Emerging Nurse Leader

A leadership development blog

Managing Difficult Nursing Staff

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By Rose O. Sherman, EdD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN Being a nurse leader is challenging today, but managing difficult staff makes it even more stressful. These are the nurses who you dread having conversations with because they lack emotional intelligence and the ability to accept feedback.  My advice is always to enter the conversation with good intentions. We can all be … [Read more...]

Ten Trends with the Nursing Workforce

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By Rose O. Sherman, EdD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN When I ask nurse managers about the most valuable content in my programs, they inevitably tell me they come away "very happy to know that I am not alone in some of the behaviors that I am seeing." These nurse leaders at the frontlines are observing what they describe as a significant cultural shift in their workforce. They readily … [Read more...]

Communicating With Defensive Staff

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By Rose O. Sherman, EdD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN I have heard multiple versions of a similar story from nurse managers in recent conversations: I gave some constructive feedback to one of our new graduates today. It just involved some minor changes in how she prioritized her assignments. She became so defensive even though I was extremely gentle in my approach. She shut down and … [Read more...]

Helping New Graduates Expand Their Range of Career Options

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By Rose O. Sherman, EdD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN A CNO expressed frustration about a recently held meeting with nurse residents in her facility. She told the following story: I talked with our new graduates about career planning and the wide range of opportunities available to them in nursing. Almost the whole group of 30 seemed to have already decided what they wanted to do. … [Read more...]

Managing the Cognitive Overload of Nurses

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By Rose O. Sherman, EdD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN I recently interviewed a nurse leader who shared her concerns about the level of cognitive overload experienced by nurses today. She shared the following observation: So, let's hypothetically walk in the shoes of a medical-surgical nurse today.  I start my shift with five assigned patients, but by the end of my 12 hours - all five … [Read more...]