Nursing Administration and Management

Careers in Nursing Administration and Management

Nurse managers oversee teams of registered nurses and nurse practitioners, often stationed on a single
hospital floor or within a specific hospital department, like oncology, the emergency room or pediatrics.
Nurse managers and administrators begin their careers as registered nurses, and, through experience,
they develop the skills necessary to become effective managers. Nurse managers must have excellent
leadership and communication skills. They often interact with hospital administrators and health care
professionals in other specialties. Great nurse managers are both diplomatic and persuasive. They
understand the challenges facing today's health care industry and are able to work within the system to
provide patients with first rate medical care.

2. Levels of Management - Top, Middle and Lower Level

Post: Gaurav Akrani. Date: 5/01/2011 10:14:00 AM IST.
No Comments.Label: Management.

Meaning of Levels of Management

Many managers work in an organisation. However, these managers do not work at

the same level. They work and operate at different positions. Hierarchy of these
managerial positions is called Levels of Management.

Three Levels of Management

Generally, there are Three Levels of Management, viz.,

Administrative or Top Level of Management.
Executive or Middle Level of Management.
Supervisory or Lower Level of Management.
At each level, individual manager has to carry out different roles and functions.

Diagram of Levels of Management

Top Level of Management

The Top Level Management consists of the Board of Directors (BOD) and the Chief
Executive Officer (CEO). The Chief Executive Officer is also called General Manager
(GM) or Managing Director (MD) or President. The Board of Directors are the
representatives of the Shareholders, i.e. they are selected by the Shareholders of
the company. Similarly, the Chief Executive Officer is selected by the Board of
Directors of an organisation.
The main role of the top level management is summarized as follows :The top level management determines the objectives, policies and plans of the
organisation.
They mobilises (assemble and bring together) available resources.
The top level management does mostly the work of thinking, planning and deciding.
Therefore, they are also called as the Administrators and the Brain of the
organisation.
They spend more time in planning and organising.
They prepare long-term plans of the organisation which are generally made for 5 to
20 years.
The top level management has maximum authority and responsibility. They are the
top or final authority in the organisation. They are directly responsible to the
Shareholders, Government and the General Public. The success or failure of the
organisation largely depends on their efficiency and decision making.
They require more conceptual skills and less technical Skills.
Middle Level of Management

The Middle Level Management consists of the Departmental Heads (HOD), Branch
Managers, and the Junior Executives. The Departmental heads are Finance
Managers, Purchase Managers, etc. The Branch Managers are the head of a branch
or local unit. The Junior Executives are Assistant Finance Managers, Assistant
Purchase Managers, etc. The Middle level Management is selected by the Top Level
Management.
The middle level management emphasize more on following tasks :Middle level management gives recommendations (advice) to the top level
management.
It executes (implements) the policies and plans which are made by the top level
management.
It co-ordinate the activities of all the departments.
They also have to communicate with the top level Management and the lower level
management.
They spend more time in co-ordinating and communicating.
They prepare short-term plans of their departments which are generally made for 1
to 5 years.
The middle Level Management has limited authority and responsibility. They are
intermediary between top and lower management. They are directly responsible to
the chief executive officer and board of directors.
Require more managerial and technical skills and less conceptual skills.
Lower Level of Management

The lower level management consists of the Foremen and the Supervisors. They are
selected by the middle level management. It is also called Operative / Supervisory
level or First Line of Management.
The lower level management performs following activities :Lower level management directs the workers / employees.
They develops morale in the workers.
It maintains a link between workers and the middle level management.
The lower level management informs the workers about the decisions which are
taken by the management. They also inform the management about the
performance, difficulties, feelings, demands, etc., of the workers.
They spend more time in directing and controlling.
The lower level managers make daily, weekly and monthly plans.
They have limited authority but important responsibility of getting the work done
from the workers. They regularly report and are directly responsible to the middle
level management.

Along with the experience and basic management skills, they also require more
technical and communication skills.

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3. Small Business >

Managing Employees >
Managers

Characteristics and Attributes of a Good Manager

by Melinda Hill Mendoza, Demand Media

Good managers are able to bring their teams together around common goals.

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Good management is critical to the success of a small business. Poor management affects
staff morale, customer service and the quality of your product. Since small businesses may
only have a few managers, even one poor manager can have a significant impact on your
bottom line. Successful managers have common characteristics that you can seek out and
develop in your own management staff.
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Leadership
Good managers should be able to lead the employees they manage. Leadership traits
include emotional stability, enthusiasm and self-assurance, according to the U.S. Small
Business Administration. Managers display emotional stability by not letting frustration and
stress become overwhelming. Enthusiasm means the manager is energetic and engaged.
Managers display self-assurance by not being overly affected by mistakes or failures.

Communication
Good managers must be able to communicate well. Managers communicate to employees
who report to them, other managers and clients. Communication may be in person, over the
phone or via email. Managers also facilitate communication between employees who report
to them. Good managers are also able to listen effectively. They take the time to listen to
what employees and customers have to say and are able to communicate that they
understood what was said and act accordingly. Good managers are also aware of nonverbal
communication. What they do communicates as loudly as anything they say. Good
managers are aware of the example they set for the employees they manage.
Related Reading: How to Identify Characteristics of a Good Marketing Plan

Planning
Good managers are organized. They know what needs to be done and when it needs to be
done. They know and understand the goals of your business and what the employees they
supervise need to do to achieve that goal. If you give them a task or goal, they are able to
plan the steps involved in achieving that goal and communicate the steps to the employees
that need to carry those steps out. Exactly what needs to be planned varies depending on
the type of business. Typically, good managers need to be able to plan out schedules,
inventory and departmental budgets.

Problem-Solving
Good managers are able to identify and solve problems. Whether its a personnel issue, an
upset customer or a difficult vendor, good managers can think of creative solutions to
problems, then execute the solutions. Good managers also take responsibility for problems
that arise rather than seeing them as someone elses responsibility and take an ethical
approach to problem-solving.

4. Answer:

Research by Robert L. Katz concluded that managers needed three essential

skills. These are technical skills, human skills, and conceptual skills.
Technical skills are the job-specific knowledge and techniques needed to
perform specific tasks proficiently. Human skills involve the ability to work
well with other people both individually and in a group. Conceptual skills are
the skills managers use to think and to conceptualize about abstract and
complex situations.

Technical skills tend to be more important for lower-level managers.

This is because lower-level managers typically manage employees who use
tools and techniques to produce the organization's products and services.
Human skills are equally important at all levels of management,
because all managers must deal directly with people.
Conceptual skills are most important at top levels of management.
Managers at top levels must use conceptual skills to see the organization as
a whole, to understand the relationships among various subunits, and to
visualize how the organization fits into its broader environment.