What does a registered nurse manager do?
A registered nurse manager is responsible for supervising medical staff, especially the operations of the nursing department, ensuring that they provide the highest quality care for the patients. Registered nurse managers recruit and train nurse staff, assist in administering medications and medical procedures, respond to the patients' inquiries and concerns, and develop patient care plans. They also manage the patients' medical records, oversee budget reports, and enforce strict safety guidelines and protocols for the medical personnel.
Registered nurse manager responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real registered nurse manager resumes:
- Manage day-to-day operations of regulatory compliance unit responsible for multiple Medicare, Medicaid and commercial products.
- Case manager for individuals recently discharge from the hospital as well as individuals having difficulty managing their diabetes.
- Manage patient pain relief and sedation by providing pharmacological and non-pharmacological intervention, monitor patient response and record care plans accordingly.
- Educate residents and their family members regarding diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation and discharge planning.
- Provide one on one preoperative orthopedic teaching for patients preparing for upcoming orthopedic surgery and rehabilitation.
- Educated/Counsele patients regarding prenatal care/labor, sexually transmit diseases, contraception, surgical procedures, self-breast exams, and disease management.
- Admit and discharge patients into ICU and schedule patient transfers.
- Perform clinical skills such as starting iv access, I.V.
- Assist with daily resident activities including ADL s. IV therapy including PICC and central line management.
- Work on a team with a physician, MSW, chaplain and therapies to provide the best care for patients.
- Assist with successful company URAC certification.
- Communicate with physicians regarding proper admissions criteria, using InterQual.
- Maintain current knowledge of Medicaid and Medicare coverage guidelines, effective documentation in data system.
- Conduct patient interviews via clinic face-to-face encounters and/or telephonic contacts documenting interventions and outcomes in PCP EMR.
- Program development and conversion of private practice outpatient oncology clinic to free standing, satellite provider-base hematology/oncology clinics.
Registered nurse manager skills and personality traits
We calculated that 20% of Registered Nurse Managers are proficient in Patients, Home Health, and Care Management. They’re also known for soft skills such as Compassion, Emotional stability, and Organizational skills.
We break down the percentage of Registered Nurse Managers that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Patients, 20%
Educated/counseled patients regarding prenatal care/labor, sexually transmitted diseases, contraception, surgical procedures, self-breast exams, and disease management.
- Home Health, 13%
Nurse administrator providing oversight for a community based Medicare Certified Home Health agency.
- Care Management, 6%
Conduct assessments to identify individual needs and a specific care management plan to address objectives and goals as identified during assessment.
- CPR, 4%
Charge Nurse for ER and Medical floor: Night Supervisor* CPR and ACLS instructor for staff.
- Customer Service, 3%
Demonstrated excellent customer service through effective patient/family communication as well as timely interdisciplinary coordination on behalf of MD and patient.
- Care Coordination, 3%
Promoted quality and participated in care coordination to ensure proper communication between caregivers, patients, referral sources and payers.
Most registered nurse managers use their skills in "patients," "home health," and "care management" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential registered nurse manager responsibilities here:
Compassion. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a registered nurse manager to have is compassion. Their role and responsibilities require that "registered nurses should be caring and empathetic when working with patients." Registered nurse managers often use compassion in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "demonstrated high standards of performance, including teamwork, communication and compassion. "
Emotional stability. Another essential skill to perform registered nurse manager duties is emotional stability. Registered nurse managers responsibilities require that "registered nurses need emotional resilience and the ability to cope with human suffering, emergencies, and other stressors." Registered nurse managers also use emotional stability in their role according to a real resume snippet: "provide behavioral/emotional support and supervision for those with dementia and alzheimer's. "
Organizational skills. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of registered nurse managers is organizational skills. This skill is critical to many everyday registered nurse manager duties, as "nurses often work with multiple patients who have a variety of health needs." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "contributed to organizational growth initiatives as manager of share customer service program including training educators and running monthly program. "
Physical stamina. For certain registered nurse manager responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "physical stamina." The day-to-day duties of a registered nurse manager rely on this skill, as "nurses should be comfortable performing physical tasks, such as lifting patients." For example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies to what registered nurse managers do: "counseled clients regarding health risk factors, smoking cessation, stress management, physical activity, and disease management. "
Communication skills. Another crucial skill for a registered nurse manager to carry out their responsibilities is "communication skills." A big part of what registered nurse managers relies on this skill, since "registered nurses must be able to communicate effectively with patients in order to understand their concerns and evaluate their health conditions." How this skill relates to registered nurse manager duties can be seen in an example from a registered nurse manager resume snippet: "allowed for open communication on updates, policy changes, questions/concerns responsible for jcaho survey department preparation"
Detail oriented. While "detail oriented" is last on this skills list, don't underestimate its importance to registered nurse manager responsibilities. Much of what a registered nurse manager does relies on this skill, seeing as "registered nurses must be precise because they must ensure that patients get the correct treatments and medicines at the right time." Here is a resume example of how this skill is used in the everyday duties of registered nurse managers: "oriented and supervised certified home health aides assigned to patients. "
The three companies that hire the most registered nurse managers are:
- Mercy Corps385 registered nurse managers jobs
- BAYADA Home Health Care132 registered nurse managers jobs
- Highmark98 registered nurse managers jobs
Choose from 10+ customizable registered nurse manager resume templates
Build a professional registered nurse manager resume in minutes. Our AI resume writing assistant will guide you through every step of the process, and you can choose from 10+ resume templates to create your registered nurse manager resume.
Compare different registered nurse managers
Registered nurse manager vs. Head nurse
A registered psychiatric nurse works alongside mental health experts to develop and administer psychiatric treatment plans according to the patients' needs. Among their responsibilities include gathering and organizing patient information, studying the patients' medical histories, conducting interviews and assessments, providing counseling, administering medicine, and restraining unsettled patients. There are also instances when they must conduct inspections to remove potentially harmful objects and provide psychoeducation to the patients' families. Above all, a registered psychiatric nurse must closely monitor the behavior of patients, record their daily progress, and report to the psychiatrists regularly.
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between registered nurse managers and head nurse. For instance, registered nurse manager responsibilities require skills such as "home health," "care management," "customer service," and "care coordination." Whereas a head nurse is skilled in "bls," "acute care," "oncology," and "surgery." This is part of what separates the two careers.
Head nurses really shine in the education industry with an average salary of $80,362. Comparatively, registered nurse managers tend to make the most money in the health care industry with an average salary of $79,030.The education levels that head nurses earn slightly differ from registered nurse managers. In particular, head nurses are 1.4% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a registered nurse manager. Additionally, they're 0.5% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Registered nurse manager vs. Registered professional nurse
A nurse case manager's role focuses on providing advice and medication to patients in an outpatient clinic or hospital. Typically, their responsibilities revolve around conducting extensive assessments, discussing essential matters to patients and families, devising efficient health care plans, coordinating with health care experts to share patients' progress, determining the needed care, and performing follow-up services. There are also instances when a nurse case manager must adjust medication or treatment as needed, refer patients to programs that will support them on their financial and other needs, and implement policies and regulations.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that registered nurse manager responsibilities requires skills like "care management," "customer service," "care coordination," and "rn care." But a registered professional nurse might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "bls," "patient safety," "healthcare professionals," and "surgery."
Registered professional nurses earn a lower average salary than registered nurse managers. But registered professional nurses earn the highest pay in the utilities industry, with an average salary of $64,620. Additionally, registered nurse managers earn the highest salaries in the health care with average pay of $79,030 annually.In general, registered professional nurses achieve similar levels of education than registered nurse managers. They're 1.9% more likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.5% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for registered nurse managers in the next 3-5 years?
Dr. Beverly Malone Ph.D.
President and CEO, National League for Nursing
Virtual learning may also benefit students in the area of telehealth. An increase in virtual learning will help students prepare to support their future patients through telehealth visits and help them be more comfortable during the virtual interview process and diagnosis. It may keep older adults at home or in nursing home care settings, rather than the frequently difficult transition to hospitals.
Virtual learning widens the pool for preceptors in remote locations across the nation and around the world. Without the limitations of geography, compatible matching of students and preceptors is more easily facilitated. Telehealth and mobile apps can also help close the gaps in care that have been documented throughout underserved communities.
Registered nurse manager vs. Psychiatric registered nurse
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, registered nurse managers are more likely to have skills like "care management," "cpr," "customer service," and "care coordination." But a psychiatric registered nurse is more likely to have skills like "patient safety," "substance abuse," "im," and "mental illness."
Psychiatric registered nurses earn the highest salary when working in the health care industry, where they receive an average salary of $79,959. Comparatively, registered nurse managers have the highest earning potential in the health care industry, with an average salary of $79,030.psychiatric registered nurses typically earn similar educational levels compared to registered nurse managers. Specifically, they're 0.2% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.1% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Registered nurse manager vs. Nurse case manager
Types of registered nurse manager
Updated January 8, 2025
