A Complexity-Informed Model to Guide Nurse Manager Practice

Nurse manager practice is a broad concept that reflects the defined role responsibilities and the manner in which nurse managers perform their role. The outcome of nurse manager practice is commonly known as their job performance. The job performance of nurse managers reflects their effectiveness and is assessed by organizational, staff, and patient outcomes. There is strong evidence that nurse managers with relational leadership styles are the key drivers of positive practice environments and job satisfaction among nurses. Concluding that the solution to positive environments and satisfied nurses rests solely on the leadership style of the nurse manager seems logical; however, it ignores the role of the larger organizational context. This article applies a complexity lens to understand nurse manager practice and other organizational factors influencing job performance. The evidence developed thus far yielded the identification of dimensions of the organizational context that support nurse manager practice and nurse manager job performance. Additional research is needed to identify the essential ingredients to support nurse manager practice. Organizational success depends on developing synergy among the administrative, adaptive, and enabling leadership functions of organizations.