Importance and Rationale of Nursing Leadership and Management - Essay Example

Nursing Leadership and Management Nursing Leadership and Management Introduction Many issues have faced nursing leadership and management over the past years. Leadership means taking the role of leading others in the course of their duty or implementing new ideas that will go a long way in realizing the set goals for the nursing objectives and also upholding nursing ethics. Management of nursing meaning ensuring that the environment for the practice, the conditions for the practice are conducive not only to the nurses but also to other patients. Many issues have faced nursing practice and management. Among them is the issue of development of new posts. Nurses have always been ill prepared to take over the new role of managing or taking the leadership role to manage a large group of people (Foster, 2000). They often are contented of being a role model to others rather than taking a leadership role that will give them more powers to set policies in their department and carry out this roles well. Importance and Rationale A critical assessment of the issue of management in nursing is important since many nurses who accept to take this role are not adequately prepared to do it and many take up this work without clear planning or proper preparation. Early experiences and training in the leadership program will go a long way in ensuring that the nurses are vibrant in taking these roles without fear and can perform better than they are thought to (Shirey, 2007). The rationale for focusing in this issue is because leadership in nursing goes a long way to improve the services the nurses render to their patients. Good leadership will also give encouragement to the nurses and create a favorable environment for them to work under. Researchers have revealed that engaging nurses in leadership increases their job satisfaction and commitment, and motivates them to work better and harder (Alimo, 2007). The importance of leadership to the nursing profession and the vision of the profession are to ensure that the nurses are lead to a specific goal and are motivated in their work so that the expected goals and performance are met. Synthesis of Publication done this Semester In Sullivan’s book, he explains why nurses need to be change agents. Using theories of management, the author explains the need for management change in the nursing fraternity. The book explains the relationship between the change process and nursing practice. He explains the change strategies that have taken root in the nursing field and the need for corresponding change of attitude in leadership and attitude. Sullivan’s publication describes the role of a manager in change as he dissects the need for managerial skills in nursing leaders. Additionally, he focuses on the means and ways that nurse leaders need to take in handling resistance to inevitable change in the profession. Issues and responses concerning the preparation of managers, the roles and the contribution of the nurse managers to the development and to the support of the nursing workforce are the main issues that are discussed by Sullivan (2013) In their first three papers, they talk more of the preparation of the nurses to attain the adequacy and the role of managing the nursing management. In their research work, they identified some values that are valuable in the process of training the nurses to achieve the leadership positions. Transformational leadership style would be the best for any nursing scenario as it would appeal to integrity and emotional intelligence of those led. This would motivate people to share the vision of organizational future and converse well with colleagues. Paradoxical theory is the leadership approach that would best suite the nursing profession. This theory involves an individual deciding to become what he wants to be against what the society expects him to be. This means that when individuals adjust to changes or make a decision to change, it is for the betterment of their well-being, as it was bound to happen. Nurses would best use this scheme when adapting to changes in technology that has changed the leadership role of nurses. At the same time, it is recommended that individuals who are engaged in the changes should always be ready to forfeit certain interests in order for the changes to be successful. Sullivan (2013) provides an explicit explanation that changes cannot be made possible by people from the outside, but by individuals engaged in the practice. It has been discovered that changes around the world are taking place in an accelerating swiftness. This would mean that changes should occur as fast as possible for continued existence. This should not only be pertinent in a social system, but also through all that people initialize daily. This points that the nurses are mandated to be able to accept the technological changes taking place in the globe. However, the publication has a drawback in that it does not provide clear way forward for adoption of the paradoxical theory that nurses could follow in furthering their leadership skills in relation to technological changes. According to the book, proper management in the nursing profession includes identifying the aspects of good leadership. This implies the leadership qualities that the leader possesses. The qualities include how the nurse manager can handle situations that require urgent decision making and also how the nurse manager is prepared to reorganize the management of the department when need arises. The policies they integrate also falls under this category. This means that a good leader is able to set policies that provide a blueprint to achievement of both short term and long-term goals of the institution. The policies also can motivate or de-motivate other nurses in the department. Personal qualities and attributes also go a long way to provide for the leadership traits. Personal qualities goes deep into the person, the composure of the person, who the person is if not performing the duties and also what are the abilities of the person that he can do. Personal attributes also shows the competency of the leader. That is a competent leader is able to oversee the development of the organization in every department. Health Care Policy and Nursing The present healthcare environment has an array of regulations, laws and policies imposed by the private sector insurers, institutions and government agencies. These policies, laws and regulations challenge both the nursing fraternity and patients who have often been caught between the need for quality healthcare ad currents of cost constraints. Given the changes in healthcare policies, the number of uninsured population in the United States has grown to over 46.6 million as the cost of healthcare continues to rise. The dynamics in healthcare policies do not only affect the provision of healthcare services, but also leadership in the profession (Foster 2000, 193). Whereas some policies indirectly dictate the form of leadership style that institutions need to employ in running their issues, some regulations place constraints that institutions have to change their management strategies to adhere to the laws. Nurses have become overly aware that today’s healthcare system is in trouble and needs change. Experiences of many nurses working in the real world health have motivated them to take on some form of advocacy role to influence a change in laws, policies and regulations which govern the healthcare system. This form of advocacy calls for the nurses to step beyond the duties of nursing. They get into the political sphere, a field that not many nurses are ever prepared to venture in. successful policy advocacy calls for nurses to have the will, the power, the energy and the time along with the political skills to play along. This, therefore, calls for nursing leaders to be more than healthcare providers. They must show leadership skills that enable them to thrive well in political issues as well as healthcare provision. Transformational leadership style is the scheme that nursing leaders need to cope with the current political changes and policy dynamics in the healthcare fraternity. This style of leadership will enable the nursing leaders to express their emotional intelligence and integrity. Integrity and emotional intelligence are important values when dealing with politically sensitive issues. It is imperative that the leaders appeal to the emotions of the policy makers as well as remain in high integrity according to the people they represent and the public (Roussel 2013, 83). The leadership management will enable the nursing leaders encourage the people they lead to share the visions of the organizations and communicate better. Such leaders are authentic, empathetic, self-aware and humble. Transformational leaders have the capacity to inspire their team members as they expect the best from everyone. They hold themselves accountable for the actions they do. The leadership style enables leaders to set clear goals and good conflict resolution skills. These lead to engagement and high productivity. Application of Ideas This requires a lot of effort in the manager’s part. The manager should align the organization to a goal-oriented organization and lead all the others into making sure that all the goals are realized. Processes and systems also should be developed in such a way that they enable efficient working of the organization. This enables the staff to work well and competently in the realization of the organizations goals. A competent leader will ensure a degree of consistency in the department and will enable the staff to make good decisions in their day-to-day carrying out of the duties. Short-term judgments will also be able to be made effectively with a lot of confidence in the decisions they have made. The second one involves how a leader is to do it. This entails a leader who can be able to transform, engage, encourage and enable the development of an organization characterized by a culture of honesty, openness, integrity, transparency and a genuine value for the others. This is clearly seen in how the leader is concerned with others and the well-being of others. Leaders should have the ability to solve issues that may arise with the staff. They also need the ability to provide a teamwork relationship among the staff and the stakeholders of the organization in the realization of the visions and the goals of the organization. A leader who is able to delegate his or her work to others in his or her absence and a gap will not be created in the absence. The delegation also enables good leadership qualities to the others and creates a form of trust between the manager and the juniors. This delegation also helps in creating a potential staff and creates a confidence in thinking and asking questions that are critical and that are well strategized. The engagement in leadership is a course that is open-minded and enables the organization to cope with the change. From this, it is evident that by reducing the control of management and the great workload, developing efficient strategies that provide an enabling environment, empower, and encourage the managers are good in influencing good patient health related outcomes. The importance of developing relationships among the managers and the staff and also to create communication channels between the participants. According to the authors the expansion of the nursing roles has become a global phenomenon where most institutions dealing with nursing management are unable to help in the expansion of these programs. According to a qualitative approach by McKenna et al, which explored the new nursing and midwifery roles from the Healthcare providers across 18 Health and Social Services Trusts, and Health and Social Boards in Northern Ireland (Schunk 2014). From this research, a wide support is given to the development on the advancement of posts in the nursing management. This is because many people and governments are oriented to providing a positive effect on the car and treatment of patients. However, further research is needed to effectively implement these policies in maintaining a sustainable funding. Some of this is by introducing motivation schemes to the nurses where they will feel that their efforts are being recognized and feel empowered in their work. This emphasis on teamwork as a distribution process that does not work one way but by integrating all parts of the nursing management for a common goal. An effective manager will demonstrate the strengths of the team of the practitioners and their roles and the functioning of the organization. Postgraduate training is also essential in providing good management skills to the organization. This is because we live in a dynamic world where management is a changing process. Regular in servicing of the managerial staff and also inclusion of managerial studies in the post graduates education will enable them be more effective in their work. The overall achievement of all this to the practitioners will be team members who are supportive, collaborative, and vision providing staff. To the policy makers in the organization, a lot also needs to be done. first we shall realize and uphold the fact that the professionals, clinicians and the managers of the organizations have a great role to play in the prosperity of the organization and that they need to be guided professionally on the good approaches they can use in the running of the organization (Department of Health 2008, 29). This will facilitate good relationship with their juniors and be able to handle change in the company. Conclusion Upon adherence to the discussion above, nursing leaders are able to focus on the kind of leadership they provide in the organizations. Transformational leadership is the style that provides ultimate management benefits to the nursing fraternity. Maintaining a team of managers who are able to handle the human capital and social capital of the organization, is essential in providing the right kind of leadership that is embedded in the culture their team portrays. In this it is essential when empowering the leaders to note between leadership development and leaders development. In this it means leader development means developing personal and inter-personal abilities of the leader in improving their competency of managing the organization while leadership development is providing the skills and abilities to the managers to provide collective cognitive, emotional and self awareness to their juniors and the organization at large. All these are the measures we shall put forward in maintaining a good organization that is goal oriented. References Alimo-Metcalfe B., Alban-Metcalfe J., Samele C., Bradley M. & Mariathasan J. (2007) The Impact of Leadership Factors in Implementing Change in Complex Health and Social Care Environments: NHS Plan Clinical Priority for Mental Health Crisis Resolution Teams. Boston: Pearson. Department of Health (2008). High Quality Care for All: NHS Next Stage Review Final Report of the NHS Next Stage Review, London. Sullivan E. J. (2013).Effective Leadership and Management in Nursing. Pearson publishing Foster D. (2000) The development of nurses as managers: the prevalence of the self-development route.8, 193–199. Shirey M. (2007) Competencies and tips for effective leadership: from novice to expert. Boston: Pearson. Schunk, D. H., Meece, J. L., & Pintrich, P. R. (2014). Motivation in education: Theory, research, and applications. Boston: Pearson. Roussel, L. (2013). Management and leadership for nurse administrators. Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning. Read More