I can understand why Courtney Davis is dissatisfied with not being able to provide direct patient care (Reflections, "The Fine Art of Leaving," May), but she shouldn't lose sight of the fact that nurse managers are extremely important in achieving high-quality patient care.

As a nurse manager, I used to take great satisfaction in knowing that I was a patient advocate and could ensure that all available resources were used to provide the very best care to patients. Also, nurse managers work on performance improvement and gather data to ensure best practices.

We need good managers who are nurses-not accountants or business managers.

Patricia Fife, MPA, RN

Merrick, NY

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