Setting Boundaries in Your Leadership Role

By Rose O. Sherman, EdD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN

Nurse manager recruitment and retention is a critical challenge today. We have new generations of nurses who are interested in their well-being. It is not surprising that so many have said that leadership roles do not provide the balance they need and want in their lives. Many nurse leaders are not role modeling well-being. They are exhausted and burned out. Expectations are high, and the workload can be crushing.

Frontline nurse leaders struggle with setting work-life boundaries, especially those new to their role. The problem has become even more challenging over the past three years. Many leaders have seen their spans of control grow as their staff is less experienced and requires more coaching. New managers often want staff to visibly see they are supporting them and tend to work long hours, including getting involved in direct care activities. Emails and texts from staff 24/7 are no longer that unusual.

Unlike in a staff nurse role where you work a set shift, nurse managers must set boundaries around their work and decide when to leave at the end of the day. A failure to do this can quickly lead to burnout.

Setting boundaries in our work can help us control our lives. Making decisions about where we invest our time, work hours, and what we should delegate helps us preserve our physical and emotional energy and identify our limits. The following are four critical steps in setting your boundaries:

Identify your limits– we are often our own worst enemies when it comes to working. You may have challenges saying no. Getting clear about your emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual limitations is an essential first step. Acknowledging our limits helps us know when we are stepping over lines and moving into destructive patterns. Limitations are a very individual thing and may vary considerably among leaders.
Pay attention to your feelings – feelings are a good gauge of whether we have moved into overdrive with our work. Pay close attention when you feel discomfort, resentment, or guilt about work. These feelings can signal that a boundary issue may be present. If you think of these feelings repeatedly, it is time to restructure your boundaries.
Permit yourself to set boundaries – nurse leaders often feel they should be able to cope with challenging work situations and time constraints. Sometimes, their immediate supervisor may see the leader working long hours and say nothing. Leader boundaries are something that you have the right to set. If you do not set limits, you will feel drained and overextended at best and resentful. When these doubts occur, reaffirm that you indeed have this right, permit yourself to do so, and work to preserve them. Plan a time to leave work every day and stick to it except in cases of extreme emergencies. Be clear with the staff about boundaries involving texts and emails in the evenings and on weekends.
Consider your environment – work environment context plays a crucial role in how comfortable leaders may be in setting boundaries. Your environment can either support your setting boundaries–making it easier for you–or present obstacles to boundary setting–making it more challenging. Nurse executives play a crucial role in making it OK for their leaders to set boundaries. This is best done through role modeling by not sending emails on the weekends or asking for updates.

A conversation about work boundaries is essential if you have nurse managers who report to you or are part of a nurse manager practice council. Many managers tell me that they struggle with this issue and need coaching. I have one CNO colleague who makes quick rounds each night in her hospital at 5:30 PM to send managers home. She tells me that she does not take no for an answer and reminds her leaders that the work will be there in the morning. Self-care is critical, especially in our current environment.

Read to Lead

Bowen, W. (2013). A Complaint Free World. New York: Three Rivers Press.

Workshops are now also available onsite or hybrid.

Our Most Popular Right Now – Become the Boss No One Wants to Leave: Nurse Recruitment and Retention in Turbulent Times Retention WS Flyer

Give your leadership team the gift of a highly rated webinar – Nursing Leadership in 2022: Rebooting after a Life-Quake A Nursing Leadership Reboot Workshop

If you have a lot of new leaders, consider doing a Nuts and Bolts of Nursing Leadership Program – Nuts and Bolts Flyer Final

Read the Nurse Leader Coach – Available at Amazon and Other Book Sellers

Recommended Book by the Association of Critical Care Nurses – The Nuts and Bolts of Nursing Leadership: Your Toolkit for Success