FAAN,

Last week while attending the American Organization of Nurse Executive’s conference, I had an opportunity to talk with many young nurse managers about their roles. In discussing their challenges, one theme kept surfacing. Many of these managers are 20-30 years younger than the nurses they supervise. They spoke of their older nurses challenging them on their readiness to be nurse managers and their youth. Young managers talked about trying to make changes on their units and receiving considerable push-back. One nurse manager told me that she had been told in a meeting that “you can’t possibly understand the history behind this because you have so little experience.” Another told me that she sometimes watched her seasoned nurses roll their eyes at her and smirk at one another. It is hurtful she said, but I keep moving ahead.

During this decade with the retirement of Baby Boomer nurse leaders, many new nurse managers will find themselves supervising nurses who are considerably older and more clinically experienced than they are. Earning trust and respect are key to making these relationships work. The following five tips will help to make this journey smoother:

1. Expect some push-back

Some nurses will be threatened by having a younger nurse manager even if they themselves have no interest in being a leader. You can expect that you may be tested and might receive push-back on your decisions when you begin the position. It is important not to feel threatened when and if this occurs, and not to take it personally. Initially, you may not have the trust and respect of the group. This is built over time and leaders need to earn it. Consider adopting a servant leader philosophy of leadership. A servant leader looks to the needs of the staff and asks him/herself how he or she can help them to solve problems and promote personal development.

2. Be respectful of everyone’s skills and abilities

In research conducted for their book Workplace 2020, Jeanne Meister and Karie Willyerd found that older employees highly value managers who understand generational differences. Younger nurse managers will be more successful if they educate themselves about the values, attitudes and work beliefs of the different generational cohorts that their staff are part of. Every employee has skills and abilities. Research has shown that regardless of their generation, staff want respect and recognition for what they know and for their contributions to the team. They also want autonomy in their work and to have a sense of purpose. Let your seasoned staff know that you value their clinical and organizational knowledge and intend to seek advice from them. Be humble about what you know and what you don’t know.

3. Be inclusive

It is natural to feel more connected to some staff members than others, but managers need to work hard to make everyone feel like a valued member of the team. I always recommend to new managers that they scheduled a one to one conversation with every staff member. I think this is especially important for younger nurse managers. Find out the concerns of your team members and their professional goals. Take time to learn about their families and things that are important to them outside the work setting. Let them know that you are counting on their support as you transition into the manager role. Seek advice and collaboration from staff when making decisions.

4. Keep the focus on the patient

Younger managers may find that some staff try to sabotage unit changes and set up conflict situations. Establishing and verbalizing common goals are important to gain consensus when trying to introduce change. Remember to explain the “why” of the changes and listen to concerns expressed. Keep the focus of your goals on the patient and the achievement of quality outcomes.

5. Don’t tolerate bullying

As a young nurse leader, you may have an experience where one or more staff members has behaviors that could be characterized as horizontally violent. These behaviors can be verbal or nonverbal. Some common ones include:

Talking behind your back instead of directly resolving a conflict with you
Making belittling comments or criticizing you in front of others
Not sharing important information with you about the unit
Snide or abrupt remarks or answers to your questions
Acts of sabotage that deliberately set you up for a negative situation
Raising eyebrows or making faces in response to the your comments
Broken confidences

A culture of zero-tolerance for horizontal violence is the most effective leadership strategy to prevent its occurrence. Let the staff member know immediately that you see the bullying behavior and it can’t be tolerated. Whenever there is a management change, not every staff member will be happy about it. Younger managers may have some unique challenges but the reality is that every leadership change is a cultural transition for a unit. It is important to find a good mentor who can help you work through difficult situations in your management transition. At some point, your nursing staff will look past your age and just see you for the great leader that you are.

Read to Lead

Meister, J.C. & Willyerd, K. (2010). The 2020 Workplace: How innovative companies attract, develop and keep tomorrow’s employees today. New York: Harper Business.