Nurse Unit Manager
Job Description
A Nurse Unit Manager supervises and manages a nursing team. Nurse Unit Managers deliver primary health care predominantly in hospitals, clinics, assisted living facilities, aged care facilities, Government or military institutions, community or school settings, in the home or in outpatient facilities. Their elevated decision-making responsibilities require Nurse Unit Managers to undertake reporting and financial tasks on top of their healthcare duties.
Nurse Unit Managers are responsible for bridging the gap between clinical care and administrative processes, playing a crucial role in healthcare. The core responsibilities of a Nurse Unit Manager include:
- Developing and overseeing the implementation of care policies and procedures
- Coordinating staff rosters
- Hiring and training new staff
- Managing and evaluating the performance of nursing staff
- Providing feedback and managing career progression
- Keeping up with advancements in nursing technologies
Qualifications
To become a Nurse Unit Manager, you’ll need to have worked as a Registered Nurse. To work as a Registered Nurse, you’ll need to have completed a bachelor degree in a nursing-related field. Suggestions include a Bachelor of Nursing, Bachelor of Science (majoring in Nursing) or Bachelor of Nursing (Advanced Studies). These courses will take 3 years to complete full-time.
Alternatively, for students with previous tertiary qualifications in a different field, complete a two-year Master of Nursing (Graduate Entry) program. This will qualify you to work as a Registered Nurse and eventually a Nurse Unit Manager.
Nurse Unit Managers must apply to the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA). Registration must be renewed annually.
Attributes
- Acumen
- Assertive
- Communicator
- Devoted
- Educated
- Focussed
- Interpersonal
- Organised
- Perceptive
- Procedural
- Resilient
Key Skills
- AHPRA Registration
- Nursing Practice
- Quality Improvement
- Critical Care
- Mental Health
- Conflict Resolution
- Immunisations
- Preparing Rosters
- Patient Care
- Developing and implementing care policies.
- Coordinating & Recruiting Staff
- Recruiting new staff
Future Prospects
Registered Nurses can specialise in other roles, undertaking further studies to obtain qualifications and specialise in a particular area of nursing. Specialised Nursing Roles include:
- Aged Care Nurse
- Alcohol & Other Drug Nurse
- Anaesthetic Nurse
- Cardiac Nurse
- Child and Family Health Nurse
- Community Health Nurse
- Child and Family Health Nurse
- Flight Nurse
- Infection Control Nurse
- Intensive Care Specialist Nurse
- Mental Health Nurse
- Midwife
- Oncology Nurse
- Paediatric Nurse
- Palliative Care Nurse
- Perioperative Nurse
- Post Operative Nurse
- Rehabilitation Nurse
- Surgical Nurse
- Theatre Nurse
