Managing financial data.

Abstract

This article outlines the financial skills that nurses must cultivate to be successful managers. It describes the basic tenets of accrual accounting, provides an overview of the financial reports that nurse managers receive regularly, and discusses the content of such reports and how to use the information provided. Also discussed are the need for budgets, the types of budgets nurse managers may be required to generate, and suggested areas where nurses can act as agents of change within their institutions.