The Experience of Being a Millennial Nurse Manager

Objective The aim of this study was to explore the experience of being a Millennial nurse manager with a goal to better understand the influence of organizational factors on role expectations, satisfaction, support, development, and intent to stay. Background Research on Millennial nurse leaders is scarce. Understanding the perception of these young managers is needed to create succession and retention planning that meets the needs of this generation of leaders. Method A national sample of 25 Millennial nurse managers participated in a qualitative interpretative phenomenological study. Audio-recorded telephone interviews were conducted and analyzed. Results Millennial leaders have a unique perspective on role expectations and support variables. Seven themes of experience emerged: coming into the role, learning as I go, having the support of my director, making an impact, helping staff succeed, and managing change. Conclusions Opportunities to develop and retain Millennial leaders are shaped by understanding the support variables that are important to them.