Effectiveness of Clinical Nursing Leadership (Cnl) on Patient and Staff Outcomes - Essay Example

Effectiveness of Clinical Nursing Leadership (Cnl) On Patient and Staff Outcomes Name Institution Date Introduction Developing clinical nursing leadership is of great importance in healthcare delivery. Clinical nursing was developed so as to improve the quality and safety of nursing care within complex, technologically advanced and ever-changing healthcare system. Within clinical leadership, a clinical leader is usually prepared educationally as a developed nurse generalist so as to improve patients and staffs outcomes through the application of micro-system evaluation process and management of healthcare delivery to group of patients. A clinical nursing leader is an individual who involves in direct patient care and who constantly improves health care by influencing other health care providers. This paper therefore critically looks at effectiveness of clinical nursing leadership on outcomes of patients and staffs. Effectiveness of clinical nursing leadership on patient and staff outcomes In clinical nursing leadership, a clinical leader uses evidence-based information to plan and coordinate the delivery of healthcare services to individuals and patients’ cohorts in a hospital micro-system. This ensures that nurses provide effective medical services to patients. Clinical nurse leaders assist and coordinate several disciplines and services via literal integration of care so as to ensure that the most effective and goal-directed activities are carried out at the right time and in collaboration with other disciplines. Minimized fragmentation of care and gaps within the communication usually result into cost-effective efficiency, improved clinical results, and enhanced patients satisfaction (Harris & Roussel, 2010). Harris & Roussel (2010) explains that Clinical nursing leadership is a developed generalist with graduate-level nursing understanding of illness and management of diseases, health evaluation and creative nursing interventions. Clinical nursing leaders therefore normally bring the required nursing leadership at the point of healthcare so as to ensure safe generalist and high quality nursing care. Comprehensive understanding of the patient and staff management skills acquired from clinical nursing leadership enables clinical nursing leaders to effectively assist patient movement through healthcare system from acute illness period to the point when the patient returns back to the community. Clinical nursing leadership is usually result oriented. Therefore, clinical nursing leaders, as outcome managers, are normally prepared to manage quality development initiatives and plan research-based interventions that minimize error, enhance patient safety and streamline delivery processes of delivering healthcare. The clinical nursing leaders are very useful in determining the outcomes of patients and hospital staffs. They usually asses the health of the patient and the outcomes of the processes of nursing care via analysis of several data and communicating with healthcare team. The clinical nursing leaders normally lead staff team in implementation of initiatives so as to treat deficiencies in micro-system. In clinical nursing leadership, cost benefit analysis is usually applied as a strategy to minimize waste and control resources (Hosseini, 2007). According to Hosseini (2007), clinical nursing leadership is very effective in healthcare sector since it improves clinical, financial and satisfaction outcomes of patients and staffs. The effectiveness of leadership therefore entails improved rates of home health referrals, reduced nursing staff turnover, enhanced patient satisfaction, fewer cardiac arrests, reduction in fall rates, discharge planning developed core measure data and decreased length of stay (LOS). The outcomes of satisfaction incorporate both patient satisfaction and nursing satisfaction. The outcomes are demonstrated through enhanced retention rates, nursing staff empowerment and involvement in career development opportunities. Fitzpatrick & Wallace (2008) argues that Clinical nursing leaders are interdisciplinary care team managers. They usually delegates and controls nursing team resources, these are, staff and supplies. Through effective team work, clinical nursing leaders are capable of developing patient-care delivery. They normally achieve this through understanding of human interactions, communication, conflict management, problem-solving skills and coalition or team building. Clinical nursing leadership is also essential in patient outcomes since it normally acts as advocate of patients. Clinical nursing leaders normally lead attempts of creating and controlling a care environment that responds to health care requirements of several patients and families. They normally incorporate the preferences and values of patients into the plan of health care. Under clinical nursing leadership, patients and families can be incorporated as partners in health care and making of decisions. Health disparities for the most vulnerable incorporating old people, less educated individuals, uninsured persons and those with cultural barriers can be addressed under clinical nursing leadership. This is normally done through analysis of differences in clinical outcomes for patients’ cohorts within the micro-system. Clinical nursing leaders are also advocates health care professionals. They normally promote practices that are features of healthy work surroundings. Clinical nursing leadership educates both the patients and staffs. It prepares persons, families or clients’ cohorts for self-care and a maximal level of wellness and functioning. In order to optimize wellness, risk minimization and health promotion, clinical nursing leaders design and implement education programs by emphasizing on individuals with chronic illness. Clinical nursing leaders are also capable of mentoring new members of the nursing staff, promote critical thinking, evidence-based practice and sound clinical decision making among nursing staffs (Fitzpatrick & Wallace, 2008). Clinical nursing leader is an information manager. As an information manager, a clinical leader is capable of using information systems and technology that places knowledge at the point of care so as to improve the outcomes of health care. Clinical nursing leaders are normally familiar with state of technology of the facilities and information systems. This enables the clinical leaders to identify and document internal patterns. It also enables clinical nursing leaders to compare micro-system function to external benchmarks. Clinical nursing leaders are systems analysts or risk anticipators. They normally involves in review and assessment of processes at system and level of an individual so as to foresee risks for patient safety, avoid medical mistakes and advance the quality of delivering patients care. Application of instruments such as Root Cause Analysis (RCA) and Failure Mode Effect Analysis (FMEA) enables clinical nursing leaders to predict and react properly to near misses and guard events (Fulton & Lyon, 2009). A clinical nursing leader is normally a member of a profession. He or she is usually accountable for his or her personal practice. A clinical nursing leader engages actively in acquisition of skills and knowledge so as to impact change within the health care practice and outcomes and within the profession. Clinical nursing leaders are lifelong leaders. They usually understand the importance of actively practicing current skills and knowledge as the system of health care and practice roles develops (Fitzpatrick & Wallace, 2008). A new graduate registered nurse can apply effective nursing leadership in many ways and areas. He or she can apply effective leadership in coordinating health care. By assuming a horizontal leadership role in health care team, a new graduate registered nurse can coordinate and control health care so as to attain the special demands of vulnerable populations and incorporating the frail elderly that maximizes independence and quality of life. A graduate registered nurse can also apply effective learning leadership through coordinating health care of persons across the lifespan. This is usually done by application of principles and knowledge of interdisciplinary models of delivering health care and case management. A new graduate registered nurse can apply clinical nursing leadership by delegating, supervising and evaluating nursing care that is provided by other staffs as he or she retains accountability for quality of health care that is administered to patients (Fulton & Lyon, 2009). As a member of a profession, a new graduate registered nurse can apply effective clinical nursing leadership to understand the history, duties and philosophy of nursing profession. He or she can use effective nursing leadership to put professional nursing standards and accountability into use. Effective clinical nursing leadership enables graduate registered nurse to assume duty for individual’s professional presentation. It also enables a new graduate nurse to establish him or herself as a reliable resource and provider of health care provider (Cowen & Moorhead, 2008). Through the use of organizational and political processes, a graduate registered nurse can use effective clinical nursing leadership to advocate for professional standards of practice. A new graduate nurse can use effective clinical nursing leadership to understand limits to individual’s scope of practice and stick to licensure law and regulations. He or she can articulate to the general public the importance of the profession as they associate to the welfare of the patient. As a new graduate nurse, an individual can apply effective nursing leadership by involving in professional organizations. The new registered nurse can also work to support agendas that increase the high quality, cost-effective quality and development of the profession (Cowen & Moorhead, 2008). Effective clinical nursing leadership can be used by new graduate registered nurse to manage patients’ illness and diseases. As a way of managing illness and diseases, he or she can evaluate and control physical and psychological symptoms that are related to the disease and illness (Fradd, 2008). He or she can also evaluate, design and give interventions for moderation of pains and sufferings that patients might be experiencing. Graduate registered nurse can also control the illness and diseases of patients through application of pharmacological and non-pharmacological therapies (Scott and Caress, 2009). Conclusion From the discussion, it is clear that clinical nursing leadership is very effective on patient and staff outcomes. Clinical nursing leader uses evidence-based information to plan and coordinate the delivery of health care services to patients in a hospital micro-system. Clinical nursing leadership enables nursing staff to provide effective medical services to patients. Clinical, financial and satisfaction outcomes of patients and staffs can be improved by clinical nursing leadership. Clinical nursing leadership evaluates the health of the patient and the outcomes of the processes of nursing care via analysis of several data and facilitating effective communication among healthcare team. Health disparities for the most vulnerable incorporating old people, less educated individuals, uninsured persons and those with cultural barriers can be addressed under clinical nursing leadership. As a member of a profession, a new graduate registered nurse can apply effective clinical nursing leadership to understand the history, duties and philosophy of nursing profession. A new graduate registered nurse can also apply effective leadership in coordinating health care. References Harris J. & Roussel L. (2010). Initiating and sustaining the clinical nurse leader role: a practical guide. Berlin: Jones & Bartlett Learning. Hosseini M. (2007). Important leadership characteristics of nurse leaders in 2010. New York: ProQuest. Fitzpatrick J. & Wallace M. (2008). 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