How to become A Head Nurse

Save one person; you’re a hero. Save hundreds; you’re a Head Nurse who works at the heart of healthcare. Constant attention to the overall care of patients by a good Head Nurse may be just as significant as a major operation by a surgeon.

• Senior Nursing Officer
• Matron
• Nursing Officer
• Clinical Nurse Manager
• Director of Nursing
• Nursing Supervisor
• Nursing Superintendent

What do Head Nurses do?

A Head Nurse would typically need to:

• Take charge of the overall care of patients seeking treatment at outpatient and inpatient medical facilities; manage a team of nurses across a healthcare facility or a particular department
• Consult and collaborate with doctors and other healthcare specialists to prepare and follow individual care plans for each patient; update doctors regularly on patients’ progress
• Supervise the performance of their team of licensed practical nurses, nursing assistants, staff, and home health aides to ensure they fulfill job requirements
• Maintain a healthy working relationship with their staff, including conflict resolution where necessary
• Observe, assess, and record patients’ condition and symptoms; record their medical histories
• Establish and maintain a significant relationship of trust and confidence with patients and their attendants; reassure them and communicate treatment options
• Clear patients’ queries and teach them how to manage illnesses or injuries at home; advocate on behalf of patients
• Make sure all their patients receive appropriate attention before, during, and after medical procedures and surgery
• Prepare the nursing duty roster every week to organize staff and prioritize busy workloads; circulate it to the respective departments; allocate resources like medication, doctors, and equipment, as per need
• Operate and monitor medical equipment; set up drips and blood transfusions; check and administer drugs and injections
• Prepare patients for operations; treat wounds; monitor temperature, pulse, and blood pressure; carry out routine investigations, assist with other diagnostic tests, and analyze the results
• Prepare, maintain, and monitor all pre-and post-procedure medical records and consent forms; provide doctors with relevant paperwork and information on their patients
• Keep in touch with and relay information to a variety of parties; issue reports to upper management of the facility; give specific instructions to specialty doctors as needed
• Monitor and keep records on facility resources; monitor waste management and the cleaning of the operation theater and their wing
• Screen and hire potential employees; mentor junior and student nurses and train new hires; order or suggest continuing education or remedial training and classes for their staff when needed
• Contact other facilities if they do not have enough room for new admissions or if patients require specialized care
• Plan discharges from the hospital; liaise with GPs and social workers; refer patients’ files to billing and payment departments, or process payment information on their own
• Educate patients about their health by running clinics and education sessions or giving talks, within the facility or elsewhere, on topics such as diabetes, weight loss, and quitting smoking

The environment and working conditions vary between hospitals and wards depending on various factors, such as the nature of patient care needed, the specialty of the department you are in charge of, the size of your team, and management policies. The conditions and demands of work in the sterilized atmosphere of an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) or operating theater would be different from those in individual rooms of patients. Typically, when not in direct contact with patients or physicians, the Head Nurse is located at the nurses’ station in their particular ward, wing, floor, or department. Head Nurses influence the working environment through the quality of their supervision and advocacy.

Nursing shortages have led to the introduction of flexible working as a means of retaining staff. Some nurses frequently travel within their home country and worldwide to help care for patients in places with insufficient healthcare workers.

Your uniform would vary depending on the kind of job and medical facility in which you work. Many hospitals have uniform policies that require their nurses to wear all-white or the currently popular color-coded scrubs unique to the setting - blue for nurses, yellow for housekeeping, pink for aides, and so on.

In all cases, a uniform that is taken care of and fits right, closed-toe shoes, short or secured hair, and subtle and mild scents go a long way in establishing patient confidence in you. Typically, the uniform must be practical, durable, wash very well, and allow unrestricted movement.

Head Nurses usually work a standard 37.5 hours per week. Nurses who work in hospitals and nursing care facilities typically work in shifts to provide round-the-clock coverage, which means they may also work nights, weekends, and holidays. When it is their turn for on-call duty, they must stay prepared to work at short notice.

Head Nurses work in a variety of medical facilities such as hospitals, treatment centers, or nursing homes. In general, more extensive facilities need Head Nurses to coordinate their nursing teams.

Head Nurses are generally employed by:

• Hospitals
• GP Practices
• Nursing Homes
• Treatment/Health Centers
• Residential Homes
• Hospices
• Specialist Units

Professional associations and organizations are crucial for a Head Nurse interested in pursuing professional development or connecting with like-minded professionals in their industry or occupation. Membership in one or more adds value to your resume while bolstering your credentials and qualifications.

Healthcare associations, such as the International Council of Nurses (ICN), provide unparalleled networking and educational opportunities. They offer all the certification courses members will need throughout their professional careers. Affiliated Head Nurses may attend conventions, seminars, and dinners frequented by peers, mentors, and other industry leaders. The events help them keep up with the newest breakthroughs and latest developments in the field, including plum jobs.

• Physically demanding as considerable time is spent walking, bending, stretching, and standing; vulnerable to back injuries because they must often lift and move patients
• The need to guard against infectious disease and other dangers, like radiation, accidental needle sticks, potentially harmful and hazardous drugs, and other substances such as chemicals used for sterilization purposes
• Emotionally demanding work which entails watching and dealing with the suffering of their patients and their relatives
• May have the unpleasant task of firing their friends in lower nursing positions

At least five years as a staff nurse will help aspiring Head Nurses apply for the position. Employers prefer staff nurses who accept shifts in different departments and perhaps apply to become a charge nurse to gain valuable, varied work experience. Visiting hospitals and talking to nurses directly about the role would give you useful insights into the career of nursing. Although pre-entry experience is not essential for employment as an entry-level nurse, relevant work experience as a care worker will prove advantageous.

A Head Nurse needs at least a bachelor’s degree in nursing, though most hospitals prefer a master’s from an accredited school. Nursing education programs usually include biomedical sciences, human biology, life & medical science, physiology, psychology, and social work. Supervised clinical experience is usually a mandatory feature, as are courses in communication, leadership, and critical thinking during emergencies.

Some locations allow accreditation of prior learning if applicants have a degree in another health-related subject or other practice-based education. Evidence of this learning may count towards the program requirements of some of the approved degrees and postgraduate diplomas, allowing for the course to be accelerated. Interested students should contact the relevant institution directly for more information.

Having a disability or health condition is not held against an applicant, as long as they can safely and effectively carry out their duties without supervision. A criminal record may also not be a bar to training but would be the subject of full and open discussion during the interview.

All Head Nurses need a license to practice. Individual government entities conduct the licensing, which requires the candidates to graduate from an approved nursing program. Certification in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) or basic life support (BLS) is usually mandatory. They may also seek voluntary certification in specific areas such as ambulatory care, gerontology, or pediatrics.

Certification from an objective and reputed organization can help you gain professional credibility, increase your chances for advancement, and carry a significant salary premium of up to 18 percent.

Successful certification programs protect public welfare by incorporating a Code of Ethics. Investigation of members who practice outside the Code earns community trust and respect, which are the most critical elements in securing a Head Nurse’s future.

Performance, experience, and acquisition of professional qualifications drive career progression. All nurses have management roles, but some career paths are more management-orientated than others. As you become more senior, you may have less hands-on nursing responsibility.

Progression to roles such as ward sister, ward manager, and team leader depends on developing management skills and the level of specialist knowledge you hold. Head Nurses may advance to senior-level administrative roles, such as Assistant Director or Director of Nursing, Vice President of Nursing, or Chief Nursing Officer. Increasingly, management-level nursing positions require a master’s degree in nursing or health services administration.

There is high competition for jobs as Head Nurse. Registered nurses who have a Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree in nursing will have better job prospects than those without one. Employers also prefer candidates who have some related work experience or certification in a specialty area.

Head Nurses need to renew their registration with the relevant authorities regularly. Requirements usually include completing around 450 hours of registered practice and 35 hours of continuing professional development (CPD) over three years. Although CPD is useful in various professions, it is crucial in the healthcare sector as it has important implications for public wellbeing. Ideal career progression happens when Head Nurses actively choose to expand their skill-sets and meet the requirements of their respective regulatory bodies.

An important consideration in medical education in recent years has been how to transform the masses of facts and skills that doctors accumulate in their training into adaptive clinical skills that work in the real world.

The central concern of CPD is that of lifelong learning with its application to professional lives. CPD is more than just a policy or some form of bureaucratic procedure. It is not just a set of boxes to be ticked mindlessly. It is value-laden and embraces several new learning objectives, educational methodologies, and novel technological developments, especially in education, management, and IT.

Reflective learning, interaction with peer groups, comprehensive inclusion, workshops, professional publications serve to educate, influence, support, and foster lifelong enlightenment in all career-grade Head Nurses.

Head Nurses can also choose to train in clinical specialisms such as cardiac nursing, infection control, theatre & recovery, and multiple sclerosis. Many universities offer structured part-time learning programs, leading to a Master of Science (MSc) degree or even a PhD qualification.

A Complex Role

Head Nurses are vital to medical teams in hospitals, care homes, hospices, and smaller specialty medical practices. In consultation with doctors, they supervise all patient care in their department and act as line manager to the other nurses on the team, a tricky role, indeed.

A Combination of Attributes

The Head Nurse’s role requires advanced nursing skills and a sound understanding of the nursing practice to carry out regular nursing duties. Besides, Head Nurses must exemplify diverse qualities such as leadership to discharge their supervisory role. Many of these attributes are inherent, while others are acquired through experience in the field.

Compassionate and Humanistic

Head Nurses must observe a compassionate approach, even under pressure in critical situations. A humanistic management philosophy, which considers staff as people first and nurses later, fosters staff morale and better performance.

Wearing a Manager’s Hat

Like a corporate manager, a Head Nurse must organize an entire unit’s activities and responsibilities and handle associated tasks. Facilitating and delivering quality nursing care includes coordination with other nurses and other staff. Advocating with management for nursing staff requires an unbiased attitude and sincerity.

Using their strong analytical skills, Head Nurses make decisions such as which nurse to allocate to which patient. Multitasking helps Head Nurses efficiently fulfill their administrative duties and deliver exceptional patient care.

Peacekeeping

Negotiation and conflict resolution are integral aspects of a Head Nurse’s job profile. A peaceful environment and a content nursing unit ensure that patient care functions smoothly.

Head Nurses must effectively manage any conflicts that may arise about patient care schedules or even personal disputes among the staff. Before transferring any disciplinary issues to higher authorities, Head Nurses must try to sort them out at their level.

Role Models

Head Nurses are role models to the community as they uphold nursing practice standards and care guidelines. They must communicate with empathy, clarity, and respect at all times and with all stakeholders. At the same time, they must have healthy self-esteem and a deep sense of responsibility so that their teams trust them and respect their authority as leaders. The Head Nurse must build good relationships with staff, management, and other specialty departments, remaining friendly and open-minded, and creating a patient-centered environment.

The Perks

The job comes with a higher paycheck and equally large responsibilities. Nursing demands much of you, but the satisfaction is matchless when you see that the care you provide yields improved health, recovery, or reduced suffering for your patients.

On average, nurses walk four to five miles every 12-hour shift they work. A layman walks about 2.5 miles every day on average.

To do what nobody else will do, in a way that nobody else can do, despite all they go through...that is what it is to be a Head Nurse.

A Nurse is not what you do. It is what you are…