Words: 1211
Leadership in nursing is an important role that facilitates the delivery of successful nursing care and patient satisfaction in the medical field. In every work atmosphere, there are always leaders and followers. Both contribute to building a safe and effective workplace. The leaders motivate staff members and inspire them to work up to a particular goal, while the followers are guided by the nursing leaders.
There are a few different leadership styles, some good and some bad, which may determine the impact a particular eader may have in the work place (Marquis & Huston 2011). Problem solving and decision making are important factors in effectiveness of a nursing leader. Both qualities are important in management and can contribute to successful motivation of staff members in their everyday work. Creating and maintaining a motivating work climate is another important factor in nursing leadership. Staff members will work towards a goal more actively if they are continuously motivated in a positive manner.
Delegation and conflict management are two other qualities important in effective nursing eadership. Without these qualities, the end result will not be as successful as expected. In the discussion presented here, the leadership styles and competencies of Tiffany, an exemplary nurse leader, will be explained. Leadership Behavior Observation and Reaction Assignment A leader is someone who guides or directs others in pursuing a shared goal, while inspiring them to work in an ethical way. Leaders in nursing need to have specific qualities in order to be successful.
These qualities include dedication, integrity, responsibility, energy, and experience. Nurses who njoy teaching, sharing their knowledge, working as a team, and maintaining a great standing with management are more likely to be successful. According to Downey, Parslow and Smart (201 1), nursing leaders can help with understaffing, patient safety, retention of nurses, and job satisfaction. Embracing nurse leaders in every hospital could be a major asset to nursing care and patient satisfaction and safety in the workplace.
In the discussion which follows, the leadership styles and exemplary leadership skills of Tiffany, a nurse leader and manager, will be described. Primary Leadership Styles I have worked on the same unit for two years, with many of the same nurses. This has helped me determine specific nurses, who have become, or act as nursing leaders. One in particular, Tiffany, is a strong nurse; she is responsible, and respected by all staff and patients. She is driven, motivated, and very reliable. She has every quality a nurse leader should have. Tiffany has been a nurse for four years, yet has the knowledge and confidence of an expert nurse.
Many nurses I work with feel extremely comfortable seeking the answers to their questions from Tiffany, as well as advice in any situation. ould say she is one of the most respected nurses on our unit. I believe Tiffanys primary leadership style is authoritative leadership. Authoritative leaders are decision makers who are experienced and very qualified in their work. Although authoritative leaders can be critical of other’s opinions and rarely let others take control, they are strong resources and produce action when it is needed (Marquis & Huston 201 1).
Tiffany has many of these qualities, and certainly produces action when needed. In addition to the primary leadership styles that have been identified by arious theorists, nursing leadership may also be categorized as transactional and transformational. I would categorize Tiffanfs authoritative leadership style as transformational. Transformational leaders inspire those they work with to excel for the sake of the organization, and in doing so, ultimately transform the staff into a hard working team (Marquis & Huston 2011).
One of the negative qualities transformational leaders have is that they sometimes drain the employees involved in their transformation, due to their energy and aggressive work ethic. unfortunately have noticed this effect on some of the taff Tiffany reaches out to, but believe her overall goal is worth the struggle. Problem Solving and Decision Making Tiffany has recently been promoted to Clinical Manager of a cardiac unit. Before she was promoted, I had always believed she would be an excellent manager. She is patient, yet stern, and extremely dedicated to improving the things that will help our hospital achieve its potential.
Tiffany has always been a successful decision maker. Regardless of the problem, she is always able to think of a solution, and is able to follow through with her ideas for aking things better. Her decision making skills always shine through in her practices on the floor as a nurse, as well as in her role as a clinical manager. Acting decisively involves making decisions that can produce desired outcomes quickly. Based on her nursing experience, Tiffany is able to make decisions and predict the outcome of those decisions before they are realized.
These skills, along with Tiffanys level-headed thinking, reflect her logical approach to decision making. Effectiveness of a Motivating Leader Tiffany has always been a very motivating nurse to work with. Whether it was for a patient, a coworker, or an administrator, she always found ways to motivate us all to achieve a specific outcome. According to Downey, Parslow and Smart (2011 creating a motivating work climate is one of the most important qualities nursing leaders should possess. Tiffany effectively motivates and encourages our team to better our floor and our work ethic as nurses.
Effectiveness of Delegation A key quality Tiffany holds is the ability to delegate tasks to others. One quality lack in my nursing practice is delegation. feel very comfortable elegating most tasks to other nurses, or even to our support staff on the floor. Although at times, I feel unable to delegate, simply because I feel bad asking others to do things. What truly makes Tiffany an excellent clinical manager, is her ability to delegate. Regardless of the task, it will always be fulfilled, and properly as well. Effective delegation is an essential element of time management and organization.
Somehow, Tiffany always manages to finish all of her tasks, direct a nursing unit, help out on the floor when needed, and still complete her shift in a timely manner. Effectiveness of Conflict Management Conflict management is an important role for a clinical manager and a nurse leader. Tiffany can be very effective when dealing with conflict management, although I have also witnessed a few unsuccessful instances. Tiffany has strong opinions, which sometimes can lead to disagreements among hospitals staff. When she truly believes in something, she does not let it go, which can be a great quality; it can also cause conflict.
Tiffanys strong feelings prove to be effective when she stands up for what she believes in, nd advocates for her patients, the nurses working for her, and our hospital. As discussed, Tiffany is an example of an outstanding nursing leader. She possesses the qual ities described which make her an effective leader. These qualities contribute to the growth and success of our hospital and our nursing unit. Between Tiffany s dedication, and her inspiring and motivational work ethic, our hospital is surely on the right track to promoting a safe and effective work environment.