Importance, Applicability and Effectiveness of Nursing Leadership - Term Paper Example

Importance, applicability and effectiveness of nursing leadership. Name University Affiliation Date Importance, applicability and effectiveness of nursing leadership Introduction The term leadership is defined as the art of influencing other people so that they strive willingly and actively towards the achievement of specific goals. In other words, it means applying interpersonal skills to influence other individuals to accomplish specific goals in an organization. Leadership is applied in every sphere of our social life; nursing is no exceptional in these aspects. Thus, the application of leadership skills in nursing profession is called nursing leadership (Chiou, H., & Hsieh, L. 2008).Through the knowledge gained in training and work experience, a nurse can provide nursing leadership in his/her area of operation. Nursing leadership involves empowering others, facilitating learning process, developing the nursing knowledge and working with other people collaboratively to achieve the set goals. Nursing leadership is all about critical thinking, action and advocacy; this takes place in all domains of the practice of nursing. Nursing leadership plays a very crucial role in lives of nurses and the entire health delivery system .This paper focuses on the significance, applicability and effectiveness of nursing leadership to patient and the nurses. Effectiveness in nurse leadership is the appropriate application of leadership skills, principles in the nursing field to ensure patients get the maximum care and the caregiver or the nurses have humble time of doing so. For a nurse leader to be more effective to his/her responsibilities, he must adhere to several effectiveness principles. Some of these principles are; communication star, follower creator, visionary, decision maker, power symbol, Forouzande et al (2009). To ensure effectiveness in this field, the administrators ought to lay down some principles like the ones above in order for their nurse to adhere to them. Good leadership in nursing requires the following. First, nurses who understand that nursing leadership skills starts at the lower level of nursing education program. This then progresses throughout the profession life of every nurse, Cummings et al (2008). Every educator in the life of a nurse instills the values that a nurse is expected to have. Leadership in the context of nursing is all about helping the trainee nurses so that they can take their profession to be a lifelong commitment .The leadership values are imparted in them at their tender age so as they grow, they understand that good leadership is part of their responsibilities. Secondly, nursing leadership involves competent and engaged nurses who give exceptional care and nurses who are autonomous in their thinking .It requires that the practicing nurses should be ready to come out with credible evidence, delegate of duties, advocates for clients’ patients and the community at large. Moreover, it requires that for effective leadership in nursing, nurses should insist on practicing their work to the full potential in coherence to the laws that govern the profession .This implies that nurses should execute their duties as professionals; they should not yield to the external pressures that may demean the profession. Thirdly, nursing leadership also requires nurses who conduct research, ask questions that address certain health problems facing the society so that he/she comes up with solutions that can aid in shaping the public policies. In addition, leadership in nursing is all about mentoring young researchers linking them to the policy leaders to help in shaping large public policy outcomes. Therefore, nurses are responsible in being vigilant to the needs of the society so that they may know the best way they can aid improving the lifestyle (Coffey, 2006). In nursing, there are numerous situations where leadership skills can be applied. Nursing leaders can apply their leadership skills in the nusrsing practice in various ways. First, leaders should be able to find and sustain funding nursing programs in the society, Carter et al (2010). There are many community programs, which concern the effort of uplifting the health standards in the society. The government funds some of these programs partially and the remaining potion should be fetched from somewhere else. Therefore, the leaders of these organizations or programs remain with the duty of finding ways on how to find the remaining funds Secondly, nursing leaders can apply their leadership knowledge is through providing adequate infrastructure and other resources at the place of work Carter et al (2010). Leaders in any organization ensure that all the materials required to be used in the organization are available at the right place and at the right time. Most of these resources often need repair replacement and general maintenance. They are required to use their acquired leadership knowledge to ensure that there is good maintenance of the available resources, and know how the junior staff uses them (Nash & Govier, 2009). Good working conditions involve giving the workers good working environment and the part of the good environment is providing what they require to work with. By doing this, they would be applying leadership knowledge. Nursing leaders can also show their leadership ability by building a strong team that is committed to achieving the objectives (Cherie &Gebrekidan, 2005). These leaders should assist every member in a team to deliver his/her best towards attaining the set objectives. Actually attaining the goals set depends much on teamwork in any given organization. One cannot do everything on his own, as a leader, it is their responsibility to built a team that values whatever it involves in. This is easily reached when there are the availability of set standards; once the standards have been set, each member is aware of what he/she is expected out of him. Nursing leaders can also apply their leadership skills and knowledge through conducting performance appraisal. Performance appraisal is a systematic review of workers performance on the tasks assigned (Cherie &Gebrekidan, 2005). This is used in evaluating the effectiveness of their worker. The performance appraisal provides the information on which decision making process would be based on. Decisions such as salary increment, promotion, transfers, etc will be done according the performance of each worker (Nash & Govier, 2009). Therefore, nursing leaders by carrying out performance appraisal would be applying leadership knowledge in the field of nursing. The importance of nursing leadership is the benefits good nursing leadership would have to the general health delivery system Cumming, Et al (2008). Nursing leadership is very much important on patients and nurse outcomes. First, every leadership establishes the vision of the organization. Leaders have the duty and responsibility of setting the vision of the organization and ensure that these vision is put it actions plans that will have to bring the vision to fruition. Thus, the significance of leadership body in the nursing field is that it set the target to be achieved and encourages the team members to towards attaining these goals. Nurse leaders tend to initiate motivation to other nurses and other health care providers to work hard in attaining the set goals McLean, S., Kenyon M. J. (2003)There are so many ways one can motivate others. Giving presents, salary increment, promotion, sweet-talking, being kind are some of the motivation strategies that nursing leaders use to encourage others. Without motivation, members can perform the assigned tasks sluggishly and infectively, but motivation increases the efficiency and productivity in any organization. Thus, nursing leaders are very vital in motivating others to work even more. Nursing leaders are agents for change. The leaders recognizes situation or processes that are not going well and take the responsibility of creating awareness why there is need for change (Houston & Marquis, 2008). They not only implement the changes they have brought in an organization, but also ensure that the organizational members adopt these changes permanently. Leader nurses also play the role of advocacy. This is supporting the rights and demands of other nurses and even the patients (Houston & Marquis, 2008). Nursing leaders identifies the needs of either the fellow nurses or the patients in his area of operation and consult the relevant authority to address the issues. For example, the nurse leader asks the administrators to provide safety tools to be used by other nurses in the hospital. This is ensuring that the best interests of his/her mates are met. Therefore, advocacy is one significance these leaders have to their junior staff or the patients. Finally, nursing leaders are the role model; they play multiple roles in their place of work. This implies nursing professional is not restricted to one specific task, but to a multiples of tasks (Curties, Vries & Sheerin, 2011). Therefore, when they play many roles in an organization, they are setting an example to others to adopt the behavior. Nursing leaders work as hard as possible and they are very careful they would want at least to develop a friendly relation with nearly everybody. This also sets an example to others to bring that friendly atmosphere at the working place. Conclusion, Leadership nursing is part of the management leadership, which needs somebody who is well versed with the both management and nursing skills. This involving task requires patience, hard work and understanding. Nursing leadership skills can be applied in various aspects; this possible just because the principles of management and management concepts are almost the same. The leaders should exhibit various characteristics in order for them to effectively carryout their work. Numerous importances accompany the practice of nursing leadership. References Cherie, A & Gebrekidan, A. (2005). Nursing leadership and management. Retrieved from http://www.cartercenter.org/resources/pdfs/health/ephti/library/lecture_notes/nursing_stu dents/LN_nsg_ldrshp_final.pdf . Addis Ababa University. Ethiopia. Cumming, G Et al. (2008). Factors contributing to nursing leadership: A systematic review. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18806183 Curties, E, Vries, J & Sheerin, F. (2011). Developing leadership in nursing: exploring core factors. Retrieved from http://www.nurse2nurse.ie/Upload/NA6873leadershp.pdf Forouzande, R. Et al. (2009). Leadership effectiveness among nurse managers and its relationship with extrovert/introvert personality. Retrieved from http://www.sid.ir/en/VEWSSID/J_pdf/118120090403.pdf Houston, C & Marquis, B. (2008). Leadership roles and management functions in nursing: Theory and application. Lippincott Williams &Wilkins. McLean, S., Kenyon M. J. (2003) Legal and Ethical Aspects of Healthcare. John Wiley & Sons. Nash, S. & Govier, I. (2009). Effective team leadership techniques nurses can use to improve teamwork. Retrieved from http://www.nursingtimes.net/effective-team-leadership- techniques-that-nurses-can-use-to-improve-teamworking/5001562.article Australian Nursing and Midwifery Council (2005). Competency standards for the nurse practitioner. Retrieved September 2, 2011, from. http://www.nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.au/Codes-Guidelines-Statements/Co... Chiou, H., & Hsieh, L. (2008). Comparative study of children"s self-concepts and parenting stress between families of children with epilepsy and asthma. Journal of Nursing Research (Taiwan Nurses Association), 16(1), 65-74. Retrieved September 4, 2011, from  http://web-l4.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.uws.edu.au/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfview... Coffey, J. (2006). Parenting a child with chronic illness: a metasynthesis. Pediatric Nursing, 32(1), 51-59. Retrieved September 3, 2011 from  http://web-l4.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.uws.edu.au/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfview. Read More