Some of the reasons for the high turnover rates and nursing shortages are the aging nurse
population, decreased rates of nursing school enrollments, increased workloads, poor nurse
staffing ratios and increased acuity of patients. According to Retention reflects leadership styles,
nurses do not leave their jobs because of the hospital but leave because of the managers (Ribelin,
2003). Poor nursing leadership and management decreases chances of career development,
decreases teamwork, and increases poor communication. All these factors also contribute to
reasons for the high nursing turnover rates.
In regards to nursing shortages and turnover rates, nursing managers and nursing leaders
have different approaches. The difference between the approaches is caused by the different roles
that these positions have. According to the textbook, Leadership and Nursing Care Management,
the nurse manager role is given power by the organization to manage the staff in order to achieve
the organization’s goals (Huber, 2014). The nursing managers are focused on short-term goals,
completing objectives, time management, and productivity management. Their objectives are
aligned with the organization’s missions, goals, and policies. Nurse managers put importance in
being efficient, meeting deadlines, managing budgets, and providing a stable work environment
for the staff. As the nurse manager would put more value in the efficiency of a nurse’s work
above everything else, the nurse manager could only view the nurse as a number on the floor’s
statistics. By being present and attentive to the nurses needs, nurse managers can help reduce the
turnover rates.
Nurse managers can address the nursing staff’s needs by assisting with flexible
scheduling, staffing the adequate amount of nurses, and supplying the unit with the necessary
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EFFECTIVE APPROACHES IN LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT
equipment. They can go an extra step by assisting the nursing staff further their education and
careers through educational reimbursements and incentives. By ensuring the nursing staff’s
personal and professional needs are met, the nurse managers can retain their staff better and have
higher staff satisfaction scores. While the nurse managers can directly address the turnover rates,
the nursing shortage is a harder issue to tackle. Due to a shortage in nurses, the nurse manager
cannot hire nurses that do not exist. The federal government needs to increase educational
funding for nursing programs in order to support the dwindling nursing population. These
additional funding will lead to more programs and more seats opening up in colleges all across
the country.
On the other hand, the nursing leadership role approaches nursing turnover rates and
shortages on more of a personal level and less of a systematic level. Nursing leaders lead by
influencing staff through effective communication, building trust and teamwork among the staff,
and representing the organization’s visions through the nurse manager’s goals. The nurse leaders
should lead by mentoring, motivating and inspiring the staff to achieve the unit’s goals. They
look for creative ways to achieve the unit’s goals and are flexible to the staff needs. According to
the article, Leadership: A Key Strategy in Staff Nurse Retention, effective and efficient leadership
is a crucial part of staff retention (Kleinman, 2004). By the nursing leadership being in tune with
the nursing staff needs and holding influence over the staff, the nursing staff would value the
leader and support the leader. As mentioned previously, most nurses value the staff they work
with over the acuity of the patient. Great nursing leaders can be the deciding factor in nurse’s
decision to stay with a unit.
The writer’s personal and professional philosophy fits best with the nursing management
approach. The writer believes it is possible to portray the nursing leader’s qualities while being
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EFFECTIVE APPROACHES IN LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT
an efficient nursing manager. More than encouraging the unit to achieve the organization’s goals,
the writer put more value in a adequately staffed and equipped unit. While the staff’s personal
needs are important, addressing the professional needs of the staff can provide a positive
workspace and increase the staff retention rates. By influencing the organization to provide
additional support for the unit, the nurse manager can also be a nurse leader that the staff would
value and support. Once the staff supp