Nurse manager vs. Nurse leader: What's the difference?

Nursing is a call to leadership

By its very nature, the professional nurse role is one of leadership. Across the healthcare continuum, regardless of our role or practice setting, we are looked to as leaders. As nursing students, we are taught we will lead colleagues from other ancillary groups, oversee care teams and be accountable for patient care outcomes. Some nurses spend years leading in an informal leadership capacity, while others take on formal management and leadership roles. However, all management and leadership roles are not the same, and although the titles often are used interchangeably, they are not synonymous.

The nurse manager role up close

Whether managing a unit, division or service line, at its core the nurse manager role is to ensure everything functions like a well-oiled machine. The nurse manager is involved in myriad daily tasks and details related to patient care planning, quality improvement, goal setting and budgeting. But that’s not all. Nurse managers also oversee staff schedules and assignments, performance, professional growth and the ongoing provision of educational and career enhancement opportunities. The manager is responsible for ensuring the staff carries out all assignments and is held accountable if they’re not.

And staff members — nurses, CNAs, techs, etc. — have certain expectations for their nurse managers. They look to their managers for clear communication, direction and support in fulfilling their roles and responsibilities. They also want their managers to be available, open and honest. Nurse managers are their source for information, advice and guidance, but they also want — and deserve — encouragement, clear expectations and directions, and some teaching and coaching. Most of all, they want to be included in decision-making, recognized for their contributions and considered important to the team.

“Nurse managers are their source for information, advice and guidance, but they also want — and deserve — encouragement, clear expectations and directions, and some teaching and coaching.”

The nurse leader role up close

Upper level nurse leaders, in most instances, are less task-oriented than nurse managers. They are less hands-on and more focus on setting standards, spearheading transformation and inspiring and influencing their teams. They are charged with fulfilling the organization’s mission, vision and strategic long-range plans.

Their role involves policy setting and overseeing quality measures; dealing with regulatory compliance, certainly taking on fiscal responsibilities and more. They have responsibility and accountability for the overall quality of patient care delivery, patient and staff satisfaction, and organizational outcomes.

Both staff and management look to them for their knowledge, experience and vision. Their role is an expansive one that touches the entire organization.

Managers and leaders complement each other

Managers function best in the company of good leaders, but both roles should be filled by individuals who earn the respect and admiration of their staff, are passionate about their work and instill that passion in their staff. Both managers and leaders:

Must be motivators who positively influence their staff and set positive examples.
Must have excellent decision-making skills — able to coordinate teams and delegate duties.
Must be committed to the organization and those they lead.

Title aside, all nurses are called to leadership

The call to leadership moves all of us to a higher plane of responsibility and accountability, with or without a management title; it is inherent in all nursing positions from staff nurse to CEO. We all have similar goals and responsibilities for patient care.

“The call to leadership moves all of us to a higher plane of responsibility and accountability, with or without a management title; it is inherent in all nursing positions from staff nurse to CEO.”

With all the changes currently underway in our healthcare delivery system and the nursing profession, all nurses must strive to emulate the hallmarks of good management and leadership and never stop working on our professional growth. We all need to stay informed and be politically saavy; we need to know what our professional journals and nursing organizations are saying and advance our education.

In the end, all nurses must be visionaries, critical thinkers, skilled communicators and teachers. And the good news is you do not need a formal manager or leader title required to do any of these things.