Nurses Manager Role - Healthcare Performance Institute - American Association Of Nursing Executives

We value your privacy and will never rent, sell or share your email. We do not SPAM.

Testimonial about Program Developer Nancy McAward:

"I was new to nursing management and Nancy was able to coach me at a level of understanding that was appropriate for my experience. Her experience and knowledge of nursing management and hospital operations is extraordinary! As I developed in my leadership role, Nancy tailored her mentoring to challenge me in ways that broadened my practice."

- Marco Fernandez, RN, MSN, Director of Critical Care and Special Care, St. Thomas Hospital

Here is how Nurse Managers can enhance their management and professional skills while improving patient safety, staff satisfaction, and productivity. Guaranteed.

Why should Nurse Managers struggle with operational, financial, and management issues that aren't taught in clinical programs?

-- especially when we can provide a comprehensive, practical program and toolkit to help Nurse Managers (and their organizations) succeed. Details below.

NOTE: This continuing nursing education activity was approved by the Georgia Nurses Association, an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation. It has been approved for 11.9 contact hours.

Dear Colleague:

It is mind boggling and frustrating.

The Nurse Manager plays an essential role in healthcare. She sets the tone of any Healthcare System. The Manager is the backbone of the organization. The quality of patient care, as well as staff recruitment and retention success, rests with this key role. Over time it will be the strength of the nurse manager group that determines the success or failure of nursing leadership, the COO, and even the CEO.

And yet it is rare that nurse managers are given the opportunity to acquire the operational, financial, and management skills essential to their success – and the success of their organization.

As critical as it is to develop those concrete and pragmatic skills noted above, there is also a delicate subtle art to being a Nurse Manager... to balancing the tensions between quality and cost ... to dealing with multiple stakeholders, presenting conflicting agendas ... to dealing with stress and pressure every day ...to implementing processes needed to ensure that individualized compassionate care is provided consistently in the most efficient and effective manner possible...and we show you a system to succeed.

The Healthcare Performance Institute is committed to the development of the Nurse Manager, so that each patient care area is managed to assure excellent quality of care and financial success. And there is no better way for the Nurse Manager to achieve well deserved recognition and career success.

We've discovered that there are three keys to succeeding as a Nurse Manager...

1. A Complete and Comprehensive Understanding of the Nurse Manager Role and Access to Best Practices;

2. A Comprehensive System for Success; and

3. A Toolkit to Succeed

When Nurse Managers put these three keys in place:

1.		They balance the many pressures they face every day: budget challenges; dealing with multiple stakeholders; managing up, down, and across; handling labor issues and shortages; and, of course, finding time to provide excellent care for patients.

2.		They set themselves apart as a stellar performers in your organization and enjoy greater recognition, respect, and career success.

3.		They exhibit increased confidence in their role.

4.		Work becomes more professionally gratifying.

5.		The organization enjoys enhanced productivity, as well as improved patient and staff satisfaction.

Introducing the NEW “Nurse Manager’s Performance Leadership Program”…

About The Program’s Creator

Before going further, we’d like to tell you a bit about the creator of this program and why she is qualified to be sharing this information with you. Her name is Nancy McAward RN, BSN, MMHS.

A Truly Inspired Leader…Integrity and Passion:

"It has been said that Leadership is the art of taking risk, management the science of mitigating risk. In this sense Nancy McAward is a truly inspired leader. With over three decades of leadership experience Nancy has led some of America's most progressive and prominent health care institutions. With intellect, compassion and panache she has successfully guided physicians, nurses and other healthcare professionals to achieve their maximum potential. A mentor to countless leaders her integrity and passion for excellence always prevail."

- Thomas E. Beeman, President and CEO, Lancaster General

Since receiving her Masters Degree in Management of Human Services from Brandeis in 1984, Nancy has over 22 years of successful senior leadership experience in complex healthcare systems. Her responsibilities and achievements include:


	Vice President Patient Care Services, Tufts-New England Medical Center, Boston MA. She managed over 1500 FTEs and a budget in excess of $200 million. As part of a new executive team, she helped the organization move from an annual deficit to being in the black for the first time in over 12 years.

	Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer/Chief Nursing Officer, St. Thomas Health Services, Nashville, TN. Nancy reported to the President and CEO of this five-hospital system, which is part of the nationwide Ascension Health System.She was accountable for a $500 million budget. Also, she turned an inherited multi-million dollar operating deficit into a significant surplus in two years without resorting to layoffs.

	Chief Nursing Officer, Patient Care Services, Sibley Memorial Hospital, Washington DC. Reporting to the CEO of this 340-bed community hospital, Nancy brought the nursing budget into line while maintaining service and quality.

	Interim Executive Vice President, Health Alliance, Leominster, MA.

	Vice President Operations/Chief Nursing Officer, Franciscan Health System – St. Joseph Medical Center, Reading, PA. Nancy was responsible for a $50 million budget with 650 FTEs and 19 direct reports.

Nancy is unique in the healthcare world. She has a consistent track record of helping organizations turn around their financial performance while maintaining quality and service standards. She is experienced in JCAHO recertification, has a track record of successful negotiations and relationships with nursing unions, and is known for being a mentor to nursing managers and staff.

Unlike consultants who take a theoretical “house of cards” approach to management, Nancy is a strong nuts-and-bolts leader who understands what it takes to get results and improve performance in healthcare organizations. She also understands the ongoing challenges in healthcare and how to navigate them. Most importantly, she has tremendous respect and empathy for the role of the Nurse Manager, which inspired her to develop this program with The Healthcare Performance Institute.

Successful Outcomes:

"I have known and worked with Nancy for more then five years. She is an exceptional leader. Nancy has mentored me and guided me to successful outcomes of challenging operational issues. She is an advocate of Nurses and the patients she serves."

- Anna Harb, CNO, St. Thomas Hospital

About This Program

The Healthcare Performance Institute's NEW "Nurse Manager PERFORMANCE LEADERSHIP PROGRAM" teaches Nurse Managers the full range of skills they need to manage a complex in-patient unit, maintain quality, and make ongoing improvements to morale and productivity.

With this exclusive Program and System, you can see results in only a few weeks. That's because the system focuses on concise, step-by-step action plans, strategies, and tactics.

An Undying Commitment to Nurses, The Nursing Profession, and Patients:

"I have had the privilege of knowing Nancy McAward for over 23 years. I take great pride in having promoted Nancy from a Nurse Manager position to her first Nursing Director position and then watching her progress to the highest levels of nursing and healthcare management. Nancy has excelled in all levels of nursing leadership because she possesses that rare blend of emotional intelligence, operational expertise, financial savvy, and an undying commitment to nurses, the nursing profession, and patients. Nancy is a true leader who has, and continues, to make a difference in the lives of nurses and patients, and in the delivery of quality patient care."

- Karen Kirby, President & CEO, Kirby/Bates Associates

Most importantly, with the "Nurse Manager Performance Leadership Program," Nurse Managers can see results even without a background in management or healthcare operations. Moving from the status of team member to the role of leader can be daunting. Seasoned clinical nurses just starting on a management track can achieve success using this program.

What Is Included with The Healthcare Performance Institute's "Nurse Manager Leadership Program"

INCLUDED – The Nurse Manager’s Performance Manual .

This 195-page manual is the ultimate guide to succeeding as a Nurse Manager in an in-patient setting. Easy to read and understand, the Manual shows you precisely how to manage daily operations -- step-by-step, by the numbers. It also shows you how to think beyond your unit to help the overall organization succeed. It includes: management tools, case studies, ways to manage multiple stakeholders, metrics, quality indicators, labor issues, and more. This Manual will take the Nurse Manager’s knowledge and skills to the next level.

INCLUDED -- Audio CDs so that you can enhance your understanding of the materials in the program at your convenience... from your home, in your car, or on your computer. Now you can learn in the way that suits you best. Includes over three hours of content. These CDs do not simply narrate your manual in "audio book" format. Rather, Nancy goes beyond your written manual and provides additional insights about her experience working with hundreds of nurse managers over her career. Topics include: the challenges that Nurse Managers face, dealing with the nursing staff shortage, recruiting and retaining a high-performance team, developing and managing a budget, building alliances with staff and colleagues, building a strong relationship with your supervisor, making the transition from staff to manager, influencing others without formal authority, setting high performance standards on the unit, and practical leadership skills required to be a successful Nurse Manager.

INCLUDED -- One-on-one, personalized consulting. With this program, you have access to insights and advice 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Email any question you have about the challenges of being a Nurse Manager, and we (generally Nancy McAward, the program developer) will respond to you personally, usually within one business day. To our knowledge, no other healthcare management program offers this level of support.

INCLUDED – 11.9 contact hours. This continuing nursing education activity was approved by the Georgia Nurses Association, an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation, for 11.9 contact hours. Dollar for dollar, this program is one of the most convenient, affordable ways available to earn contact hours. That's because you don't need to travel to a seminar or miss work. You also receive a certificate documenting that you have completed the Healthcare Performance Institute's "Nurse Manager Performance Leadership Program." When the Nurse Manager is ready, she completes an online test to confirm that she has completed the program and learned the material. Then she receives an exclusive ready-to-frame 8" X 11" Certificate from The Healthcare Performance Institute documenting that she has learned the material, along with the approved contact hours.

INCLUDED – Membership in the Healthcare Performance Institute, with its many benefits. As a member of the Healthcare Performance Institute, you receive ongoing best practices, access to live events and seminars, and networking with Nurse Managers from around the country.

The Kind of Nursing Leader Any Nurse Would Want to Follow:

" Nancy McAward is the kind of nursing leader any nurse would want to follow. She is passionate about ensuring that patients receive the best care possible by highly competent and caring nurses. She upholds the professional standards of nursing practice and promotes the professionalism of nurses to ensure that they provide patient centered, evidenced based care, work as part of an interdisciplinary team and focus on quality improvement. Nancy is always striving to highlight the work of nursing as a major contributor to improving patient outcomes."

- Joan M. Vitello, Ph.D, RN, FAAN, CNAA, System VP and Chief Nursing Officer, Hallmark Health

... Also, as we said a minute ago, you get a Nurse Manager OPERATIONS AND PERFORMANCE MANUAL that helps Nurse Managers rapidly become more effective in their job. This material reveals what you need to do to run a “tight ship,” maintain quality and service, and manage staff and other stakeholders. Plus, you get one-on-one support when you need it. These two features mean that you have your own team of experts on call, putting a management SYSTEM to work for you. That is why this Program is so unique.

As a Charter Member, you can receive the entire Program (the comprehensive Management Manual, Audio CDs, One-On-One Consulting, Contact Hours, and membership in The Healthcare Performance Institute) for $237.50, and you can even pay in five monthly installments of just $47.50 (If you wish to pay the full $237.50 up front, click here to do so).

Other programs and seminars cost over $500, even over $1,500, and are generic, "me-too" programs that don't include personal support. And they don't provide you with proven strategies and materials that you can put to work for you immediately. More importantly for many managers, these other programs don't provide this number of contact hours at such an affordable price -- without the inconveniences associated with live seminars.

At the same time, some consulting firms charge from $50,000 up to $150,000 to "consult to" Nurse Managers in a healthcare organization about this material.

Keep in mind, the information you get in this Program can be used by seasoned Nurse Managers as well as anybody just starting out in this challenging role. It applies to Nurse Managers in any in-patient setting, whether a community hospital or national system.

A natural to produce a guide to nurses seeking professional growth:

"Nancy McAward is a visionary nursing leader, tested and tempered by real world experience. She has a finely honed ability to assess clinical/administrative situations, garner staff support and develop an approach that invariably delivers. Healthcare today is as much business as science and Nancy excels in both worlds. She has been mentor to many and has always recognized and rewarded talent and hard work. She is a natural to produce a guide to nurses seeking professional growth."

- Walter E. Lander, RN, BSN, MHA; Nurse Manager, Adult and Pediatric Psychiatry,
Tufts-NEMC and Floating Hospital for Children

How Long Does the Program Take?

This Program has been developed for Nurse Managers to complete at their own pace. Most professional nurses take about 2 months to learn the materials and pass their Certification test. But Members can take as much or as little time as they like.

We have organized the program into manageable modules, and participants complete each module at their own pace. Participants also decide how often to get in touch with us for questions and support.

Who Should Enroll?

This program is for new and seasoned Nurse Managers in any patient care unit: Medical, Surgical, Intensive and Critical Care, Emergency Services, Labor & Delivery, and Rehabilitative Services.

Nurse Managers looking to accelerate their career enroll. In addition, CFOs, COOs, CNOs, and Vice Presidents of Nursing enroll their Nurse Managers (contact us for group rates, or try the program out as a pilot on a promising Nurse Manager).

Knowledge, Wisdom and Spirit:

" Nancy challenges people to express their innate curiosity and to visit (or, indeed, create) places that they had never dreamed of. She not only offers knowledge but wisdom and (above all) spirit, the spirit that goes into having the raw nerve to unleash the passion and talent of others."

- Maryann McQuarrie, MSN, MBA, Nurse Manager Tufts-NEMC (Operating Room)

What Topics Are Covered?

Here's some more of what's included with this Program:

1.	Learn the challenges that Nurse Managers face in their role – and how to overcome them. We lay out the six challenges that EVERY Nurse Manager must overcome to be successful, and give you the tools you need to manage these challenges.

2.	How to make the leap from being part of the staff to being a manager. Some Nurse Managers have a hard time making the transition from being a Staff RN to being part of the management team. We explain how to move forward in your new role and deal with the pressures and challenges Nurse Managers face as they adjust.
3.	How to increase nursing staff satisfaction and retention. The continuing nursing shortage be the biggest challenge for Nurse Managers to address and overcome. Your program lays out a detailed plan for you to attract, retain, and develop nursing staff. It also covers a variety of strategies for you to build strong alliances with your nursing staff, so that you set your unit and organization apart as a postive and high-performance work environment.

4.	The Financial Tools you need to succeed. Like it or not, healthcare organizations are under severe financial strain. Part of the Nurse Manager’s role is to help their organization stay financially sound. The program includes an entire toolkit to help Nurse Managers manage the costs that are in their control, along with step-by-step instructions about how to put these tools to work.

5.	How to plan and manage resources on the Unit. Proper planning and management, on a shift-by-shift basis, and especially between shifts, is essential for the Nurse Manager’s success. We show you how to keep an eye on key events on the unit and keep them under control.

6.	How to manage overtime, PTO, and agency time. With today’s shortage of nurses, it is more important than ever to manage these expenses properly. We share benchmarks and tools to assist you in analyzing, monitoring, and controlling scarce and precious resources.

7.	Learn how to set and track metrics to create a successful Unit. You will understand the quality, service, and productivity metrics required to lead an effective Unit. You also discover how the Nurse Manager should intervene when these metrics go astray – before it is too late.

8.	The keys to getting control of supply costs. Supply costs sometimes run amok on units. Your Program provides you with some simple tools and processes to monitor these costs and keep them in check.

9.	Maintaining high quality and service standards. It is difficult to balance cost pressure and quality/service. With this Program, you receive a holistic look at Unit Management, so that you can understand these sometimes conflicting tensions, and make sound decisions that benefit everybody – especially the patient.

10.	Handling Labor and Union issues. The challenge of negotiating with labor unions has become increasingly difficult as unions are more demanding and unrelenting in efforts to directly influence hospital management decisions. Sophistication, diplomacy and skill are requisite in dealing successfully with a unionized work force. Nancy McAward has years of experience in a variety of unionized settings working with both nursing and non-nursing bargaining units. She will share her repertoire of strategies to help you navigate the rough waters of unionized labor.

11.	Create a positive, performance-oriented culture. The Nurse Manager is the heart and soul of the nursing organization. It's the well prepared and confident manager who will establish a healthy open unit culture. She will establish standards of care, build an alliance with her staff and other members of the multi-disciplinary team and assure that each one feels valued and committed to organizational goals. Through this program we reveal the behavior and language that sets a positive tone, maintains open lines of communication and keeps people motivated – even during seemingly impossible times.

12.	Work successfully with the Medical Staff. Communication with some members of the Medical Staff can be challenging. But it is crucial that the nurse manager establish collegial relationships with the physicians. On the nursing unit the manager is accountable for controlling utilization of supplies and equipment, implementing approved treatment protocols, and managing discharges effectively -- and all of this while working with a finite budget. None of this can be accomplished effectively without an open dialogue and trusting relationship between physician and the Nurse Manager. We guide you in influencing the Medical Staff to collaborate with you; and we suggest strategies for handling the occasional "challenging" interpersonal exchange or an on-going dispute with a physician or other professional colleague.

13.	Manage multiple bosses. Nurse Managers have to deal with a variety of different bosses: across other units, from finance, from nursing, from admissions, from ancillary departments, and more. To do that, the Nurse Manager must know how to influence others without formal authority. We show you the four types of communication styles you need to use to be effective, and exactly when to use them. We do this with specific case studies that will be quite familiar to every Nurse Manager.

14.	Manage your staff. We provide a framework to know exactly how to communicate with staff in different situations: to acknowledge them, to coach them, to change behavior and attitudes, and to keep them engaged. This framework will serve the Nurse Manager powerfully throughout her career!

15.	How the Nurse Manager can make a major difference in your organization. We show Nurse Managers the SMART WAY to go about suggesting improvements, capturing lessons learned, and getting “buy in” – not just within the unit, but throughout the organization.

16.	ACCELERATE THE NURSE MANAGER'S CAREER AND DISCOVER NEW OPPORTUNITIES. This Program has information that can take years to learn on one's own. In a small amount of time, the Nurse Manager can gain an incredible wealth of experience and knowledge. Nurse Managers will use this program to get better results on their Unit(s) and in their organization. But they can also use it to take their careers further, faster - while discovering new opportunities to make a difference in healthcare.

Plus, here are more specifics about the tools you receive with this program:


	Guidance and on what the new Nurse Manager must do to transition from staff and have an immediate impact on the unit.and tools to make that transition.
	Four tactics to influence people without formal authority.
	The top three ways to satisfy medical staff.
	Three tools to assess relationships up, down and across the organization and build effective relationships quickly.
	23 strategies to build a loyal, effective caregiver team on the unit and improve retention and staff satisfaction.
	Eight best practices for staying within budget (in addition to step-by-step instructions on how to prepare and manage a budget).
	12 levers for managing a productive unit and having satisfied staff.
	A template for appropriately asserting expectations.
	Tools for saving time and making better decisions, including: the 80/20 rule, root cause analysis, logic trees, TQM, action planning, stakeholder analysis, comparing alternatives, and systems thinking.
	Step-by-step guidance on communicating clearly with one's supervisor.
	Over 14 metrics that every Nurse Manager must track consistently.
	How to manage the unit before, during, and after shifts and during the critical shift transition.
	24 time management tactics to set boundaries and remain efficient and effective.
	Tools to keep track of and control supplemental resources such as overtime, per diem, and agency.
	A detailed spreadsheet to plan and track use of resources on the unit at different census levels.
	The three keys to working in a unionized environment.
	21 situations where formal disciplinary action is required, and how to handle these issues.
	The six different types of employee management situations and how to handle them for maximum results.
	Four systems thinking tools to understand the overall hospital and its inter-relations with the nursing unit.
	The key roles in the hospital and their challenges.
	An overview of the patient's point of view during an episode of care, and important lessons for the Nurse Manager.
	Tools to manage and improve quality and service on the unit.
	Dozens of exercises and self-assessments for the Nurse Manager to understand, evaluate and improve her own leadership and effectiveness on the unit.
	A tool to manage one's ongoing career and self-development.
	A 136-point self-assessment and checklist of the key competencies of a successful Nurse Manager.

AND, with the Program, you also get personal one-on-one consulting with a leading Nurse Executive, a comprehensive Unit Management manual and Audio CDs, a Certificate of Completion, and Membership in the rapidly growing Healthcare Performance Institute.

Please read these important points:

Remember -- if anything at all is not covered in this Program, you can contact us anytime with your questions. We will personally respond to your email within one business day.

Also, this System is not a "book" that you "read." Nothing like it. You will get a toolbox of ready-to-use strategies, materials, actual examples, and personalized support.

You will pull out a "tool" and put it right to work for you, providing improved patient care and helping your organization succeed.

Consider Your Return on Investment

Now please consider your return on investment by enrolling in this program today:

You learn everything you need to do as part of a comprehensive system. You get the tools you need to manage successfully. You even get one-on-one support Nancy McAward and The Healthcare Performance Institute, whenever you need it.

If you get these materials and put them into place, we guarantee that you will see results -- great results – on your Unit and in your career. In fact, some healthcare organizations have seen from 5% to as much as 18% improvements in productivity on their nursing units by implementing the tools in this Program.

What is greater confidence, peace of mind, and knowledge about the difficult Nurse Manager position worth to you? What is it worth to you to have a one-on-one, confidential source of support and guidance – when everyone else at your organization is so busy? What is it worth to achieve the goals of your organization and Unit?

This decision is not a difficult one.

Think again about everything you're getting with The Healthcare Performance Institute's "Nurse Manager Performance Leadership Program":

		A Unit Management Performance Manual that shows step-by-step the secrets to running a Unit with high quality, excellent service, and top productivity. It is broken out into simple steps that shows the Nurse Manager exactly what to do to succeed.

		Audio CDs that take you beyond the content in your manual. You can listen to over 3 hours of content while Nancy McAward leads you through her wisdom and expertise about succeeding as a Nurse Manager.