Nurse Supervisor Roles and Responsibilities

NURSE SUPERVISOR ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Nursing supervisors provide a critical link between hospital management and clinical
care, overseeing patient-care operations, assigning and monitoring staff nurses and identifying
and implementing quality improvements. In the nursing supervisor role, registered nurses (RNs)
are ultimately responsible for healthcare teams and maintaining safe and smooth operations
within a unit.
Becoming a nursing supervisor typically means moving out of a direct care role and
shifting one’s duties toward administration. This managerial role is essential for every unit at a
hospital to run smoothly. Nursing supervisor jobs also involve directly interacting with
patients and their families in clinical settings. Like their nursing staff, nursing supervisors are
dedicated advocates for patients. Often working alongside staff nurses in treating patients,
nursing supervisors are keenly aware of patient concerns. When nurses are unable to share
patient observations with physicians, nursing supervisors represent nursing staff and report
their findings.
As the leaders of their team, nursing supervisors work with others in their area of care.
They ensure that each member understands clinical tasks and responsibilities, and they provide
critical feedback for other nurses, share their professional knowledge, arrange trainings, and
support their team as issues arise. Day-to-day tasks often include:
● Creating schedules. Nursing supervisors schedule and assign nurses to specific

patients and tasks and follow up on work results to ensure the highest quality of care.
● Planning treatment for patients. Individuals in this role interact with patients as well as
other nurses to plan and implement a course of treatment. They assist in measuring the
outcomes of specific treatments and adjust as necessary to ensure the wellbeing of
those in their care.
● Balance Staffing Needs with Personal Needs. To keep nurses on the job, nursing
supervisors ensure appropriate staffing levels across the entire facility while keeping
workloads manageable for individual nurses.
● Budget development and oversight. Nursing supervisors are not only in charge of
human resources and quality of care, but are also often responsible for their unit’s
financials. They monitor expenditures, create budgets, and make changes as necessary.
● Supervising the work of others. One of the most important tasks assumed by nursing
supervisors is selecting, training, coaching, and advising others on their team. They
make sure everyone adheres to organizational policies and completes their work
successfully. They also assess and evaluate ongoing performance of the nursing staff.
● Hiring, teaching and training. Nurse supervisors hire and train nurses who are new to
the profession or the facility by providing clear directions. They also conduct ongoing
staff training to ensure quality standards of the highest degree in nursing activities.
● Discipline. Nursing supervisors discipline staff members when necessary, using positive
techniques that emphasize retraining and reteaching rather than punishment and
embarrassment.
● Improve Work Environments. One of the keys to success in nursing supervisor jobs is
building knowledgeable and productive nursing teams that are effective in delivering
patient care.
● Improve Communication. Good relationships between nurse supervisors, nurses, and
doctors are imperative to delivering quality care as they coordinate nursing functions.
QUALIFICATIONS
Before taking on the role of a nursing supervisor, many find it necessary to complete
several degrees and significant on-the-job training. Through this process, nursing supervisors
gain in-depth knowledge of administrative and managerial practices and best practices in
healthcare, and learn vital organizational and problem-solving skills.
To become a nursing supervisor, students often complete the following steps:

1. Become a Registered Nurse. A career as a nursing supervisor involves intimate
knowledge of the ins and outs of healthcare and the role of the nurse in providing patient
care.
2. Gain Clinical Nursing Experience. Before stepping into a leadership role, most nurses
spend at least three to five years practicing. Having years of clinical experience as a
nurse before taking on a nursing supervisor role allows for greater perspective on the
responsibilities fulfilled by the team.
3. Earn a Master’s Degree. At a minimum, most employers require a Bachelor of Science
in Nursing paired with experience in the field to become a nursing supervisor. However,
many employers require that potential nursing supervisors also hold a master’s degree,
such as a Master of Science in Nursing. Advanced study prepares nurses for the
increasingly complex demands of executive leadership in healthcare.
References:
● Maryville University (2021). How to become a nursing supervisor. Retrieved From:
https://online.maryville.edu/online-masters-degrees/master-science-
nursing/careers/nursing-supervisor/
● Nursing Supervisor: Master of Science in Nursing Careers. (2018). Maryville Online.
https://online.maryville.edu/online-masters-degrees/master-science-
nursing/careers/nursing-supervisor/
● Role of the Nursing Supervisor in Hospital Settings. (2020, May 27). Duquesne
University School of Nursing. https://onlinenursing.duq.edu/blog/role-of-the-nursing-
supervisor-in-hospital-settings/
● Want to Become a Nursing Supervisor? Job Description and Fundamental Skills. (2019).
Norwich University Online. https://online.norwich.edu/academic-
programs/resources/nursing-supervisor-job-description

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NURSE SUPERVISOR ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

● Creating schedules. Nursing supervisors schedule and assign nurses to specific

To become a nursing supervisor, students often complete the following steps:

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