Reply 1 Yanira Sanchez 4 posts Re Topic 5 DQ 1 Leadership in nursing is a key

Reply 1

Yanira Sanchez 4 postsRe: Topic 5 DQ 1

Leadership in nursing is a key part in providing high quality healthcare to patients and in creating a conducive environment where staff are empowered. A nurse leader basically shows the other nurses the way and acts a bridge between them and the administrative leaders of the hospital. One of the responsibilities of a nurse leader is advocating for great patient care and needs of their unit nurses (Al-Dossary, 2017)by publicly supporting them. Another role is setting clear goals and accomplishing them successfully as well as building rapport with their followers. Application of creative thinking and problem solving skills should be part of day-to-day of a nurse leader. Other responsibilities include supervision of healthcare delivery, staffing and delegation of tasks to the nursing staff.

Education greatly contributes to nursing leadership skills; therefore, nursing education is crucial. A master’s education encompasses a course in leadership and care delivery which increases the effectiveness of leadership nursing as opposed to a newly registered nurse (Al-Dossary, 2017). For one to be an influential and successful nurse leader, strong interpersonal skills such as empathy and openness are very essential. This helps understanding the feelings of the staff and responding appropriately to them. Emotional intelligence is also significant since it leads to positive relationships between the nurse leaders and the staff (Hughes, 2017).This refers to the ability of one managing their emotions and those of others. These traits and more such as flexibility and integrity enhance good patient care, teamwork and promote a healthy working environment for nurses.

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References

Al-Dossary, R. N. (2017). Leadership in Nursing. IntechOpen.

Hughes, D. (2017). Standout Nurse Learers. Nursing Management.

Reply 2 

One of the most significant factors in empowering and encouraging nurses, who make up the vast majority of the healthcare workforce, to perform at the highest level of their licensure is nursing leadership. American Nurses Association (n.d) describes nursing leadership as “a nurse interested in excelling in a career path, a leader within a healthcare organization who represents the interests of the nursing profession, a seasoned nurse or healthcare administrator interested in refining skills to differentiate them from the competition or to advance to the next level of leadership.”

In my experience, one of the formal roles as a nurse leader is charge nurse for the respective department or unit. Although it’s normal to concentrate leadership efforts at the top of a hospital or health system, middle-management leaders (such as nurse practitioners) are critical to an institution’s progress. They have a direct influence on many front-line caregivers and healthcare staff. One of the formal roles of nurse leaders is the charge nurse for the respective department or unit. In our organization, to hold a position of charge nurse, one must have a bachelor’s degree and undergo charge nurse training classes held every month in terms of educational preparation. According to Felicia and Natalie (2020), the important responsibilities of charge nurse are;

• Prioritizing patient safety protocols
• Have vision and strategy to function the unit
• Empower the entire healthcare team
• Excel in problem-solving skills
• Encourage interdependence and teamwork
• Focus on quality patient care
• Handle unit budget
• Liaison between management and healthcare employees
• Advocate for nurses as well as patients
• Tackle staffing shortage issues

To be successful in this role, one must have qualities like good communication skills, competence, and confidence, willingness to learn new things, patience, good listening skills, and work together with the team. Encourage feedback and suggestions related to quality patient outcome, capacity to adapt in any situation, acknowledge work of team members, share credits of quality patient outcome, set ground rules, and maintain therapeutic relationships with patient and her team members. Charge nurses are suggestive of holding mentioned qualities to achieve planned patient outcomes and maintain a good relationship with interdisciplinary units and management. It is also needed to understand her staff and meet their needs to avoid conflicts and ensure patient safety. Ultimately nurses are continually confronted by new problems, practices, and resources as the healthcare landscape evolves. It will also make or break a nurse’s decision to stay or leave an institution whether they have a good nurse leader to help them handle these shifts.

References

American Nurses Association (n.d), Leadership and Excellence. Retrieved from

https://www.nursingworld.org/continuing-education/ce-subcategories/leadership/

Felicia. S and Natalie. V (2020), Nursing leadership: What it is and Why it is Important? Retireved from

https://www.relias.com/blog/nursing-leadership