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Being a successful nurse manager involves multitasking an unlimited amount of issues each day, ranging from solving staffing disputes to focusing on patient safety problems, and it can be difficult to find enough time in your day to accomplish it all. Save yourself time by downloading tools from our library to:

Plan practical, interesting staff meetings
Keep staff fresh on new ideas and changes in the industry
Help you organize your time better
Make your job easier!

Scripts for positive reinforcement Free Download
Have staff members ever complimented one of their coworkers in front of you, but have never told the actual person? Would you like your staff to compliment one another for jobs well done?

Download this document

Key balance sheet terms
The balance sheet is a significant financial statement in every hospital. While it outlines a facility’s assets, liabilities, and net worth, its contents change daily, making a nurse manager’s ability to understand it critical to her job. Familiarize yourself with these key balance sheet terms.

Interview candidate spreadsheet organizer
Notes are helpful when several top applicants for a position emerge and close comparison becomes necessary. Use this tool to help you find the perfect candidate for the position.

Sample confidential performance log
Many sources of information provide insight into a nurse's competency level, and you should maintain this information in a performance log for each employee you supervise. All documentation in the performance log should be objective, measurable examples of how each nurse performs his or her job.

Department of nursing-Professional development for new graduate
Using this tool can help both you and the new graduate nurse plan for current and future skills and educational needs.

Department of nursing-Professional development for experienced nurse
Using this tool can help both you and the experienced nurse plan for current and future skills and educational needs.

Skills checklist template
Research has shown that if evaluators make direct observations using precise measurement criteria in checklists, with immediate feedback on performance, this is more effective than the traditional evaluation of clinical skills using subjective rating forms. Here is a template for creating a skills checklist.

Scripting tool to improve HCAHPS ratings
The Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) hospital survey was launched in 2006 by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality to standardize patient satisfaction surveys across the nation.

In addition, some facilities employ the services of a private customer satisfaction survey service. Whether this is Press Ganey, Gallup, or a homegrown satisfaction survey, your "last words" can have a positive effect on how patients or their families complete the survey.

Share this tool with your staff to help them speak to patients using language the patients will be able to recognize when taking the survey.

Nurse manager stress relief plan
Are you stressed? Answer the following questions:
- Are your shoulders too close to your earlobes?
- Are you tapping or shaking your foot or fingers?
- Do you feel tired enough that you could lie down and take a nap?
- Are you worrying about what happened yesterday or the day before?
- Are you feeling on edge?
- Is your breathing shallow?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, you are overstressed. Take a look at the quick tips contained in this tool for some fast relief.

Time management tracking tool
Principles of time management can help nurses—particularly new graduate nurses—accomplish everything that must be done each day without feeling overwhelmed. The first step to mastering time management is to assess how nurses spend their time. One way to do this is to use a time management tracking tool. During the course of several shifts, nurses note how they spend their time. Once they have collected the data, they can look for patterns. For example:
- Are they routinely skipping breaks?
- Do they spend more time looking for supplies than conducting patient assessments?
- Are they spending a disproportionate amount of time on one activity versus another?

Scripts for difficult conversations
Scripting is a tool that gives nurses guidelines for handling situations more effectively. It can help with daily interactions with patients, peers, and physicians. And used correctly, it can be empowering. Having a few good phrases on hand for situations in which they are the recipient of or witness to horizontal violence can give nurses ammunition to disarm offenders professionally and hold them accountable for their actions. It also helps avoid negativity when addressing a problem with a peer. This tool lists some scripted phrases for dealing with negatives behaviors and difficult conversations.

Learning style assessment tool
In addition to the characteristics of the right- and left-brain learners, most experts recognize three main learning styles: visual, auditory, and tactile/kinesthetic learners. By carefully reviewing each of the three categories, you can identify your own learning style and learn to recognize the learning style of others. This tool can be given to adult learners to determine their learning style preferences or used for self assessment.

Overview of right- versus left-brain learners
Managers and educators should recognize the right-brain and left-brain characteristics in their learners and plan programs that stimulate the use of both hemispheres to achieve successful educational outcomes. Use this tool to understand some characteristics of left- and right-brain learners and learn suggestions to facilitate learning.

Nurse retention survey
A simple way to find out what motivates staff—and crucially what will make them stay—is to ask them. As a manager it is important that you keep a finger on the pulse of why they are leaving, but more importantly, why they are staying. Use this survey to get an understanding of how to improve nurse retention at your facility.

Techniques to speak clearly and listen actively
When two people are involved in a conversation, one is sending information and the other is receiving it. For successful communication to occur, the sender must be a clear speaker and the receiver must be an active listener. These tips can help you and your staff improve your communication skills.

Facilitating effective meetings
Nurse managers have many opportunities to expect accountability from their staff, both during one-on-one interactions and in group settings. An area where nurse managers should expect accountability, but where they frequently complain they see none, is during staff meetings. Nurse managers can promote accountability during meetings by having an agenda that is available beforehand to set the stage for what is expected and alert staff to how they need to "be" in the meeting. Refer to this tool when preparing your agenda.

Sample employee ’favorites’ list
Being detail-oriented can help nurse managers build strong relationships with staff, unfortunately it can be difficult to remember everything in your busy day. Use this sample to create an alphabetical file of each nurses’ favorite things, such as candy, hobbies, food, and music that you can refer to when handing out spontaneous awards.

Guidelines for writing effective research abstracts
Researchers are often asked to present findings of their research in the form of an abstract, or a short summary of the findings. An abstract is designed to give the reader a quick understanding of the research, but may not include the main results or contain all the conclusions from the study. Keep the following tips in mind when developing abstracts to disseminate nursing research findings.

Cover letter to recruit research study subjects
One’s approach to recruiting subjects is important when discussing participation in research. The investigator should tell subjects how important they are to the success of the study, but never coerce subjects to participate. This figure is an example of a cover letter which can be used to introduce the research to potential subjects and obtain subjects who are interested.

Mentor application form
Encouraging mentoring relationships can be a key tool in aiding retention, particularly for new nurse graduates. If you want to create a formal mentoring program, it’s important to find people who will relate well to each other, and for both mentor and mentee to have a good understanding of what the relationship will involve and what the goals should be.

Newspaper ’bragging’ story template
As a nurse manager, you should take advantage of local resources and brag about your nurses every chance you get. Organizations do not brag enough about all the accomplishments that their nursing staff is able to complete, whether it’s meeting patient safety goals or recognizing operating room nurses who just received their OR certification. Use this figure to get some bragging going on in your local community newspapers.

Orientation letter
Orientation to a unit or department is not just the responsibility of the manager. In order for the new hire to be successful, staff must be included in this process as well. Craft an orientation letter that makes new nurses aware of your facility’s expectations for them during orientation and also the commitment of team members who will help them transition into their role. You can use this sample letter as a guide.

Annual competencies review letter
All staff should be involved in the process of determining appropriate elements for the annual review. The content should vary each year and comprise selected skills, duties, tasks, and behaviors that reflect results of performance improvement activities, infection control reviews, risk management reviews, additions of new technology, and needs identified by medical staff or other employees. After staff participate in this process at your facility, send them a letter (such as this one) thanking them for their feedback, suggestions, and comments that will lead to improved patient care and processes.

Preceptor application form
The preceptor is the primary staff member who will assist the new hire through the orientation process. When you match the right preceptor with the new employee, you have beginnings of a wonderful peer-to-peer working relationship that will set the tone for the rest of the peer group. Have hopeful preceptors fill out this application form before bringing them on board.

New graduate orientation evaluation
The most important factor in the future sucess of a new employee is an effective orientation process. Be sure your orientation program meets the individual needs of your new hires by having them fill out this evaluation form.

Documentation of unacceptable behavior
As a nurse manager, you set the tone for the work culture of your unit. If you raise or lower the bar, staff will meet it. Therefore, managers must walk the talk of the standards conveyed to staff and their actions must be grounded in the responsibility to ensure quality care and professional behavior for patients, coworkers, and the organization as a whole. Use this sample documentation form to assist you in the disciplinary process when dealing with innapropriate staff behavior.

Sample charge nurse interview questions
The ultimate goal of interviewing and selecting staff is to find the right fit between the talents, skills, and abilities needed in a given role and the talents, skills, and abilities of a given applicant. Refer to these sample interview questions to be certain your next aspiring charge nurse will be capable of carrying out his or role.

Nurse manager goal tracker
Use this sample tool ensure that you set out for and meet every goal for projects, training, and reviews.

Sample preinterview letter
Get interviews off to a good start before even meeting the job candidates. Adapt this sample preinterview letter to your liking and send it to the potential staff member one or two weeks before the scheduled date.

Exit interview questions
The most effective exit interviews are those that yield information nurse managers can use to improve work environments for their current and future nurses. Refer to this list to make sure you are asking departing staff members the right questions.

Sample recognition memo
Staff members thrive in environments where they are praised for their hard work. Make sure your staff knows you appreciate every positive example they set at your facility using this sample recognition memo.

Interview your risk management department
The following are questions to ask the risk management department as a new nurse manager.

Supervisor notification memo
Use a memo like the following sample to notify your supervisor of a competency issue on your unit. When writing your memo, be specific by identifying the competency issue and your correction plan.

Labor budget guide
The following steps describe how to create the labor portion of a budget.

Sample postinterview letter
Develop your own postinterview letter using this sample as a guide.

Group norms assessment tool
Use this assessment tool to identify group norms that affect staff happiness, productivity, and effectiveness.

Research advertisement guide
When recruiting research subjects through advertisements, it is important to know what should and shouldn’t be included. This figure contains tips and will guide you through the design of your own research advertisement.

Measurement tools for data collection
When choosing a specific tool or measure for collecting information, researchers must consider the structure of the tool being chosen (is data going to be collected informally or in a formal setting?), whether statistical analysis can be performed on the tool, whether the tool interferes with the subjects’ normal lifestyle, and what objectivity the tool produces. This list of measurement tools identifies the pros and cons of each, and will help you determine which approach to data collection is right for you.

Informed consent cover letter sample
Informed consent forms detail a study’s purpose, expectation about the subjects’ participation, time allowed for the study, voluntary participation, costs to the subjects, and any risks or benefits associated with the study. This is an example of an informed consent cover letter, which provides details about a study’s intentions, purpose, and method that is based on geriatric pain management.

Basic budgeting formulas
Here is a list of basic budgeting formulas every nurse manager should know.

Sample business plan for the medical-surgical unit
This is an example of a short, concise business plan for the medical-surgical unit. Depending on the proposal or project, some of the steps may be consolidated, and others may be expanded. Use this sample as a guide.

Timeline for new role development
It can be a challenge to develop and fill a new position at a facility if goals are not outlined. Create and implement a clear, realistic timeline by referring to this sample.

Sample capital budget acquisition form
If you are responsible for developing a capital budget, you may have to fill out a capital budget acquisition form. Such forms are used when requesting funding for new equipment and to make the case for purchasing new, large price-tag items and equipment. View this sample capital budget acquisition form for some guidance.

Six questions to keep in mind when budgeting
Keep these six questions in mind when budgeting for orientation, education, and training.

Mentorship evaluation
Use this form to evaluate strengths and weakness in particular mentor/mentee relationships. Gather the feedback and use it to improve future relationships and the overall process at your facility.

Welcome to the department letter
Formally welcome your new staff member to the team and take care of some important agenda items with this letter. A new hire gets only one introduction to a new job, so make sure it’s the best it can be.

Defending your budget
A budget is a budget. Never say "the budget is wrong." If there are discrepancies, indicate that you will provide a description of the issue or variance. Then, develop an action plan to address the issue. Here are a few examples of proactive things to say when defending your budget.

Sample budget calendar
In many hospitals, the finance department and administration work together to develop a budget calendar. This calendar is distributed to all managers and helps keep everyone on the same page with their budgeting tasks for the upcoming year. Here is a sample.

Age-specific competency form
The various physiological and pyschological needs of each patient's age group is part of any well-designed competency program. There are many ways to assess age-related competency. Remember that such assessment must be carried out consistently by all reviewers. This means that written guidelines must be established. The following template is presented as a resource for the development of these types of criteria.

Braden Scale for Predicting Pressure Sore Risk
One of the most widely used risk-assessment tools for pressure ulcers is the Braden Scale. This scale queries subsets of information that are assigned numerical ratings, which ultimately determine a patient's risk score/level.

Competencies Tracking Sheet
The competencies tracking sheet provides a way to document that staff members in each classification have completed required competencies.

Ten questions for a research report review
Use these 10 questions when reading and discussing a research article. The questions can be used to assess the quality of the study and to determine it applicability in clinical practice. This tool is an effective introduction to critiquing and is especially helpful to the novice consumer of research.

Sample scientific review of research proposals form
One of a nursing research council's role is to perform peer review for nursing research study proposals. The council/committee should develop the criteria they will use in their review and provide them to nurse researchers ahead of time. Such criteria should include a brief review of both administrative feasability and scientific merit, as shown in this example.

Hand washing form
It's imperative to be sure staff members are taking proper precautions when washing their hands. Use this template to make sure your staff is meeting the competency.

Sample interview questions
Asking the right questions in interviews can help managers get answers that will enable them to select the right candidate for the right job. Use this list of questions as a guide.

IV dressing changes form
The procedure to change dressing is an important skill for every staff member. Be sure staff is comfortable with this competency with the help of this tool.

Preceptor workshop evaluation form
Give the evaluation as a posttest to measure how much the particpants learned from the workshop.

Sample policy for preceptorship program
This sample policy will delineate roles and responsibilites and issues around the establishment of a nursing preceptorship for new hires and student nurses.

Sample policy for nursing unit
New employees and student nurses need to be guided into the culture of the organization and nursing service. This sample policy will provide guidance for the nursing unit.

How to run a unit preceptorship meeting worksheet
This sample worksheet will help you run successful preceptorship meetings for progress reports, feedback, assessing and verifying competencies, and completing and discussing performance evaluations.

Sample productivity tool (HPPD only)
Regardless of whether your hospital has a computerized or manual system, use a daily monitoring tool such as this one to keep track of daily productivity on the nursing unit.

Unavoidable Pressure Ulcers-QA/QI Review
Use this tool to help assess the pressure ulcer systems at your facility.

New Pressure Ulcer Checklist
Use this checklist to help assess the pressure ulcer systems at your facility.

Wound Assessment Tool
Use this tool to help assess the pressure ulcer systems at your facility.

Application of Restraints
Making sure staff is competent on the application of restraints is imperative to quality patient care. Use this tool to help with your assessment.

Safe Patient Positioning Form
Making sure patients are positioned in a safe position is crucial to quality care. Use this form to help assess staff for this competency.

Simple strategy to provide feedback to all generations
The practice of "closing" at the end of a shift is a great way to give immediate feedback to all generations. Use this tool as a guide.

Skill demonstration evaluation form
When assessing learning via a return skill demonstration, it is important that all evaluators assess competency in the same way, even in a controlled, classroom-like setting. This form serves as a template to help consistently evaluate learning of a pyscho-motor skill.

Five financial survival skills for nurse managers
Financial skills are a must for a successful nurse manager. Use these five tips to help get a handle on the finances at your facility.

Unit-specific orientation checklist
Within each unit, there are specific issues and items to understand. Customize this template to each unit at your facility to help orientation run smoothly.

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