Effective Approaches in Leadership and Management - Assignment Example

? Effective Approaches in Leadership and Management Effective Approaches in Leadership and Management Issue Selected The issue that was chosen for the current discourse is a discussion on patient satisfaction and the need for continuous quality improvement in a health care setting or institution. During the course of research on the meaning of the term ‘quality improvement’, one encountered the definition noted by Batalden & Davidoff (2007), who averred that quality improvement is a process that necessitates the united and unceasing efforts of various stakeholders in the organization, particularly those in a health care setting, towards identifying facets that require changes to attain improved patient results, overall performance within the processes, procedures and systems, and in the development of healthcare professionals. Concurrently, through results of surveys, authors Boyer, Francois, Doutre, Weil and Labarere (2006) have disclosed that to enable patient satisfaction, managers in a health care setting look into improving the organizational environment, in conjunction with functional facilities and amenities, as required. Emphasis was thereby noted that the information relayed by patients through customer satisfaction feedback is a crucial source of relevant information that would enable management and hospital administrators to deteremine problems, concerns, and issues that would enable them to design an appropraite plan of action towards continuous quality improvement in their health care setting (Boyer, Francois, Doutre, Weil, & Labarere, 2006). For continuous quality improvement in the health care setting, collaborative effort is crucial from all stakeholders; not solely on nursing leaders and health institution managers. However, their respective roles in ensuring both quality improvement and in patient satisfaction is paramount as leaders were specifically identified as the driving force and “influence the behavior of other people in order to get things done” (Martires & Fule, 2000, p. 150). In this regard, the aim of the current paper is to present pertinent issues relative to determining ways and means to address issues on the satisfaction of patients, in conjunction with the need for unrelentless efforts for unceasing quality improvement and patient satisfaction in the health care setting; specifically to provide a comparative analysis of how nursing leaders and managers approach these concerns through the use of diverse concepts, ideals, abilities and responsibilities of the leader versus manager described in health institutions. Finally, one would provide explanation as to the method that effectively and appropriately matches ones professional, as well as philosophy of nursing and the reasons this method best fits to ones leadership style. 2) Comparative Analysis of How Nursing Leaders and Managers Approach Continuous Quality Improvement and Patient Satisfaction The study conducted by Boyer, Francois, Doutre, Weil, & Labarere (2006) on the link between patient satisfaction surveys and continuous quality improvement generated findings which revealed that there are three factors that influence satisfaction of patients with unceasing efforts for quality improvement: (1) a focus on a culture that emphasizes quality in the health care setting; (2) the content and consistency in results provided by regular patient satisfaction surveys; and (3) the extent by which management encourages participation of various health care practitioners towards utilizing results of the patient satisfaction surveys towards the need to improve identified facets of the health care environment. As disclosed, “this result is coherent with the continuous improvement quality theory and with studies that have shown that quality improvement is more often associated with a participative organization than bureaucratic and hierarchical culture” (Shortell, O’Brien, Carman, et al., 1995, pp. 377–401; cited in Boyer, Francois, Doutre, Weil, & Labarere, 2006, p. 363). From this study, it is therefore deduced that the success of patient satisfaction surveys depend on the management structure that is applied in the health care setting. The more participative the organization is; the more results of surveys aiming to determine the extent of satisfaction of patients are effectively utilized and integrated in the organization’s thrust for the programs that earmark appropriate improvement of quality, as deemed necessary. In another study written by Batalden & Davidoff (2007), Table 1 outlined illustrative tools and methods that are deemed effective in health care settings. As shown the roles of leading and managing were both instrumental through building theoretical knowledge, taking a proactive stance and the ability to adapt a course of action, to evaluate and assess performance, and in the subsequent training and development of the abilities and skills of other health care personnel in the workplace setting. Table 1: Tools and Methods in Improvement of Quality Domain of Interest Helpful Tools and Methods Healthcare as processes within systems Diagrams that illustrate flow, inter?relationship and cause?effect; narrative descriptions; case examples Variation and measurement Data recorded over time and analysed on run charts and control charts Customer/beneficiary knowledge Measurements of illness burden, functional status, quality of life; recipients' assessment of the quality of their care Leading, following and making changes in healthcare Building knowledge, taking initiative or adaptive action, reviewing and reflecting; developing both leadership and follower?ship skills Collaboration Managing conflict, building teams and group learning; acquiring specific communication skills (eg, SBAR) Social context and accountability Documenting unwanted and unnecessary variation; widespread public sharing of information Developing new, locally useful knowledge Making small tests of change (PDSA cycles) Source: Batalden & Davidoff, 2007 Finally, in the study written by Phillips, Hughes, & Savits (2004), it was emphasized that both crucial elements: safety of patients, as well as improvement of quality in health care organizations are efforts that are initiated by higher management officials with direct chain of command to the chief of medical services or even to the vice president for safety and quality. Accordingly, the personnel entasked with responsibilities on quality assign leaders in the professional capacities of either medical professionals or nurses, who have had academic and work experiences on the administration and governance of direct patient care. Through continuous training and development programs, these personnel were identified to use regular reference to authoritative journals” specifically dedicated to implementation science, and reinforced change management principles using the Institute for Healthcare Improvement collaborative model” (pp. 1 & 2). Thus, the role of managers is more on governance and administration of the training and development function of nurse leaders, who are directly involved in patient care and in being instrumental in the patient satisfaction survey process. 3) Approach that Best Fits Personal and Professional Philosophy of Nursing The method that effectively matches one’s philosophy of nursing in terms of addressing the need to ensure the satisfaction of patients, in conjunction with focusing on unceasing programs for the improvement of quality is the collaborative approach, which was noted to be most effective in continuous improvement programs. For this particular approach to be effective in a health care setting, both nurse leaders and managers must assume a democratic leadership style that is one of the styles of leadership whereby leaders share power and authority with the members of the group (Martires & Fule, 2000, p. 564). This approach is suited to one’s personal leadership style because based on personal characteristics and traits; as well as the personalities and traits of subordinates; in conjunction with the situation or health care setting, the democratic style embodies the leadership style that is needed to encourage continuous quality improvement and the ability to utilize the outcomes generated from surveys of patient satisfaction for the overall improvement of the health organization. In a study written by Smith (2011), the author noted that one of the most applicable leadership theories for nurses in contemporary setting is the transformational leadership style. As averred, the leadership style identified as transformational permits discerning and determining crucial facets where change is imminent and provides the appropriate direction and guidance for subordinates towards the achievement of clearly identified goals. Through utilizing the characteristics of a leaders exhibiting a transformational style, respective nurse managers would “feel more comfortable and confident when engaging in the development of healthcare policies, the ever-changing components of healthcare technology, and the mentorship of new graduate nurses” (Smith, 2011, par. 2). As such, in addition to assuming a democratic leadership style, nurse leaders and managers could likewise develop their transformational leadership style to focus on areas that need continuous quality improvement; as well as in identifying the weaknesses noted in patient satisfaction surveys which could be used in important inputs in the training and development of leadership skills in nursing staff and other practitioners in the health institution’s setting. References Batalden, P., & Davidoff, F. (2007, February 16). What is “quality improvement” and how can it transform healthcare? Retrieved August 24, 2012, from Quality and Safety in Health Care: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2464920/ Boyer, L., Francois, P., Doutre, E., Weil, G., & Labarere, J. (2006). Perception and use of the results of patient satisfaction surveys by care providers in a French teaching hospital. Volume 18, Number 5, 359–364. Martires, C., & Fule, G. (2000). Management of Human Behavior in Organizations. Quezon City: National Bookstore. Phillips, S., Hughes, R., & Savitz, L. (2004). Chapter 9. Synergistic Opportunity to Connect Quality Improvement and Emergency Preparedness. Retrieved August 24, 2012, from ahrq.gov: http://www.ahrq.gov/qual/nurseshdbk/docs/PhillipsS_SOEPS.pdf Shortell, S., O’Brien, J., Carman, J., & al, e. (1995). Assessing the impact of continuous quality improvement/total quality management: concept versus implementation. Health Serv Res, Vol. 30, 377–401. Smith, M. (2011, September). Are you a transformational leader? Retrieved August 24, 2012, from Nursing Managment: http://journals.lww.com/nursingmanagement/Fulltext/2011/09000/Are_you_a_transformational_leader_.8.aspx Read More