Nurse supervisors are experienced nurses who apply their clinical expertise and leadership experience to support nursing staff. They ensure their teams are competent and efficient, oversee delivery of high-quality patient care, and ensure adherence to policies and procedures. A registered nurse (RN) license is required to work as a nurse supervisor.
An accredited nursing degree program can be a strong foundation for a nurse supervisor career, enabling students to develop the skills and knowledge they will need to lead their teams to success.
Nurse Supervisor Job Description
A nurse supervisor’s job description may vary due to factors such as facility type, patient needs, scheduling requirements, level of education, and years of experience. Despite these variances, all nurse supervisors commonly perform most of the following tasks on a regular basis.
Supervising the activities of nursing staff, including nurses and aides
Encouraging, leading, and guiding staff to provide exceptional patient care
Managing the privacy and integrity of patient and employee records in accord with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)
Serving as a liaison between patients, nursing staff, physicians, surgeons, and others who are directly involved in their patients’ care
Performing vital clinical and administrative functions, including admittance and discharge as well as treatment, delivering medication, taking vital signs, obtaining patient history, and more
Keeping up-to-date with the latest trends in nursing and patient care, and relaying this information to their staff
Designing and implementing policies that make the facility’s delivery of patient care better, more organized, and more efficient
Planning, delegating, and assigning healthcare tasks to nurses, aides, and other staff
Maintaining an open line of communication with patients and their caregivers
Offering emotional support to patients, caregivers, and staff
Hiring and training nursing staff
Conducting regular staff reviews
Typical Work Environments
Nurse supervisors work in a wide range of facilities and settings. These include hospitals, doctors’ offices, clinics, nursing homes and residential care facilities, urgent care centers, and government institutions such as clinics and hospitals managed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
The work environment is often fast-paced and dynamic. Most nurse supervisors work full-time with shifts during the day, evening, or overnight. They may be called on to work weekends and holidays, and some organizations may ask them to be on call for emergencies.
Steps to Become a Nurse Supervisor
The steps involved in becoming a nurse supervisor include earning a degree, developing skills, gaining experience, obtaining credentials, and pursuing ongoing professional development. The scope and nature of these steps may vary from one candidate to the next, depending on their existing education and experience.
1. Earn a Nursing Degree
A nurse supervisor must complete a nursing program that prepares students to pass the NCLEX-RN and obtain an RN license. An Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) or a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) can provide the knowledge and skills to become an RN and, with experience, pursue the nurse supervisor role.
2. Develop Key Skills
Nurse supervisors should develop several soft and hard skills that make them effective clinicians and leaders. While some of these skills are taught during a nursing degree program, others must be honed through time and experience.
Soft Skills
Important soft skills for nurse supervisors include:
Communication. Nurse supervisors must be able to clearly convey directives and instructions, listen to their patients’ needs, give helpful feedback, and listen to their teams’ concerns.
Problem solving. The dynamic nature of the healthcare sector can lead to a regular influx of challenges. Nurse supervisors must be able to take these challenges in stride to handle complications or crises.
Empathy. Empathy is critical for supervisors in every profession, and it is particularly vital in healthcare. The ability to understand how others are feeling is foundational to delivering effective patient care and team leadership.
Leadership. Leading a team of nurses relies on the nurse supervisor’s ability to inspire, delegate tasks, and build a positive work culture, even in the face of crisis.
Hard Skills
Some of the hard skills that nurse supervisors should learn and develop include:
Clinical knowledge. Despite their administrative roles, nurse supervisors also offer clinical care to patients, and they guide their teams to provide exceptional care. Firm knowledge of nursing practice is important for efficiency and quality.
Staff evaluation. Nurse supervisors must understand the metrics involved in measuring their staff’s performance, determine their staff’s strengths and weaknesses, and provide compliments and feedback as required.
Healthcare administration software knowledge. Nurse supervisors spend a great deal of time performing administrative work. Knowledge of electronic health records and various other types of software is important for ensuring accuracy and coordinating care.
3. Gain Work Experience
According to Indeed, most organizations that hire nurse supervisors prefer candidates who have at least three to five years of clinical experience along with at least one to two years of managerial experience. Assuming the role of a charge nurse is an excellent way to gain this leadership experience.
4. Earn a Nursing License and Certifications
To work as a nurse in any capacity, including in leadership roles, candidates must have a valid and unencumbered RN license in the state in which they practice. Other certifications are optional, but they can help aspiring nurse supervisors stand out from the crowd and make an impression on the hiring facility.
Some of the most popular certifications include: the Certified Nurse Manager and Leader (CNML) credential offered by the American Organization for Nursing Leadership (AONL), and the Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality (CPHQ) credential offered by the National Association for Healthcare Quality (NAHQ).
5. Pursue Ongoing Professional Development
Ongoing professional development comes in many forms, from pursuing additional credentials, to taking relevant courses, to participating in workshops and conferences. Some nurse supervisors go on to earn their Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree, which prepares them to take on even more responsibilities in roles like director of nursing or chief nursing officer.
Job Outlook for a Nurse Supervisor
The employment of medical and health services managers, including nurse supervisors, is expected to grow by 28% between 2022 and 2032, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). As the Baby Boomer population continues to age, demand for medical services is expected to increase. Effective nurse supervisors will continue to play an important role in delivering the best patient care possible.
Put Your Leadership Skills to Work as a Nurse Supervisor
As the dynamic healthcare sector continues to grow and evolve, and as more people than ever before gain access to much-needed care, demand for well-educated, empathetic, and credentialed nurse supervisors is expected to rise.
Fortis offers ADN programs as well as an online RN-to-BSN program through a relationship with the Denver College of Nursing that recognizes the Fortis ADN degree for acceptance into the program. Learn more about how a nursing degree from Fortis can lead to an exciting career in healthcare, whether you plan to work as a nurse supervisor, or move onto other nurse leadership roles.
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