Transition from Staff Nurse to Nurse Manager: The Process

Staff nurse transition to nurse manager is a promotional occurrence in the trajectory of a nurse's career ladder. Nurses who become nurse managers usually receive little or no training during the transition process. The purpose of this pilot study was to explore the transition process from staff nurse to nurse manager. A qualitative phenomenological approach was used to understand the nurse manager's perspective on the transition from clinical staff nurse to nurse manager. Data were collected from four nurse managers using semi-structured qualitative interviews. With a sample of four participants, this pilot study provided an opportunity to test the feasibility of the interview approach and to collect preliminary data for a follow up study with a larger sample. Themes that emerged from this pilot study included the need for structured training, support and mentorship. Further research is needed to understand the training needs of nurse managers during the transition process.