As a nurse manager, I would know that one of the most important principles of interviewing is developing structured interview guides. If I were interviewing for a position on a progressive care unit I would use behavioral interviewing based on the candidates past performance (Sullivan, 2018). I would ask questions to determine the candidates decision making, adaptability, and critical thinking skills. I would follow a script of questions and prompts. Questions might include “Describe a situation where you’ve had conflict with a coworker, and how you resolved it.” I would also be sure to prepare for the interview, which is another important principle of interviewing (Sullivan, 2018). I would ensure I have a quite environment available for the time of the interview. I would also be sure to review the candidates qualifications, job history, and write down specific questions I’d like to ask. Preparing ahead of time ensure that I know what questions I need to ask in order to make sure I’m selecting the right candidate.
Another important principle of interviewing is the way you open the interview (Sullivan, 2018). It will be important to start the interview on time, be friendly, and try and make them feel comfortable. I will be sure not to make any quick first impressions while opening the interview, as this can lead to bad decisions (Sullivan, 2018). If I appear cold or unapproachable during the interview, I may not be able to recruit any candidates. I would then lead to the next important principle of interviewing, which is giving information (Sullivan, 2018). This is the part of the interview where the candidate can ask me the questions. I should be well prepared for questions they may ask. If I appear unprepared or possibly give poor answers to their questions, that may lead them to decline the job offer which with impact my ability to recruit staff.
Nurse-managers must have organizational skills. There’s many different factors that need to be considered in a budget. Some nurse-managers may even be budgeting for multiple units. They must be able to organize all the information they gather so that it can be useful. They must be able to compartmentalize and organize which items fit into each category. If they have all the information presented in an organized manner they will be more likely to effectively utilize their resources. Organizational skills will help with monitoring variance. When monitoring variance you identify areas that were over or under budget and be able to look back and see why the deviation occurred (Sullivan, 2018). By monitoring variance, you can better utilize resources in the future (Sullivan, 2018).
Another specific budget making skill to improve outcomes is communication. A nurse-manager must be able to communicate when presenting their budget. They must also be able to effectively communicate while planning it and later enforcing it. An open conversation between the nurse manager and the staff nurse about budgeting can raise awareness and lead to more mindfulness of the resources they’re using and complying with the budget (Sullivan, 2018). A nurse-manager must also be able to communicate in order to advocate for their unit and explain why they need certain resources.
