How Leaders can Communicate Effectively to Develop Staff and Transform on Health Care Organizations - Literature review Example

LEADERSHIP IN THE HEALTH SECTOR Critically discuss how leaders can communicate effectively to develop staff and transform an organization, with particular emphasis on health care organizations. (Name) (Course) (Institution) (Instructor’s name) (Date) Introduction Leadership as defined by Rowitz (2009) is “The ability to see the present in terms of the future while maintaining respect for the past” (n.p). According to the author, leadership is founded on respect for history and the understanding that actual growth builds on existing strengths. Developing effective nurse leaders who communicate effectively is important in helping the workforce and the healthcare organization in anticipating and adapting to the rapid changes and the varied challenges that exists in the health sector such as increasingly political environments, shortages of staff, changing compensation patterns, budget constraints and the rapid advancement in technology as supported by Schmidt (2006). According to the American Organization of Nurse Executives (AONE), the main objective of a nurse leader is to offer a favorable environment for positive patient healthcare outcomes. According to AONE (2005), quality leaders in the health sector are professional, they inspire and motivate, they are visionary and they are focused in developing suitable working environments in order to sustain the highest medical standards. They are able to achieve staff and organizational goals and visions by communicating effectively to develop the medical staff and transform the health care organization. This forms the basis of this report which seeks to critically analyze how leaders can communicate effectively to develop staff and transform an organization, with particular emphasis on health care organizations. Ways Nurse Leaders Can Communicate Effectively To Develop Staff and Transform a Healthcare Organization Prior to analyzing the various ways that leaders can communicate effectively to develop staff and to transform their healthcare organizations, it is important to establish what effective communication is. Effective communication is a give and take process where the right messages are conveyed from one person to another, who then receives the message correctly, comprehends and interprets the message correctly and responds appropriately as described by Stanley, (2008). Communication in a healthcare setting becomes effective when the leader understands the ways in which the teams they work with are likely to construe the conveyed message (Klainberg & Dirschel, 2010). According to Clark (2008), effective communication encompasses utilizing all aspects of communication which includes the visual aspects, audio aspects and the non-verbal aspects. Effective communication in the health sector entails conveying the right information to the intended person, at the correct time, in the right form, at the right place and always in a way which is understood easily (Daniels, 2004). For instance, an effective communication occurs when the nurse calls the doctor and they are able to immediately carryout a conversation where each of them shares information and direction about patient care. Regrettably, this scenario is not always the case and often the communication is far from effective. What happens is that when the nurse calls in the doctor, the doctor is often busy with other issues and the nurse has no option but to leave a message for the doctor asking him/her to call the nurse back. Owing to the busy schedule, the doctor may not be in a position to call back until later on and when the nurse receives this message, they are often caught up elsewhere attending to other client and when they find time to reach the phone, the doctor may have hang up for waiting for so long. This can go on for long and by the time the two find each other, the information is more likely outdated and new information is required, which prolongs clear direction required about the care of the patient. This scenario emphasizes the important role effective role effective communication plays in ensuring positive patient health outcomes. Effective leaders in the health sector have the responsibility to manage the workforce and work systems in order to effectively and efficiently satisfy the needs, expectations and demands of the patients (Schmidt, 2006). Leaders who have the capacity to do this comprehend the function of their leadership role, constantly developing and improving their communication skills, enhancing teamwork and engagement and minimizing conflicts among the staff, between the staff and the management and between the staff and the patient as echoed by Shirey (2007). Although the responsibilities of nurse leaders are different depending on the healthcare setting, all nurse leaders are required to set expectations for their subordinates, offer direction and offer the subordinates the required help to meet the set expectations as echoed by AONE, (2005). In addition, make the subordinates responsible for their work performance and conduct, abide by organizational guidelines and policies and act as the link between the management and the nursing workforce, all of which require application of effective communication. How then can leaders communicate effectively to develop staff and transform their healthcare organization? Among ways they can do this is by 1. Learning to Communicate effectively Taking a leadership role in a healthcare setting is similar to singing in a choir where the singers count on the choir master to lead and direct them as they sing, the medical staff count on the leader to direct and champion them as they interact and work with clients and develop in their nursing careers. Leaders in a healthcare environment must be ready to learn to communicate clearly and effectively when delegating their duties, giving instructions, reprimanding the subordinates and when carrying out their duties. This is because, communicating clearly and effectively is not only important in improving the performance outputs of the staff but also, it enhances workplace safety and is fundamental in minimizing medical inaccuracies (Klainberg & Dirschel, 2010). Learning to communicate effectively entails nurse leaders guiding the workforce in mutually-understood terms and language, in the right direction in order to achieve anticipated health outcomes by empowering the workforce (Schmidt, 2006). This is achieved by the nurse leader showing the staff how to complete tasks, make good reports, meet report deadlines, and how to respond in case of emergencies and ways of clarifying patient care. It is vital that when communicating to the staff, the nurse leader to be keen and aware of communication barriers, communication styles and communication preferences that exist across varied cultures, ages and genders, which can result in miscommunication as supported by Shirey, (2007) . More often than not, miscommunication in the health care environment results in misconstructions, low nursing performance and medical misdiagnosis, which have dire consequences on the health outcomes of patients. The only way nurse leaders can communicate effectively is by obtaining effective communication skills to be able to manage, lead, direct, monitor and supervise the nursing staff as noted by AONE, (2005). 2. Obtaining effective communication skills There are various effective communication skills that a nurse leader must acquire to facilitate effective communication, which includes having respect, listening and using appropriate language and body language among others as highlighted by Daniels, (2004). Effective communication can only be carried out when there is a sense of respect between the leader and his subordinates, peers or superiors (Faila & Stichler, 2008). Respect is earned when both parties to the communication process treat each other with dignity and they listen without passing on judgments. To communicate effectively, a nurse leader must learn the effective communication skills of listening where they are able to listen to the other party without having preconceived attitudes towards them, they do not interrupt other people while they are talking and more importantly, they take into account the feelings and ideas of other people as highlighted by Clark, (2008). This entails being able to isolate their personal feelings and attitudes about the other party from what they are saying (Shirey, 2007). Asking questions is a means of letting the other person know that as the leader you are not only listening but also, interested in what they are saying. Nurse leaders must be aware about the balance of power especially when communicating with their subordinates where body language, tone of voice and non-verbal aspects of communication such as body language may be interpreted differently than the intended meaning (AONE, 2005). For instance, a nurse leader browsing through the phone when a patient or a subordinate is speaking to them can be considered rude and hinder communication. The element of privacy and confidentiality is important in effective communication since they greatly influence how the nurse leaders are perceived in terms of being trusted and being reliable. This is because when a leader is given information in confidence, they must keep the information like that as argued by Faila & Stichler, (2008). This is because failing to do so will be interpreted that the nurse leader cannot be relied on or trusted with private information. This can hinder their service delivery especially when dealing with issues or patients with information that must remain confidential. 3. Offering feedback to the nursing staff It is difficult for the medical staff to develop in their careers and to improve in their work performance when they do not have access to information in regards to what their strengths are, what their weaknesses are and what they need to change and the various ways they can improve. An important element of effective communication is offering feedback, which entails the leader being keen on the performance records of the staff members and analyzing if there were more efficient and adequate ways the needs of the patient could have been met by the nursing staff (Faila & Stichler, 2008). When the staff needs to alter their patient care plans and strategies, the nurse leader must engage the staff in analyzing what was done, what was not supposed to be done and how in the future the nurse can implement the required changes in order to meet the needs of the patient more effectively. It is important that when offering feedback to the nursing staff as a way of communicating with them, the nurse leader does not only focus on giving negative feedback (Schmidt, 2006). They should ensure that they give positive feedback for the areas and occasions when the staff has performed well. Positive feedback has the effect of enhancing worker motivation and dedication to work (Daniels, 2004). 4. Interacting with every person at their level using appropriate communication approach Effective communication as earlier indicated, entails conveying the right information to the intended person, at the correct time, in the right form, at the right place and always in a way which is understood easily as indicated by Klainberg & Dirschel (2010). In the day to day activities, the nurse leader must interact with people such as patients, peers, doctors and the subordinate staff among others, which means they communicate on different and numerous levels. At different levels, the nurse leader should be able to communicate and interact using the appropriate communication approach (Clark, 2008). When dealing with patients, the approach of communication is more often than not caring while dealing with the nursing staff, the communication approach is more formal in order to ensure the instructions given are clear on the duties the staff has to carry out. On the other hand, the nurse leader must ensure that the doctors are given accurate information about the condition of the patient in order to ensure correct diagnosis. All this interactions at varied levels are important in ensuring that every person is in alignment with every situation that arises. 5. Adopting the right style of communicating The ability of leading nurses to communicate effectively in order to ensure the development of the staff and to ensure positive transformation of health care organizations is not merely about exchanging information and telling the labor force what they need to do. It is more so the style one uses to communicate the message (AONE, 2005). The use of intimidating behavior by the leading nurses such as keeping silent when asked a question or when clarifications are sought is great obstacles to communicating effectively. Backing orders and demands to peers and subordinates, reprimanding the nursing staff in front of their colleagues or when patients can hear, out talking physicians rather than listening to their directives and displaying signs of frustrations towards clients are distinct indicators of poor communication style. How one display their emotions and their body language such as folding of hands, frowning and bursting out laughing are important in influencing effective communication (Schmidt, 2006). Conclusively, the inability of the leading nurse to communicate effectively is more often than evident and in plain view for everyone to see. Ineffective communication in a healthcare set up is characterized by half-finished tasks by the staff, role ambiguities since duties and responsibilities have not been communicated clearly, frequent medical misdiagnosis and poor work performance (Stanley, 2008). Until the leading nurse give clear directions and effective guidelines in relation to the roles and responsibilities of the staff, the daily operations of the healthcare facility will be rough and disjointed and as a result, the credibility of the nurse leader and their leadership abilities will be questioned (AONE, 2005). The benefits of learning how to communicate effectively by the nurse leader According to Swansburg (1996), effective communication by the nurse leader is reliant on their recognition of the multiplicity of the workforce and their different view of the world, and using this understanding to inform their interactions with those they work with. Through effective communication, leading nurses are able to achieve mutual understanding, facilitate how information circulates within the healthcare organization, and inspire others to achieve set organizational and personal goals, motivate others to develop new ways of doing things and thinking and help the staff to overcome obstacles in their nursing practice (Shirey, 2007). All these are important in developing the nursing staff and transforming healthcare organizations into organizations that offer quality services that meet the needs and expectations of its clients, generate favorable working environments that facilitate professional growth and in the long term ensure positive patient health outcomes. By acquiring the ability to communicate effectively, the nurse leaders are better positioned to help at unit level development of a rewarding and effective organizational culture, by engaging the workforce in establishing shared ideals in their nursing practice (Stanley, 2008). Effective communication coupled with effective leadership are fertile ground for enhanced employee motivation and dedication to work and are crucial in bringing the workforce on board when implementing organizational changes which are inevitable in the modern health sector. Daniels, (2004) notes that effective communication is crucial in helping nurse leaders to guide the nursing staff in carrying out their roles, dealing with challenges in their nursing practice, resolving conflicts and misunderstandings and moving towards the goal of operating as an effective team. Effective communication is the basis for developing trust between the leader and their team (Nagelkerk, 2005). Conclusion Effective leaders are those that are able to effectively communicate with those they lead by offering clear directions, clear instructions and those that are able to listen to others without passing on judgments and making erratic decisions. Effective communication in the healthcare sector is important in ensuring that every stakeholder understands their role in enhancing positive patient health outcomes. Using effective communication, nurse leaders are able to effectively and efficiently develop reliable relationships with their patients, peers and team members and influencing their behaviors positively. It is impossible for a nurse leader to effect organizational changes when they are not able to bring the team on board through effective communication. Effective communication is a vehicle that a leader uses to drive their team towards achieving set organizational goals, visions and mission and it is crucial in supporting the staff in dealing with their day to day challenges in their nursing practice. Effective communication is a primary skill to effectively and efficiently lead, guide and manage others. As highlighted in the report, nurse leaders can communicate effectively to develop their staff and transform their healthcare organization by obtaining effective communication skills, learning how to communicate effectively, offering feedback to the nursing staff, interacting with every person at their level using appropriate communication approach and adopting the right style of communicating. References American Organization of Nurse Executives. (2005). AONE nurse executive competencies. Nurse Leader, 3:15-21. Clark, C. (2008). Creative Nursing Leadership and Management. New York: Jones & Bartlett Learning. Daniels, R. (2004). Nursing Fundamentals: Caring & Clinical Decision Making. London: Cengage Learning. Faila, K.R., & Stichler, J.F. (2008). Manager and staff perceptions of the manager's leadership style. Journal of Nursing Administration, 38, (11): 480-487. Klainberg, M., & Dirschel, K.M. (2010). 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