The manager's role during nurse suffering: creating an environment of support and compassion.

Nurse managers, particularly critical care nurse managers, are in key positions to directly affect the satisfaction and retention of staff nurses working in the units they manage. As critical care nurses experience increased emotional turmoil and suffering related to many aspects of their nursing role, nurse managers are accessible individuals to offer support and encouragement. Additionally, these managers are in a position to offer other resources that may assist the staff nurse in dealing with difficult critical care situations, ethical dilemmas, and suffering. A brief summary of suffering and nurses' perceptions of factors that contribute to suffering are presented. Subsequently, a critical care nurse's description of her experience with suffering during a difficult end-of-life situation is described, followed by suggestions for interventions to assist the nurse manager in addressing the suffering.