Emerging Nurse Leader

A leadership development blog

Assessing Novice Nurse Density on Units and Shifts

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By Rose O. Sherman, EdD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN The work I am doing right now on the Inverted Pyramid of Nursing Experience ™ is resonating with not only nurse leaders but also preceptors and charge nurses. Consider the story a charge nurse shared during one of our recent workshops: I think what you are talking about here helps to explain why I feel my work as a charge … [Read more...]

Developing Pronoia in Leadership

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By Rose O. Sherman, EdD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN I recently spoke with a nurse leader colleague who told me she was having trouble staying optimistic. She noted, I almost feel a little paranoid and am definitely under extreme budget pressure from every direction. The nursing staff is not happy, and it is easy to see why. Volumes are up, and workload is through the roof, but … [Read more...]

Coaching Novice Nurses Through Mistakes

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By Rose O. Sherman, EdD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN In a novice-dense clinical environment, mistakes are not just individual missteps—they are warning signs of cognitive overload, task saturation, and the systemic challenges facing early-career clinicians. When a novice nurse makes an error or experiences a near-miss, a leader’s immediate response shapes how the novice will react far … [Read more...]

Diplomacy: An Underrated Skill in Nursing Leadership

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By Rose O. Sherman, EdD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN Dr. Jennifer Mensik Kennedy, the current ANA President, was interviewed for the August edition of the Journal of Nursing Administration. As part of the interview, she was asked which competencies are essential for emerging nurse leaders. Mensik-Kennedy notes in her insightful response: "We talk a lot about advocacy, and nurses are … [Read more...]

The Nurse Manager as Clinical Safety Architect in Novice Dense Environments

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By Rose O. Sherman, EdD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN In today’s acute care environments, frontline clinical teams look dramatically different than they did a decade ago. The sharp decline in clinical tenures has reshaped unit demographics into an inverted structure: a heavy majority of novice nurses with under two years of experience supported by a narrow base of seasoned clinical … [Read more...]