Effective Approaches in Leadership and Management - Essay Example

? Effective Approaches in Leadership and Management Effective Approaches in Leadership and Management Differing Approaches Taken by Nursing Leaders and Managers With Regard To Nursing Shortage and Nurse Turn-Over Good leadership and management are important for good health care delivery. Even though the two are the same in some aspects, they may entail different types of skills, outlooks and behaviors. Good managers should endeavor to be good leaders. Consequently, good leaders need management skills for them to be effective. Good leaders are visionary and look at the future establishing needs to be achieved by the organization. They communicate this to others and develop strategies for achieving the vision. They also motivate workers and negotiate for resources and other supports aimed at achieving the organization’s goals. Managers on the other hand ensure that the organization’s resources are well organized and utilized to produce the best results (Cherie and Gebrekidan, 2005). However, due to dynamic nature of the world in which managers operates, they also need to be leaders. In health care delivery, it is common for nursing leaders and managers to apply different approaches in solving issues that affect the the health care facility. A case in point has been witnessed with regard to their approach to nursing shortage and turn-over. Carlton and the University of Colorado (2009) note that shortage of nurses is a significant crisis that impacts on the delivery of quality healthcare services. It is, therefore, very important for the nursing leaders and managers to understand the causes for them to be able to tackle the issue. The major factors that have been singled out as the major contributors of nursing shortage include demand and supply issues such as job dissatisfaction, burnouts, and other challenges within the working environment (Carlton and University of Colorado at Denver, 2001). One of the strategies used by nursing leaders and managers to address the issue is reorganizing and restructuring of healthcare environment (Carlton and the University of Colorado (2009). This is due to the fact that, the initiative causes changes in employee behaviors, attitudes and satisfaction. Reorganization and restructuring in this case entails, improving working condition and welfare of workers, improving salaries and other benefits that are competitive to instill satisfaction and motivate them. Another strategy used is carrying out recruitment immediately a shortage is realized (Cherie and Gebrekidan, 2005). 2. Compare and contrast how you would expect nursing leaders and managers to approach your selected issue. Support your rationale by using the theories, principles, skills, and roles of the leader versus manager described in your readings. Just as Carlton and the University of Colorado (2009) note, a good leader should have a sense of mission, must be decisive; charismatic and able to rally people to work together toward the achievement of a common goal. A leader must also be creative to be able to solve organizational problems and build a conducive working environment that produces satisfaction. A manager on the other hand must ensure that the institutional resources are well organized and utilized towards achievement of best results (Carlton and University of Colorado at Denver, 2009). This implies that a manager ensures that things get done. With regard to the issue of nursing shortage and turn-over, I would expect the nursing leaders and managers to first address the issues that trigger nursing shortage and turn-over, especially those within their management control. This is due to my philosophy which is employee-based. This is a better strategy in my opinion and contrast with approaches of reorganization and restructuring used by some leaders and managers. This is because I believe that reorganization and restructuring alone may not motivate employees, a factor that has been identified as the major contributor of turn-over in thw nursing profession. Carlton and the University of Colorado (2009) note that a motivated employee would not want to leave his/her work and a good leader should ensure that all their employees are motivated. A good leader and manager should be able to establish why a nurse would want to leave his or her job (Cherie and Gebrekidan, 2005). In case dissatisfaction is due to poor pay, working condition or burnouts, as a good leader, one should get to the root of the problem and liaise with the manager to address the issue before nurses leave. If the shortage of nurses is caused by factors like rapid population growth, then the leaders must be able to project this in advance and provide a budget for it (Carlton and University of Colorado at Denver, 2009). This will ensure that funds are available to carry out recruitment to address the shortage. When nursing leaders adopt such a proactive approach to problem solving, I belief that this issue with become a history in places of health care delivery. 3. Identify the approach that best fits your personal and professional philosophy of nursing and explain why the approach is suited to your personal leadership style. Organizational philosophy refers to the firm’ implied or explicit view of itself and what it is. This is usually expressed in the organization’s mission statements (Cherie and Gebrekidan, 2005). It is mostly directly connected to, and rooted in the organizations cultural beliefs and values. An organization’s philosophy should be in a position to depict its desired nature of the relationships between the nursing organization and its customers, external parties and employees (Carlton and University of Colorado at Denver, 2009). It is also a set of beliefs that determines how institutional purposes are achieved and serves as the foundation for agency objectives, procedures and policies. Nurses have the right to know the organization’s beliefs about nursing care, nursing management and nursing practice held by a collective group which constitutes nursing department (Cherie and Gebrekidan, 2005). The best approach of developing nursing philosophy is thus taking a proactive approach by writing it down and explaining it to all the employees. Kneedler and Dodge (1994) argue that a written philosophy helps in clarifying concepts which underlie nursing profession as well as its values and beliefs. However, it should be brief but cover the basic components. Once this has been done, it should be released to nurses to give them guidance of how to perform their work and behave (Kneedler and Dodge, 1994). This will improve the quality of health care provision as nurses will be working toward the achievement of set goals defined by the nursing philosophy. This reduces incidences of too much supervision of workers as they understand what is expected of them. This approach conforms to my situational leadership style. I prefer to be employee-oriented, centering on building good relationships, confidence and mutual respect among all workers, taking measures to point out and correct wrongs where necessary. This will help in reducing employee turnover and increases satisfaction. References Carlton, T., & University of Colorado at Denver (2009). Comparing Hospital-acquired patient outcome/complications in magnet, non-magnet and magnet in-process hospitals Massachusetts: ProQuest. Cherie, A., & Gebrekidan, A. (2005). Nursing Leadership and Management. Addis Ababa: Ethiopia Public Health Training Initiative. Kneedler, J. & Dodge G. (1994). Perspective patient care: The nursing perspective. New York: Jones & Bartlett Learning. Read More