Application of Leadership and Management - Essay Example

Application of Leadership and Management INTRODUCTION In the present day context, the application of leadership and management in nursing has been given major emphasis. Health care centres have increased their concerns towards leadership and management in their facilities as there are major challenges being faced by the nurse leaders which include introduction of newer technologies, financial restraints, diversity in cultures and new roles. However, only leadership is not sufficient to ensure efficiency in the nursing function as the nurse must have the ability of using the leadership role along with effective management skills in the practical work environment (Sullivan and Philip, 2005; Curtis, Vries, and Sheerin, 2011).Therefore, personal reflection regarding the behaviour of leadership is one of the main components for an individual in the nursing process to derive a better understanding regarding the present leadership purview. Leadership and management in the nursing context is a psychological and sociological thinking of an individual that can reveal the perception of nurses about themselves along with the patients and the environment they work in (Goodman, 2013). The essay intends to provide a reflective journal related to personal development which enables to evaluate the relevance of the alternative experience to individual developmental needs. This reflective journal would enable to derive a comprehensive understanding regarding how personal development can help in developing the leadership and management quality of an individual. SELF-EVALUATION, REFLECTION AND APPLICATION OF KNOWLEDGE FOR EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP QUALITIES TO INNOVATIONS IN SERVICE DELIVERY Leadership can be defined as a process identifying objectives, motivating the activities of people and providing assistance to these people in order to attain identified objectives (Cherie, 2005). Thus, the concept of leadership applies in the daily life of a senior nurse who has to coordinate the day night shift for the team of nurses and assign them duty according to their job responsibility. Correspondingly, in order to ensure that the areas such as organised day night shift are successfully operating along with ascertaining that students and newly qualified staff are managed properly, leadership skills of a senior nurse is a dependant factor in the healthcare facility (EMAP Publishing Limited, 2011). In this regard, Belbin self-perception inventory has been used to evaluate my leadership quality. According to this theory, there are 8 types of role for a senior nurse with respect to the leadership quality in the health care facility (Obagun, 2010). These roles include a Company Worker (CW) wherein a senior nurse must have the ability of converting the conceptions and strategies into appropriate plans and incorporating these plans into actions in the health care facility. Chairman (CH) is another leadership role wherein a senior nurse has a charismatic ability of converting the non-productive resources into productive ones. The third role is Shaper (SH) wherein a leader has a forceful tendency of ensuring that the given task is completed by all the team members. Plant (PL) is the fourth leadership role for a senior nurse who takes an innovative approach to solve the problems being faced in the health care facility (Mind Tools Ltd, 2014). The fifth leadership role is the Resource Investigator (RI) wherein a senior nurse improves contact to explore additional opportunities. Monitor Evaluator (ME) is the sixth role which is also regarded as a standard setter wherein a senior nurse has the ability of understanding the actual situation and making accurate judgements pertaining to these situations. The seventh role for a senior nurse is Team Worker (TM) wherein the leader has the tendency of carrying out the job and responding to situations effectively along with promoting team spirit. Complete Finisher (CF) is the last leadership role in which the leader has a tendency of completing the given task on time and delivering services effectively irrespective of the obstacles being faced in the health care facility (Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, n.d.). Therefore, through Belbin self-perception inventory, it has been identified that I am a Shaper (SH) and Complete Finisher (CF) that falls under the category of this theory. I being a senior nurse in the accident and emergency department have evaluated my strengths and weaknesses of leadership quality. I have derived my strengths as a senior nurse that I am well-oriented and driven towards tackling the challenges related to ineffectiveness, indolence and self-deception in the team of nurses (The Healthy NHS Board, 2013). Moreover, I have a perfectionist attitude towards my work wherein I am more concerned towards successfully and efficiently completing the task within the given time frame (Creative Synthesis, n.d.). However, I could identify certain weaknesses in my leadership practice which include that I am more prone to irritation and I easily get frustrated and aggravated if in case the expectations regarding the work are not met by the team of nurses. I could derive that I am more focused towards delivering high standard services to the patients through the team of nurses and if in case the service provided get deteriorated, I tend to become negative in my attitude. Therefore, in some cases rather than delegating high end services to a new nurse and training them, I myself complete tasks in the given time frame. Thus, I have a fear that my responsibility as a senior leader might get affected if in case these services do not meet the required standards. Henceforth, I could understand that innovation and creativity in my leadership skills can develop my department in delivering services to the patients more effectively and firmly. According to my knowledge, it can be stated that the aforesaid weaknesses can contribute as an obstacle for me becoming an effectual leader to a certain extent. I could realise that innovative service delivery can help in removing these obstacles and improving satisfaction along with experience of patients while availing service in the emergency health care facility. And, this directly would emerge as a prospective factor for my ambitions of becoming a future leader in my department. In the present day era, providing satisfactory services to patients in the health care facility requires innovation in the process of delivering service. I have comprehended that in order to provide an innovative service delivery in my emergency department it is very important that I must have a good leadership skill. An effective skill in leadership can actually contribute as a factor for implementing innovative service in my health care facility. Therefore, it can be asserted that as a senior nurse, I must have the required competency for bringing innovative service delivery into practice in the department. A skilful leader can create a vibrant environment in the health acre facility that would ultimately result in initiating an innovative way of service delivery (Kerridge, 2013). A good leadership skill can act as a driving factor for training, supporting and involving the team of nurses in providing innovative delivery of services to the patients. The current political environment is subjected to frequent changes therefore good leadership skills is a necessary factor for enacting innovative service delivery (Canadian Nurses Association, 2013; American College of Emergency Physicians, 2013). Presently, National Health Service (NHS) has been facing severe problems due to certain decision made by government policies. These changes include The Health and Social Care Act introduced by the United Kingdom legislation in 2012 which has resulted in re-organisation of NHS, changed health care provision system and moreover NHS been more opened to private health care companies (The King’s Fund, 2012; Boyle, 2011). Government has cut its fund for NHS and emphasised on creating an innovative system of service delivery, therefore there has been an increased importance being given by the NHS in developing innovation and leadership in the health care facilities and among nurses (BBC, 2012). NHS has been spending more money to initiate new technologies in the health care system which can be effectively implemented through good leadership skills among senior staffs and nurses in the health care department (NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement, 2011; Northern Ireland Practice & Education Council for Nursing & Midwifery, 2006). DEMONSTRATION OF LEADING AND MOTIVATING A TEAM According to my perception, I consider that developing and motivating the team of nurses can help in successfully providing the services to patients in emergency situations. This can be done by being transparent to the team members, empowering them to get involved in decision making, inspiring the team members to use their inherent skills for resolving certain issues, developing a good relationship and work atmosphere with the team of nurses, fostering the team for self-governance that would allow them to make mistakes and learn from their mistakes along with providing reward and recognition to the team members who actually deserve it (Lister, 2014). These factors will make the entire team to act responsively and provide their best services to patients. As identified from the model of Belbin self-perception inventory, various strengths and weaknesses of my leadership skills could be identified wherein the strengths were I am result-oriented and have a perfectionist attitude towards completing the given task. Contrariwise, it also understood that I easily get impatient and frustrated if in case my team expectations are not met. Moreover, I consider completing the given task by myself rather than training new nurses in some situations. These weaknesses are considered as my area of personal development in order to ensure that my leadership skills are effective in future and capable of providing best possible services to the patients. Moreover, as per my experience from the visit at the emergency department, I observed that the senior most member responsible for assigning tasks to its team of nurses was always calm in nature for making crucial decisions and had a belief towards the nurse members who had a perception that mistakes can be committed and they would learn from their mistakes. Therefore, I learnt and understood that calmness and belief can actually be utilised in the future while practicing leadership skills in the department as these factors can reduce my weaknesses related to leadership skills and result in enhancing my ability to handle extreme situations. After getting inspired by the leadership style of my senior member, I developed a willingness to implement these skills in my leadership style. Therefore, I started implementing the learnt skills of leadership and practiced them in the department with the team of nurses wherein I could experience that there was a positive change in my leadership capability and I could effectively manage this team. However, I require practicing these skills on a regular basis to ensure that I completely develop my leadership skills and have the ability to lead the entire team to bring a positive change within nurses in the department. Leadership skills is an essential aspect for motivating teams in the health care facility as a good leader can bring a positive change in the team attitude, initiate open communication with nurses and correct them as and when required (Oliver, 2006). Moreover, a good leader can also identify the strengths of its team members and accordingly motivate them to achieve the desired objectives that would result in providing best services to patients and catering their service expectations (Cartmell and Yemm, 2013). Accordingly, I could apprehend that good leadership skills are important in motivating and leading the team of nurses for providing good services to the patients. Eventually, I could derive that the main objective of this department was to provide qualitative and innovative services of nursing to patients which could be only achieved through effective leadership in nursing. Therefore, a good leader can encourage its team of nurses to understand the requirements and values of its patients that would ultimately provide satisfaction to patients and create a good relationship among nurse and patients (Walton, 2006). A good leader can bring expertise within the nursing team that would result in better outcomes as a leader provides benchmark to these nurses to maintain their standard of service. Henceforth, a well led team can be highly motivated in providing its valuable services to the patients that would help them recover quite soon. CHALLENGES OF THE POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT In the year 1997, Labour government was elected in the UK which triggered the advent of evidence-based policy making which was based upon the perception that that only thing that matters is the only thing that works. This policy resulted in creating a major obstacle for bringing in change and innovation in the health care system as most of the political parties in the UK resisted change to obtain more profit through the orthodox system (Moran, Rein and Goodin, 2006). This political environment of the UK has an adverse influence on bringing change and innovation in the health care facility and nurses in the UK (Malone, 2011). The policy framed by the government has been quite complex in nature in relation to the health care system and the government funds provided has also been insufficient. This insufficiency acts as a major challenge for bringing change and innovation in the health care system as innovation and upgradation requires adequate funds or capital (State of Victoria, Department of Human Services, 2005). Besides, the regulatory reforms made by the government have also created more pressure to these health care facilities as the demand for improving the quality of services has been ever-increasing with inadequate supply of funds. Political influences have emerged as a driving force the for the unsupportive government policy with regard to the health care system. In relation to the challenges, it has been observed that NHS has been facing a pool of challenges present existence as compared to its 65 years of existence (Carlowe, 2013). It has been revealed that political environment acts as a significant factor in the future of NHS, thus it is considered that changes and innovativeness within the NHS and the health care facility in the UK are highly influenced by these political factors (Gabe, 2004). Additionally, with the ageing population in the UK, there has been more demand for healthcare services as compared to the previous years. The cost of drugs has been continuously increasing in the present day era and the inflation faced by the NHS is more than the general inflation faced by the economy of the UK. With respect to the current political environment, in the UK, the healthcare facility in the NHS has been facing a problem regarding gap in funding as the policies framed in the UK have undergone cost cutting which has adversely affected the entire budget of NHS and resulted in merely bringing in a change and innovation in the health care system (Ross, Redfern, Harris and Christian, 2010). It has been revealed that most of the political parties in the UK have stated to prioritise the NHS and its healthcare facility but there has been no driving force in the political environment that can actually mitigate the challenges being faced in the healthcare system of the nation. There has been a huge debate amid the politicians and the NHS staff that is concerned about rising demand of healthcare services of the people in society. Introducing new technologies has been an important part of the debate as the patients expectations cannot be effectively met if the services are not standardised and updated. This in turn has resulted in the backdrop of NHS as it is facing severe problem due to flat funding. There has been an increased pressure given to the NHS both by public and the government bodies as there is a huge requirement for change and innovativeness in the health care system of the nation. As commented by Sir David Nicholson the Chief Executive of NHS, “Our analysis shows that if we continue with the current model of care and expected funding levels, we could have a funding gap of £30bn between 2013/14 and 2020/21,which will continue to grow and grow quickly if action isn’t taken. This is on top of the £20bn of efficiency savings already being met. This gap cannot be solved from the public purse but by freeing up NHS services and staff from old style practices and buildings” (NHS England, 2013; Lind, 2013).Furthermore, the NHS Confederation has described certain conditions that are to be taken into consideration in order to ensure that a change and innovation is initiated in the health care system of the nation which includes analysis of the challenges being faced in relation to social care and health along with ensuring that the political parties are not rigid in their policies towards healthcare facility (Carlowe, 2013). CONCLUSION Leadership and management has been given major importance in the recent times as there has been a significant set of challenge being faced by the nurse leaders in health care facilities which includes changing technologies, financial problems, cultural diversity and new functions. Leadership and management helps in catering the requirements of patients as the senior nurses will have to organise the day night shift for the group of nurses along with managing the students as well as newly qualified staff which requires good management skills. With the help of Belbin self-perception inventory, I have identified that I tend to be a shaper and complete finisher in my leadership skills and there are certain strengths and weaknesses associated with my leadership quality. Strengths include that I am result-oriented and have an attitude of perfectly completing the work. Conversely, weaknesses of my leadership skills involve that I get easily frustrated and I am a bit impatient wherein I get irritated if in case the given tasks are not completed timely and successfully. Moreover, in order to offer an innovative service delivery to the patients it is considered that good leadership skill plays a vital role. Nonetheless, I acquired leadership skills from my senior member working in the department who was always calm in nature and believed its team members to be the most valuable asset. Therefore, I brought the acquired skills into practice in the emergency department by using these skills on the nurses wherein I could reveal that these skills can actually develop my leadership ability. Subsequently, I have understood that enhanced leadership skills can result in a highly motivated team. However, the NHS and the healthcare system in the UK has been facing severe challenges due to the political factors which include inadequate supply of funds to the NHS from the government bodies, increased cost of drugs and inflation being faced by the economy that encompasses the NHS. These factors have acted as a barrier to bring change and innovativeness in the healthcare facility. Therefore, it is considered that the political system and the health care system must be balanced effectively to successfully initiate innovativeness and creativity in the service delivery to patients. Works Cited American College of Emergency Physicians. Quality of Care and the Outcomes Management Movement. 2013. Web. 21 Mar. 2014. BBC. The Changing NHS. 2012. Web. 21 Mar. 2014. Boyle, Seán. “Health Systems in Transition.” Health System Review. 13.1 (2011): 1-422. Print. Canadian Nurses Association. “Nursing Leadership.” Position Statement. (2013): 1-8. Print. Carlowe, Jo. 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