When there is a greater need for qualified nursing practitioners, such as registered nurses, than there are available caregivers, the situation is referred to as a “nursing shortage.” On the other hand, nursing staff members’ propensity to leave their jobs both voluntarily and involuntarily is explained by nurse turnover (Cox, Willis, & Coustasse, 2014). It is significant to emphasize that the nurse shortage and turnover badly impact the nursing profession. For healthcare organizations, the interruptions and poor patient care caused by turnover are extremely expensive (Cox, Willis & Coustasse, 2014). The nurse shortage and turnover are significant concerns for nursing managers and leaders. Therefore, a comparative analysis of the methods nurse leaders and managers would employ to address the nursing shortage and nurse turnover issues would be essential in the current topic.
Recognizing that nurse turnover can be “good” or “bad,”, especially for any business, is crucial. A positive turnover occurs when management terminates an employee, whereas a negative turnover occurs when a desired and well-behaved nurse decides to quit their position. As a result, the issue of nurse turnover directly impacts the profitability and productivity of healthcare organizations. First, although “management” and “leadership” are occasionally used interchangeably, they have different meanings when referring to the nursing profession. Huber contends that only some nurse managers demonstrate the characteristics of a practical nurse leader and that nursing leaders are only sometimes capable managers (2013). Notably, a nurse manager has a specific role in the organizational structure and actively participates in decision-making.
However, a leader may not have official organizational roles or power (Huber, 2013). A leader is often defined by their capacity for influencing others through interpersonal interaction. As a result, nurses display leadership skills at all levels of experience and stages of career development.